(June 12, 2019) The new GLB is a versatile SUV with powerful proportions, short overhangs and an off-road-oriented design, as well as optional 4MATIC all-wheel drive. The GLB also serves as a spacious family car that offers even more flexibility as the first Mercedes-Benz in this segment available as a seven-seater.

Powerful and efficient four- cylinder engines paired with the latest driving assistance systems, and the intuitively operable infotainment system MBUX, help to equip this new family member with all the strengths of the current generation Mercedes-Benz compact-class. The all- new 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB will go on sale in the U.S. by the end of the year.

At 111.4 inches, the GLB's wheelbase is 5.1 inches longer than the GLA and 1.7 inches shorter than the GLC SUV.  The headroom in the first seat row is 41 inches, and the effective legroom in the rear measures at 38 inches, making the five-seater an exceptionally comfortable ride.

The load compartment capacity of 20 to 62 cubic feet (figures for the five- seater) provides spaciousness for various occasions. The second row seats offer passengers the ability to adjust the inclination of the backrests in several stages while also providing the flexibility to adjust the seats forward increasing the cargo compartment by up to 6 cubic feet.

Globally, one in three Mercedes-Benz cars is now an SUV, and one in four a compact model. A compact SUV like the GLB therefore combines all the success factors of the company's highest-volume segments.

With the new GLB, the global compact car family from Mercedes-Benz now consists of eight models: the A-Class, A-Class Sedan and long-wheelbase A- Class Sedan, B-Class, CLA Coupe, CLA Wagon and the GLA are already on the market. In 2018 over 609,000 customers all over the world were able to take delivery of a compact model.

Since the A-Class was launched in 1997, over 6.5 million vehicles from this segment have been sold worldwide by Mercedes- Benz. In the U.S, market the GLB will join the compact car family that currently includes the A-Class Sedan, the CLA Coupe and the GLA.

The GLB is the first compact vehicle from Mercedes-Benz to offer an optional third row with two additional seats. The extensive safety equipment includes retractable headrests, seat belts with belt tensioners, and a side window airbag, which also protects the passengers in the third seat row. Additionally, the GLB supplies ISOFIX and TOP-Tether anchorages for suitable child seats, and these can be used to attach up to four child seats in the rear.

Comfort details in the third row include two drink holders between the seats as well as two stowage compartments with a rubberized insert on the left and right in the load compartment trim, each with a USB-C port. The seats can be folded so that they are flush with the load compartment floor in order to extend the load compartment.

The new GLB places its trust in a 221-horsepower four-cylinder gas engine, which was completely updated to relaunch the compact model series. In comparison to the previous generation, it is characterized by significantly increased power, improved efficiency and emissions. Mercedes says the GLB has been timed from 0-to-60 in 6.9 seconds.

The two-liter M 260 engine in the GLB 250 has cast-iron cylinder liners in its engine block of diecast aluminum, widening at the lower end as per the CONICSHAPE principle. In-house the cylinder bore process is descriptively known as "trumpet-honing". This minimizes piston friction and cuts consumption. In the aluminum four-valve cylinder head, the CAMTRONIC variable valve timing system allows two-stage adjustment of the valve lift on the intake side.