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Join Miss Germany for a 360-Degree Mercedes-Benz GLB Off-Road Presentation

Leoni von Hase, Miss Germany, driving a Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 69 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
The situation is a bit ironic, in a way: reigning Miss Germany, Leonie von Hase, won a Volkswagen Golf GTI together with the title, and yet here she is acting as a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz.
Considering her background, though, her enjoying the GLB-Class more than the hot hatch from Wolfsburg makes plenty of sense. That's because Leonie was born in Namibia, meaning she's been familiarized with off-road adventures since she was little.

However, we doubt the vehicles her parents drove back then (Leoni was born in 1984) had a lot in common with the GLB-Class. They were most likely Toyota Land Cruisers or perhaps Land Rover Defenders, classic off-roaders that relied on pure mechanicals to get their occupants to their destination. Meanwhile, the GLB is a rather small SUV (though it can seat up to seven) full of modern technology that, in all honesty, feels a lot more at home on pavement than anywhere else.

While that may be true, it doesn't mean the GLB is completely lost without the comfort of firm asphalt under its wheels. Like most modern SUVs, it can put a shift off-road when required, provided you don't ask too much of its all-wheel-drive system or its limited ground clearance and angles.

The GLB may not offer anything spectacular in the way of its off-road abilities, but at least visually, it comes as a breath of fresh air in Mercedes-Benz's lineup. The exterior design is a little chunkier than the rest of the manufacturer's SUV, with the obvious exception of the G-Class. The GLB does feel a bit like the spiritual successor of the GLK (actually replaced by the GLC), which in turn claimed to have some design cues the mighty G-Wagen, so there is a loose connection between the two.

The 360-degrees clip featuring Leonie doesn't even come close to testing the vehicle's limits (as low as they might be), but it does make Miss Germany seem like a very pleasant and capable car reviewer. Too bad the 2021 Miss Germany should happen pretty soon (though it might get postponed considering the you-know-what), which means Leonie will lose her status. Well, if she didn't already have a successful business, she now knows there is always the option to become a YouTube car reviewer.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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