BMW is doing really well in the luxury carmaking business right now, so well that Mercedes has to do an earnest crossover, not a jacked up hatch. It's called the GLB, and based on our info will debut towards the middle of 2019.
The GLA was a crossover too, right? No, don't you dare call it that. The GLC is a crossover since it's based on the C-Class platform, but the GLA is a hatchback for people who don't want hatchbacks, namely the North American market.
It sold acceptably well, but Mercedes has built a lot of small car production capacity all over the world, hoping it's the next cash cow, so it needs to have real family cars like this. Even though it's based on the same platform as the A-Class, the GLB is very big. Just looking at the driver in this spy video, it looks like a basketball player could fit behind the wheel.
Also, we think the GLB is designed to do all the cool crossover tricks: sliding and reclining rear seats, an adjustable trunk area and possibly even a third row. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, though. While most of the other Mercs that came out in the past year were sleek, this is boxy and tall. We're concerned that the "mini G-Class" marketing won't stick.
Still, this crossover will be able to take on the VW Tiguan based purely on the quality of its interior and the engine range. The cabin should have the same MBUX as the A-Class and CLA, while shoppers will be tempted by the latest 2-liter diesels with up to 190 HP.
For people who don't want AWD, Mercedes is also planning a 1.3-liter base gasoline engine, and plug-in hybrids are on the way as well.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News