MERCEDES-BENZ

2026 MB GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz's GLB-class is a small-but-boxy subcompact crossover with a good-sized taste of the luxury marque's premium ambiance. A new version will debut soon, and we expect it to continue to share a platform with the brand's entry-level sedan, the CLA-class. Details are sparse so far, but Mercedes says the SUV's optional third row of seats will make a return appearance in the second-generation model.

So far, Mercedes has only shown us a teaser image of the new GLB undergoing winter testing, and the company has also released an image of the SUV's dashboard. From those images, we can see that it retains its upright styling, and the cabin will feature a nearly entirely digital dashboard that's been filled with screens from pillar to pillar.

The GLB-class will enter its second generation soon—we expect for the 2027 model year—with a complete redesign. Mercedes says the new SUV will debut on December 8, 2026, at which point we'll know more about its powertrain, features, and pricing.

We haven't seen the new GLB yet, let alone had a chance to test drive it, but from photos, we can see that the interior takes a tech-focused turn. Three large display screens stretch most of the dashboard's width. The two bucket seats up front look comfortable and appear to feature adjustable thigh supports and controls for the power adjustments mounted on the front doors. The design is minimalistic, aside from the giant screens, and overall, it looks premium.

We haven't received any info about the new GLB's second-row seat yet, but we know there is one. The outgoing model was spacious enough for adults, and we expect the new one to offer similar room. Models equipped with the optional third row of seats will feature second row seats that slide fore and aft.

Third Row: The GLB will be offered with an optional third row. Based on our experience with the older version, these rearmost seats will likely be best used for kids.

Mercedes-Benz hasn't released any information on the GLB's cargo space yet, but models equipped with the optional third row are likely to have less space for cargo than models without those chairs.

Based on the same MMA modular architecture as the new CLA, the second-generation GLB adopts the same electronics store look, with no less than three screens on the dashboard. Mercedes-Benz calls this layout MBUX Superscreen, which should not be confused with the Hyperscreen that can be fitted to the more expensive EQS and EQE.

The company did not disclose the size of the TV-like screens in the new GLB, but they appear identical to those in the new CLA. In the sedan, there is a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel and a pair of 14-inch touchscreens. If three screens are too much, it's important to know that the MBUX Superscreen will be optional and that the base versions will not have the passenger screen.

The "floating" center console is borrowed from the CLA, as are the physical controls below the center screen. The door panels are also similar to those of the sedan, making the GLB's interior a familiar place. Where the crossover differs significantly from its sedan sibling, however, is in the amount of interior space.

Thanks to its square shape and standard panoramic sunroof, the second-generation seven-seater model offers "remarkably" more headroom in the first two rows of seats and more comfort for second-row passengers. In the optional three-row version, the entire middle row can slide forward and backward. That said, the five-seater version will also offer this feature as an option.

Speaking of nice extras, the GLB's new panoramic sunroof features thermally insulated laminated safety glass with an infrared reflective coating, as well as a low-emissivity (LowE) coating on the interior. The latter helps keep the cabin cool in summer and warm in winter. In the standard configuration, the glass roof is transparent, but if customers are willing to pay extra, Mercedes-Benz will include a variable transparency feature that can adjust the opacity of independent segments in just 10 milliseconds. As another optional extra, the panoramic sunroof can be illuminated in the same color as the rest of the ambient lighting.

Mercedes' new model development departments are working at full speed. The luxury brand has a packed schedule of major launches ahead, spanning almost every month of 2026 and beyond. In some months, there may even be more than one presentation or premiere and launch, given the enormous range of models, which is why the manufacturer was forced to start its presentation program before the end of 2025.

The second generation of the Mercedes GLB will be the first to kick off this series of presentations, and this will happen a few months earlier than planned. The end of production of the first generation GLB is already confirmed, so discontinuing such an important model in its compact line would be a risk that Mercedes cannot afford to take. Especially since it is practically one of the few SUVs in its category that can be equipped with seven seats, and the only one in the premium segment.

The GLB has been completely redesigned; you have already seen it in prototype photos on several occasions, but always heavily camouflaged, especially the rear, which will be completely new. So much so that Mercedes has been extremely reluctant to reveal more than a small glimpse of a large light bar that starts vertically at the edges of the trunk lid, runs its entire width, and extends to the rear fenders. But this large light bar only serves as the parking lights; it doesn't include the brake lights, and the three-pointed star, which has become standard on all new models from the manufacturer, is also absent.

A detail present in the headlights, but not on all units that will reach the market, only on those equipped with the sophisticated MultiBeam LED headlights. The new GLB will continue to boast a long and elegant silhouette, typical of the family's models, with smooth surfaces and a more futuristic look. And not only on the exterior, as the interior will also feature the large digital screen of up to 33 inches in the top-of-the-line models. Once again, the third screen of the "MBUX Superscreen" system will be optional, as the standard screens will be two: a 10.25-inch screen behind the steering wheel and a 14-inch screen for the multimedia system.

We don't yet know what will power the new Mercedes-Benz GLB, but it will likely borrow technology from the CLA sedan, which can be equipped with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. In addition to a fully electric version with 800-volt technology, the seven-seater model will probably also be offered with a 1.5-liter mild-hybrid gasoline engine.

The GLB-class will enter its second generation soon—we expect for the 2027 model year—with a complete redesign. Mercedes says the new SUV will debut on December 8, 2026

Autonews