Mercedes-Benz GLB Electric Review & Prices

It may be one of the ‘babies’ of the Mercedes SUV range, but the new GLB Electric is a seven-seater with a grown-up feeling interior, clever on-board technology and smooth electric motors. It could be more comfortable, though, and the third row doesn’t offer as much space as in other cars.

But, aside from the whopping great BMW X5 and Land Rover Defender, as well as the Mercedes GLS, there aren’t many seven-seaters on sale which offer the same brand pedigree as the GLB Electric. There aren’t that many electric seven-seaters, either, with the best being the Kia EV9, Peugeot E-5008, Volkswagen ID Buzz and Hyundai Ioniq 9 - which are all behemoths by comparison. Those in the market for something smaller are limited to just the van-based Citroen e-Berlingo.

That makes the GLB Electric a clever little carry-on in a world of large suitcases. Some smart packaging means you’ll fit almost as much in the smaller option as in the others, but at the same time it’s a bit more of a headache to squeeze everything in.

Just like a piece of premium carry-on baggage, the GLB looks quite smart in a chunky, squared-off sort of way. There are definite ties to the mechanically-similar Mercedes CLA Electric in the rounded grille, soft surfaces and front light bar, but the sharp taillights and chunky silhouette are rather attractive.

Mercedes GLB Electric: electric range, battery and charging data
Range: 349 - 379 miles
Efficiency: 5.3 - 6.3mi/kwh
Battery size: 85kWh
Max charge speed: 320kW
Charge time AC: 13h 45mins, 0-100%, 7kW
Charge time DC: 22mins, 10-80%, 170kW
Charge port location: right side, rear
Power outputs: 268hp (GLB 250+), 349hp (GLB 350)

The cabin is a bit more divisive, carrying over the CLA’s love-it-or-hate-it, screen-dominated dashboard. That means a wide, gloss black panel in place of a traditional padded upper surface, housing a 14.0-inch infotainment display, 10.3-inch driver display and - on the highest trim levels - a third display for the passenger. These are flanked by jet turbine-esque air vents, with other notable features including the ‘floating’ centre console and a five-spoke steering wheel.

Fortunately, the GLB’s interior is more than just shock-factor. The infotainment display, annoying climate controls aside, is lightning-fast and the menus are sensibly laid out - especially the handy shortcut for the driver assistance systems. Material quality is high; whether going for man-made or natural leather upholstery, the GLB is a premium piece of kit.

It’s very spacious in the front two rows, with plenty of headroom and legroom, even with the middle seats slid all the way forwards. There’s lots of storage space, too, but the third row is disappointing by comparison. Adults will struggle for headroom and foot space, and there’s no easy way to clamber into them. At least there are four ISOFIX points and two big boots, both front and rear.

There’s a single battery choice (an 85kWh unit) and a couple of motor options for the GLB, with range varying from 349 to 379 miles depending on your choice of rear- or all-wheel drive.

It’s a capable car from behind the wheel, but the GLB isn’t perfect. Though it’s related to the CLA Shooting Brake Electric, the GLB’s extra height, weight and taller supension mean it’s less comfortable around town, noticeably shaken around on rough roads. It’s comfortable otherwise, though big speedbumps do induce a little bounciness.

Augmented reality tech uses cameras outside the car, overlaying the image with graphics which help when parking and navigating unknown roads. It’s more comfortable on the motorway, with the suspension settling down at higher speeds, but there’s some noticeable wind noise due to the upright windscreen. Don’t expect sporty thrills on a country lane, but the GLB is grippy and easy to drive quickly, if a touch bouncy on rough bends.

Verdict

The Mercedes GLB Electric makes a lot of sense if you’re interested in a Mercedes CLA Shooting brake but you need the extra space, or a pair of emergency seats in the back. It’s more desirable, if not as handsome, as a Peugeot E-5008, and easier to live with than an enormous Kia EV9.

Check out our latest deals on the Mercedes GLB Electric, or browse other new Mercedes deals as well as Mercedes leasing offers, or even the numerous used Mercedes models for sale on Carwow. We can help you sell your car when it’s time to switch, too.

Starting at £46,000, the Mercedes GLB is similarly priced to the Audi Q4 e-tron while offering more range, but it’s around £3,000 more than a BMW iX1. Neither alternatives feature an uber-modern interior like the Mercedes, but the iX1 is lovely inside and looks far less divisive. You can’t opt for either alternative with seven seats, though.

The bottom-rung GLB Electric Sport features heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, leatherette/fabric upholstery and LED lights at both ends. Prices shoot up as you go up the GLB trim levels, however, and you’ll pay a whopping £10,000 more for a GLB 250+ in AMG Line Premium Plus trim, compared to the Sport.

For that you get a sporty body kit, sports seats up front, 20-inch wheels, privacy rear glass, a heated steering wheel and the third interior display for your passenger. The more powerful 350 models start from £55,000, rising up to £61,000.

Easy to drive in town and competent on a twisty road, but the GLB is shaken around on bad roads

In town

Thanks to the GLB’s tall roofline and flat bonnet, it’s remarkably easy to drive in town for an SUV. Forward and side visibility is excellent, making it easy to judge the car’s size, which is handy on narrow city streets or when faced with width restrictions.

Rear visibility isn’t quite as strong, with chunky back pillars offsetting the large rear window. Fortunately, Mercedes has fitted the GLB with some very impressive parking software, not only highlighting which parking spaces the car can fit in, but even manoeuvring into a parking bay for you.

It’s just a shame that the GLB isn’t all that comfortable around town. AMG Line Premium and Premium Plus 350 models fitted with 20-inch wheels come with adaptive suspension, but the 250+ version we tested came on regular springs which were jittery and over rough roads and a touch bouncy over big speed bumps.

On the motorway

The Mercedes GLB Electric gets up to motorway speeds with ease, and overtakes don’t require much forethought thanks to the perky electric motor options. The suspension is more comfortable at higher speeds than it is around town, too, though the GLB is a touch bouncy over larger lane-crossing ruts.

Unfortunately, the Mercedes isn’t as refined at a cruise as you’d hope. That boxy silhouette and rather upright windscreen means there’s a noticeable amount of wind noise at 70mph, and even on the 19-inch wheels of our test car, there was some road noise to contend with, too.

On a twisty road

The GLB Electric will surprise you on a twisty road, because it’s surprisingly good fun. Okay, don’t expect it to set your heart racing in the way a proper sports SUV will, but there’s plenty of grip, not too much body lean and the steering is heavy enough at speed to give you some idea about what the front wheels are doing.

In fact, the darty steering means this seven-seater is surprisingly agile, and the flat bonnet makes it easy to gauge the car’s width, so hedge-lined lanes don’t feel daunting. The only real criticism of the GLB Electric on back roads is its suspension, because in non-adaptive form it bounces over bumps and dips at speed.

Loads of room in the first two rows, but the last pair of seats are best for kids

The Mercedes GLB Electric really does feel like a taller, more spacious Mercedes CLA Electric thanks to its shared dashboard and similar interior storage cubbies, but the taller roofline means there’s loads of room inside to get comfortable.

Plenty of adjustability in the front seats and steering wheel means that even the tallest adults will find it easy to get comfortable up front, with what feels like miles of room between you and the glass roof.

There’s a storage shelf beneath the floating centre console, above which you’ll find a (optional on lower trims) wireless phone charging pad, two cupholders and a hidden cubby between the seats, while the door pockets are large enough for a big water bottle and some extra bits and bobs. The glovebox, however, is tiny.

Space in the back seats

Space in the second row of seats is even better, as the bench (split 60:40) slides back and forth, also having reclinable backrests to get comfortable on long drives. You’ll easily fit three adults, and the centre passenger isn’t lacking for headroom or foot space. If you’re two-up in the back, the middle seat flips down for an armrest with two cup holders and a phone mount.

Even with the second row slid forwards, there’s enough legroom to stay comfy, while this afford you the needed space to use seats six and seven in the boot. Annoyingly, you have to clamber over the ‘middle’ seats to access the third row as they don’t flip forwards, and there’s very little headspace, under-thigh support and foot room for the final pair of passengers.

A Peugeot E-5008 offers much more room back there, and the GLB Electric is best suited to children in the final seats. That being said, there are a pair of central cupholders and side pockets for phones, which is handy. You also get four ISOFIX points, two in the middle row and two in the back.

Boot space

Even with the third row present, there’s a fair amount of boot space in the GLB Electric at 145 litres. That’s more than enough for a few soft backs, though you’ll struggle to get much hard-shelled luggage in there. With the rearmost seats folded away, however, the GLB Electric offers 540 litres of space.

That’s not a patch on the Peugeot e-5008’s 916-litre cargo area, but plenty for five people. Lift the boot floor up and there’s enough space to stow the parcel shelf away (it’s a fiddle process, however) and a little room for small items. You get a pair of hooks and some tie down points, as well as a 12V charger on one side.

What there isn’t room for is the posh boot mat that stops little things from falling in and around the back seats when the third row is folded down. It dominates the boot space once you flip the seats up, so if you have luggage and seven passengers you’ll have to leave it behind. Not very practical.

Mercedes’ infotainment system is slick to use, but it’s still more complicated than having physical buttons

The GLB’s dashboard is identical to the CLA Electric for all intents and purposes, which means you’re greeted to a televisual assault on the senses from the moment you step inside. There’s a whopping great slab of gloss black dashboard in place of the typical leatherette-and-plastic fare, which is home to a 14.0-inch infotainment display (or two, in the poshest models) and a 10.3-inch driver display.

We’d still prefer to have real climate control switches rather than on-screen items, but at least there’s a shortcut button for the driver assistance systems which makes it easy to turn off any of the ADAS functions which annoy you.

Other than that, the interior is typical Mercedes fare. The five-spoke steering wheel looks nice, even if the spoke-mounted touchpad for the infotainment is a bit annoying to use, while the rest of the cabin looks swoopy and sleek. Material quality is generally high and there are some funky trim choices (including zany hemp-derived fare).

Mercedes claims the lower-level 250+ model can travel as far as 380 miles in base Sport form, dropping down to 350 miles in top-spec, dual-motor 350 4Matic guise. Both versions feature the same 85kWh battery as the CLA Electric, but the boxy shape and extra weight means a severe range reduction by comparison.

Even in its longest-range form the GLB lags behind the Peugeot e-5008’s 413-mile offering, while the Merc sits well ahead of the BMW iX1 and Kia EV9. On our test drive, however, we only achieved 3.1 mi/kWh in the GLB 250, which equates to a maximum range of 266 miles. Ouch.

If you can find the right charger, the GLB Electric’s advanced 800V charging system means it can charge from 20-80% in just 22 minutes at a rate of 320kW. On a 7.4kW AC charger, however, it’ll go from 0-100% in around 13 hours and 30 minutes.

Sport and Sport Executive versions dip below the EV luxury car supplement on road tax between years two-to-six, coming in at under £50,000, while the first year rate on all versions is the lowest possible. Company car drivers rejoice, the GLB Electric sits in the lowest band of Benefit-in-Kind payments.

The new GLB Electric has yet to be tested by crash safety experts Euro NCAP, but given the five-star results of the smaller and mechanically-similar CLA Electric, we’d expect no less from the SUV.

It comes as standard with a suite of driver assistance systems, monitoring cameras, lane keep assist, brake assist, emergency steering function, exit warning and a reversing camera. You also get four ISOFIX child seat anchor points as standard, two in the middle row and two in the third row.

Mercedes came second out of 31 brands in the 2025 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. That's pretty good going, beaten only by Subaru, while the Mercedes GLE earned first place overall. Electric vehicles have fewer moving parts than petrol or diesel cars, too, which should give you even more peace of mind for GLB Electric ownership.

You get a three-year, unlimited-mile warranty with the GLB Electric which is unremarkable, but you can pay to extend this should you wish. BMW offers unlimited mileage over the same period with the iX1, as does Peugeot on the E-5008.