Mercedes-Benz has announced details of the new, second-generation Mercedes-Benz GLB, which will go on sale in early 2026. Like the first model, the new GLB is a mid-size SUV that offers up to seven seats within a comparatively compact body. It’ll be available with hybrid or pure-electric power, making it a replacement for both the current GLB and its pure-electric equivalent, the EQB. Here's all the essential info on the 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB.
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: Price, Specs and Release Date
- 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: Price, Specs and Release Date
- 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: styling and dimensions
- 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: interior design and practicality
- 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: engines and driving dynamics
- 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: price and release date
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: styling and dimensions
The new GLB has a very similar shape to the first-generation model, with an upright windscreen and blocky profile that are a nod to Mercedes-Benz’s legendary G-Class (or G-Wagen) model. It adopts Mercedes-Benz’s latest design themes, however, so at the front there are slimmer headlights connected by a full-width light bar, with a lighting signature that includes Mercedes Benz’s three-pointed star logo. There’s also a larger, more rounded front grille, which is available in an illuminated version featuring 94 LEDs in the shape of three-pointed stars.
At the rear there are – you guessed it – more three-pointed stars. This time in the form of lighting signatures within a U-shaped rear light bar that stretches across the width and down the sides of the car. Mercedes-Benz says that ‘surrounding wheel-arch cladding and visual underride protection at the front and rear emphasise the off-road character’ of the GLB, although we suspect that very few UK owners will actually take their car off-road.
The new GLB is significantly larger than the GLA compact SUV and is 98mm longer and 27mm wider than previous GLB, but 14mm lower. It’s longer and taller than the GLC mid-size SUV but also narrower.
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: interior design and practicality
The interior of the GLB is very similar to that of the new CLA that it shares a platform with, so there’s not much of a dashboard as such, just a huge, full-width display screen. What appears to be one continuous display is in fact three separate screens: a 10.25-inch screen for the driver, a 14-inch central display and a 14-inch screen for the front passenger. Most things are controlled through a screen or voice control, but Mercedes-Benz says it has introduced some physical controls in response to ‘numerous customer requests’.
As before, the GLB offers seating for up to seven in a comparatively compact car. The new model’s increased size improves passenger space in the second- and third-row seats, Mercedes-Benz says, while a longer seat cushion than before is designed to improve comfort in the second row.
The second-row seats also have a versatile 40/20/40 split-folding function as standard. In seven-seat versions they also slide back and forth to balance legroom requirements between second- and third-row passengers. A sliding seat is optional for five-seat versions. Isofix child seat fittings for the front passenger seat, outer second-row seats and third-row seats of seven-seater models give a total of up to five availalble Isofix points throughout the cabin.
Boot space is generous, with a 540-litre capacity behind the second-row seats for five-seater models and 480 litres in the seven-seater. Electric versions also have a large ‘frunk’ under the bonnet, with a 127-litre capacity that Mercedes-Benz says is enough to hold 'a crate of drinks, three footballs or a compact tent’.
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: engines and driving dynamics
Initially, two electric-only GLB models will be available. The GLB 250+ produces 200bhp and has a maximum range of 392 miles. The sportier GLB 350 4Matic produces 256bhp and has four-wheel drive (rather than front-wheel drive) as standard, yet still has a maximum range of 382 miles. Both models use the same 85 kWh battery pack.
Thanks to an 800-volt system, the GLB offers a very impressive maximum charging rate of up to 320 kW. Mercedes-Benz also points out that it's possible to add up to 162 miles of range in just 10 minutes.
Hybrid versions will join the range in mid-2026, and Mercedes-Benz says these will be capable of using electric power only for short distances. An entry-level pure-electric model will also be added to the lineup.
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB: price and release date
The new Mercedes-Benz will go on sale in the UK in early 2026, with the electric models arriving first and hybrid models following a few months later.
Pricing hasn’t been confirmed but we’d expect a small increase over the current GLB and EQB, so a starting point of about £43,000 for hybrid models and £54,000 for electric versions seems likely. Rivals include the Peugeot 5008 and Volkswagen Tayron, which are both seven-seat SUVs that are in the same ballpark for size and price.