The new 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB is undergoing extreme cold-weather testing ahead of its world premiere on December 8, and its Australian launch during the second half of next year.
In a press release issued this morning, Mercedes-Benz also confirmed the second-generation GLB will continue to offer up to seven seats – unlike its far more popular mid-size luxury SUV, the GLC – within a “more flexible” interior, plus the option of its MBUX Superscreen infotainment/instrument array.
To prove it, the German automaker has released the first images showing inside the new GLB, which previous spy shots from the Nürburgring show will be as boxy as the original model first released in 2019.
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Other official images of the new GLB undergoing severe-weather testing confirm takeouts from the spy shots in May, including sleeker headlights than the rectangular units on the current model, new flagpole-style wing mirrors, and flush-fitting pop-out door handles.
At the rear, there’s a prominent upper tailgate spoiler, above slimmer tail-lights joined by what appears to be a full-width light bar.
No technical information was revealed, but the MkII GLB will share its Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) with the third-generation CLA sedan launched earlier this year, providing clues to its mechanical makeup.
However, like the new CLA, the new GLB is expected to be initially available with the choice of two all-electric drivetrains: a single-motor rear-wheel setup producing 200kW of power and 335Nm of torque, and a dual-motor all-wheel drive system offering 260kW and 515Nm.
In the CLA, both are paired with an 85kWh battery pack offering a WLTP range of between 672 and 792km. A cheaper variant with a 58kWh battery will launch later this year.
Unlike the current GLB, there will be no battery-powered EQB sister model featuring substantial styling changes to highlight its electric drivetrain.
Instead, EV powertrain options will be part of the regular GLB range, and electric variants will wear the clunky “with EQ Technology” suffix.
Like the CLA, the next GLB will also likely be available with a mild-hybrid turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with an integrated 20kW electric motor fed by a 1.3kWh 48V lithium-ion battery.
In the CLA, the mild-hybrid system will be able available in three states of tune: 100kW/200Nm, 120kW/250Nm and 140kW/300Nm. Depending on the model, buyers can choose between front- or all-wheel drive.
For now, Mercedes-Benz says the new GLB’s “completely reimagined” cabin replaces the outgoing model’s sculptural look with a cleaner, high-tech interior defined by the optional MBUX Superscreen, which stretches across the dashboard.
There are circular air vents with Silver Shadow detailing, a floating centre console, and a more ergonomic steering wheel. Mercedes-Benz has listened to customer feedback and reinstated rocker switches for the speed-limiter and Distronic adaptive cruise control, plus a roller for volume control.
The GLB is promised to bring improved headroom, legroom, and versatility. The second row gains longer thigh cushions, and a sliding function will be standard in seven-seat versions and optional for five-seaters.
Mercedes-Benz says the optional third-row bench is easier to access thanks to a revised Easy-Entry function and folds flat into the floor when not needed.
The panoramic sunroof now features infrared-reflecting glass and a special coating to manage temperature efficiently in both hot and cold conditions.
In what’s claimed to be a segment first, the roof’s transparency can be adjusted from clear to dark in milliseconds, while an optional illuminated star pattern connects with ambient lighting for a personalised ‘starlit’ effect.
Mercedes-Benz’s new MB.OS operating system will be paired with the company’s fourth-generation MBUX interface, bringing redesigned animations, an advanced Virtual Assistant powered by generative AI, navigation via Google Maps, and over-the-air software update capability.
The GLB also benefits from the German automaker’s MB.DRIVE suite of driver-assistance technologies, with hardware including eight cameras, five radar sensors, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.
Mercedes-Benz is also keen to spruik the new GLB’s intensive development program, with engineers at the Mercedes Technology Centre in Sindelfingen pushing the SUV to its limits inside cutting-edge climatic wind tunnels capable of simulating blizzards, desert heat, and everything in between.
Even in sub-zero conditions, Mercedes-Benz says the new GLB offers a “welcome home” feeling, thanks to clear visibility, consistent heating performance, and occupant comfort in even the harshest conditions.
Exposing the SUV to temperatures as low as -40°C and employing snow cannons and 200km/h wind speeds to replicate an alpine blizzard, each wind tunnel features rolling roads driven by powerful electric motors that allow 4Matic all-wheel drive systems to be tested realistically at speeds of up to 265km/h.
Engineers can precisely control temperature, humidity, and airflow precisely – and repeat the tests at any time of year – and the same facility is also used to test hot-weather performance in a heat chamber generating temperatures of up to 60°C.
It’s supported by a solar simulation system using 32 lamps to reproduce natural sunlight up to 1200W/m² – similar to Death Valley conditions.
A ‘Hot Road’ system can also heat the surface beneath the car to 70°C, accurately recreating scorching summer asphalt and allowing Mercedes-Benz to verify that cabin cooling, materials, and electronics perform without fault.
Mercedes-Benz says the GLB’s heating system remained efficient even in freezing trials between -15°C and -20°C, and that the SUV can defrost its windscreen in just 15 minutes at -15°C using only the defrost setting.
Inside, a new heat pump derived from the Vision EQXX program draws warmth from three sources – the drive system, the battery, and ambient air – to consume around a third of the energy of a conventional auxiliary heater.
