I liked the electric Mercedes-Benz GLB but I’d still buy a CLA first

Mercedes-Benz has spoiled me with some fantastic electric cars lately. First I had the glorious CLA shooting brake on test; then came this, the GLB 250+ Electric AMG Line Premium Plus. For anyone needing a loftier, SUV-flavoured set of wheels, I could instantly see how it would fit the bill – especially with all the AMG accoutrements. Delicious diamond cut alloy wheels, smart LED ambient lighting and a bone-shaking Burmester audio system go a long way.

As a full-on seven seater, the GLB is ideally suited to big families. All three rows have oodles of space. Its load-carrying credentials are also hard to fault, which is surprising given the 4.7m length; this car looks smaller than some of the high-capacity cruisers I’ve tested recently, and feels smaller out on the road.

And yet the CLA would still be my first choice. Let me explain why…

The styling

I’m a big fan of the Mercedes-Benz CLA, so seeing it trade places on my drive for the GLB was a bit of a letdown. Both cars may be based on the same electric platform but this SUV bodystyle is considerably chunkier. If the extra space is needed, however, it makes an awful lot of sense. My car sat on sizeable 20in alloys shod with sensible rubber, giving a ride height that was actually very enjoyable.

Cars with AMG Line trim like mine are given a more premium look thanks to some additional brightwork, including chrome pop-out door handles. The shape of the GLB is reasonably conservative though, and the high roofline on top of the low-slung front and rear ends left me in two minds whether or not I liked the overall styling. The brilliant LED lights convinced me that I could live with it over time.

The interior was a great experience too. Everyday driving was unquestionably comfortable with solid but forgiving seats that could be infinitely controlled via the classic electric adjustment buttons built into the door cards. The third row of seats, which can be put away for cargo-carrying duties, worked well too and felt like they’d been properly thought out with decent seat coverings and okay-levels of comfort. Sure, it’s a bit pokey back there when they’re up, but it worked as well as any rival I’ve tried.

The GLB 250+ Electric comes with a solid 540-litre boot and a very good 127-litre frunk area that, even with the cables packed inside, still left me with plenty of room to play with. The latter would also be a boon for anyone needing to carry a full payload of passengers as it’s square enough to get a decent quota of bags and bits inside.

The drive

I didn’t think the Mercedes-Benz GLB 250+ was as enjoyable to drive as the CLA, but the comparison is unfair as this is a very different bag of tricks. For starters, it’s an SUV, not a lower-riding sedan. Sure it’s roomy, but the drive is much less inspiring.

However, I had no complaints with the powertrain, which featured a chunky 85.5kW battery and 268bhp motor that drove the back wheels. Performance was more than adequate. 0-62mph arrived in 7.4 seconds and it’ll hit 130mph before running out of puff. While bulky, it still felt sprightly enough to be useful in tricky moments. The 359 miles of official range felt fully achievable and I imagine the powertrain arrangement would make this a decent towing vehicle.

Interestingly, the adaptive dampers on my AMG Line model did help a little with the overall ride quality and handling, which for an SUV was better than some I’ve tried. It would wallow a little if pushed through a tight corner or while navigating a roundabout at speed, but overall, the GLB was a decent thing to drive on a variety of road types.

I’d be interested to compare and contrast to a standard-issue car but based on my experience I’d say the adaptive setup is well worth having for anyone who enjoys their driving time.

The technology

One of the best things about the current crop of Mercedes-Benz cars is the MBUX infotainment system. I find this one of the easiest to use and best-looking designs out there and have rarely taken issue with it. There were occasional niggles, like the over-zealous system jamming on the anchors as I gingerly passed cars parked on both sides of the road, heaving on the seat belts in the process. Being able to accidentally change the look and feel of controls via the sensitive steering wheel-mounted controls was easily done too. Overall, though, it worked a treat.

Drive is still selected via the standard Mercedes-Benz column shifter. This allowed for maximum regen to be applied easily as is my own preference.

My AMG Line Premium Plus model came with the passenger side infotainment screen, which felt unnecessary. I also found it really hard to turn off completely, and the glow from the screen and the ambient lighting was distracting at night. Both would also tend to hamper the view from the passenger side door mirror too. These are things that can be adjusted via the in-car settings, but it was one aspect that felt borderline annoying.

Aside from that though, the system was excellent. I’ve been making good use of the voice control in all the Mercedes-Benz cars I’ve had of late, and it really does work well. This included setting up navigational instructions where, amazingly, it always seemed to understand where I wanted to go. It’s definitely a step up compared to some I’ve tried. In fact, it was so good that I didn’t once feel the need to tap into the Apple CarPlay option that was on offer, alongside Android Auto.

Mercedes-Benz GLB 250+ Electric AMG Line Premium Plus verdict

While I’m still won over by the CLA – I just don’t need the extra room and value handling that much more – I can certainly see the appeal of the Mercedes-Benz GLB 250+. Especially when it comes festooned with all the additional AMG Line goodies. Considering it can handle seven passengers and their belongings, the GLB will be perfectly suited to larger families.

What was even more interesting is that, despite its impressive load-carrying capabilities, the GLB didn’t feel big and bulky to drive. In that respect, I think it’s deceptively brilliant.