Previewed by the very revealing Concept GLB, the production version of the Mercedes-Benz GLB has now been officially unveiled and detailed. Its underpinnings are closely related to those of the A-Class hatch or the CLA sedan, but judging by its design and size, you wouldn’t really know they are related, at least from the outside.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB was designed to fill the spot in the range between the smaller GLA (based on the same front-wheel drive-biased chassis architecture) and the larger GLC (essentially the SUV equivalent of the C-Class sedan). However, even though its wheelbase is shorter than that of the GLC, the GLB’s squared off design and tall greenhouse actually allow it to be perceived as the larger car.

The 2020 Mercedes GLB Has G-Class Looks and the Promise of Ruggedness

Mercedes made it very clear that it was aiming the GLB at adventurous types who enjoy the outdoor lifestyle. The production version is less extreme, but with minimal mods, you could make it look exactly like the concept.

The fact that it looks like a smaller and friendlier version of the big G-Class off-roader is no accident. Mercedes previously tried this kind of design on the GLK (the current GLC’s predecessor) and that car’s squared off good looks certainly attracted buyers. But then, with the launch of the GLC, the GLK’s replacement bore more of a resemblance to a raised hatchback or estate than it did to the G-Class.

The standard roof rails it comes with are not as big as the ones on the concept, but they still do the job of making it look like a proper off-roader (even though it really isn’t one).

So, even if base versions only come with front-wheel drive, the GLB’s short and stout appearance makes it seem very capable off-road. Mercedes says that examples equipped with the optional all-wheel drive are genuinely good at tackling rough surfaces and it even offers what it calls the “Off-Road Engineering Package” to further increase its off-road abilities.

The 2020 Mercedes GLB is Packed Full of Technology

Its interior design and layout are very similar to what you’ve already seen in the new A-Class and CLA, the main difference being just how much more headroom there is inside the GLB. It comes with the same twin-screen setup (where one is a digital gauge cluster while the other handles infotainment) that can optionally be upgraded to feature two 12.3-inch displays.

The GLB also comes with semi-autonomous driving capability, as well as self-parking, lane change assistant with Active Steering Assist, hill start assist, and one feature that isn’t available on any other compact Mercedes - examples with 4Matic all-wheel drive that also have the optional Multibeam LED headlights specced to “offer a special off-road light function." This makes it easier to see obstacles in rough terrain in the dark. With the off-road lights, the cornering light on the Multibeam LED headlamps is continuously switched on at speeds of up to 50 km/h. This results in "wide and bright light distribution immediately in front of the vehicle,” according to the manufacturer.

The aforementioned Off-Road Engineering Package adds a new selectable driving mode, as well as “an animation of the driving situation” that shows “realistic presentation of gradient, inclination angle, and technical settings the help the driver to judge maneuvers correctly.”

In the U.S., the 2020 Mercedes GLB is Only Offered With One Engine Choice

If you live in North America, you only have one trim level to choose from: The GLB 250 4Matic. It is powered by a 221-horsepower, turbocharged, 2.0-liter engine that's hooked up to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. This is the top of the range version and exclusively available with all-wheel drive. Its claimed sprint time to 62 mph is a brisk 6.9 seconds, its top speed is 146 mph, and Mercedes expects it to return 31.8 mpg on average.

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 4MATIC specifications

If you live in Europe, you have several trim lines to choose from. There is one more gasoline version on offer, the front-wheel-drive GLB 200, which is powered by a 160- horsepower, 1.3-liter engine that's hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. With this engine option, the GLB sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) is 9.1 seconds and its top speed is 207 km/h (128 mph). Claimed average efficiency is 6.2 l/100km (37.9 mpg).

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB - European gasoline lineup

The most powerful diesel, the GLB 220d 4Matic, sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.6 seconds, has a top speed of 217 km/h (135 mph,) and returns a claimed average of no more than 5.5 l/100km (42.8 mpg) - exactly the same efficiency figure as the lower-powered GLB 200d 4Matic.

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB - European diesel lineup

So far Mercedes has not mentioned the creation of hotter AMG-branded models, but we have seen spy photos showing what looks a lot like an AMG GLB 35 , a version that will be added to the range at some point in the future. An even hotter GLB 45 is not out of the question, but based on what we know so far, it may or may not happen.

Rivals

Land Rover Discovery Sport

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is probably the closest rival to Mercedes’ new GLB. The Disco Sport is about the same size, it has a definite premium feel and, just like the GLB, it can be had with an optional third row of seats that increases the total seating capacity to seven. Its engines are all four-cylinder units and match what Mercedes is offering in the GLB. But, the Disco Sport is probably going to be the better of the two when it comes to going off-road. The Mercedes GLB is designed to look like it can play rough off the beaten path, but Land Rovers are usually better than rivals in this respect.

Land Rover Discovery Sport exterior dimensions

Read our full review on the 2019 Land Rover Discovery Sport

VW Tiguan Allspace

Even though the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace has a slightly larger footprint than that of the Mercdes GLB, and it doesn’t wear a premium badge, that’s not to say the two models won’t be cross-shopped. The Tiguan Allspace looks like a sober and mature crossover from the outside, and there is little to complain about inside as well. Just like the GLB, it can be had with a high-quality fully digital gauge cluster, a clever infotainment system (that in the VW can even have gesture control) and, last but not least, a usable third row of seats. But, the Tiguan looks a bit boring and unimaginative both inside and out, especially compared to the funkier GLB with its cute yet chunky looks and dramatic tech fest interior.

2019 VW Tiguan Allspace exterior dimensions

Read our full review on the 2019 VW Tiguan Allspace

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLB Concept.

Read our full review on the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB.

Read our full review on the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA.

Read our full review on the 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class.