All-New 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB Debuts With Electric Power
Key Points
- Electric SUV available with one or two electric motors and available all-wheel drive
- More interior space than the outgoing EQB
- Hybrid powertrain to join the lineup at a later date
Electrification has reached a point where even shoppers looking for a three-row SUV have numerous choices, particularly among premium brands. But those interested in an electric SUV with three rows of seating, a prestigious nameplate and an accessible price tag have exactly one choice: the electric vehicle formerly known as the Mercedes-EQ EQB.
Related: How Much Is the 2025 Mercedes-EQ EQB SUV?
Newly redesigned, the next generation of Mercedes’ smallest SUV takes after the G-, GLC- and CLA-Classes in adopting the brand’s newly wordy naming convention for its EVs; no longer the EQB, it is now the GLB With EQ Technology. In the GLB250+ With EQ Technology, a single electric motor drives the rear wheels with 268 horsepower. The GLB350 4Matic With EQ Technology adds a motor to the front axle for AWD and a total output of 349 hp.
More Power, Greater Efficiency, Longer Range
The new GLB EV is vastly more powerful than the outgoing SUV; the 250+ model makes 80 hp more than its predecessor, and the 350 4Matic tops the outgoing AWD variant by 61 hp. Thanks to more efficient motors, a two-speed transmission on the rear motor and a front motor on the 4Matic that only engages when needed, the new GLB also enjoys a significant increase in driving range.
Mercedes-Benz has not released EPA figures yet, but the company says the GLB250+ will be good for 392 miles, according to European testing standards, which are more optimistic than the EPA’s estimates; expect an improvement over its predecessor’s best of just 251 miles.
Both GLB EV variants draw power from a 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack, which has 21% more energy capacity than the battery in the previous-generation EV. The 800-volt design allows the GLB to charge at up to 320 kilowatts on a DC fast charger, which Mercedes says can add almost 200 miles of range in just 10 minutes. A revised regenerative braking system contributes to longer real-world range, as well. With four settings including a coasting mode (no regeneration) and an automatic setting that adapts to navigation data, Mercedes says the new GLB can handle the majority of braking events solely with the electric motors. Hard stops that engage the antilock braking system and stops on ice can also use regen, though they would also likely engage the friction brakes.
There will also be a version of the new GLB for shoppers who aren’t ready to make the commitment to an EV yet. The yet-unnamed hybrid SUV will pair a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an electric motor integrated into its transmission. It will be capable of electric operation but, with a battery storing just 1.3 kWh of energy, won’t have the range of a plug-in hybrid. Mercedes will release details on that vehicle later.
Bigger on the Inside
The new GLB has a larger footprint than the outgoing model, at 3.9 inches longer and 1.1 inches wider. However, a 2.4-inch stretch in wheelbase pays off big time for second-row passengers, particularly in the five-seat configuration. (As before, the GLB will have an optional third-row seat for seven-passenger seating.) Second-row passengers in the five-seat GLB enjoy 2.7 inches more legroom than before, while the middle row in the seven-seater grows by just 0.1 inch. Mercedes says the second-row seat’s longer bottom cushion also makes for greater comfort.
Although the roofline of the new GLB is 0.6 inch lower than the outgoing model’s, headroom in the first and second rows is up by more than an inch. A standard panoramic moonroof frees up some headroom, but buyers who want electrochromic dimming will have to pay extra. Capable of going from clear to opaque in mere milliseconds, the roof can be dimmed in sections to shade individual occupants and is also available with embedded three-pointed Mercedes stars. While the 158 stars can be illuminated in any of the available ambient-lighting colors, this is not like Rolls-Royce’s optional Starlight headliner, unless you live in a sci-fi dystopia wherein the stars are regularly spaced in straight lines.
Mercedes hasn’t divulged any dimensions of the third-row seat yet other than headroom. Down 0.1 inch, the figure suggests the wayback seat in the new GLB is still sized strictly for young children. Mercedes does say, however, that the new GLB can accommodate four child seats. Per Mercedes’ measurements, cargo capacity, at 19.1 cubic feet behind the second row and a maximum of 60.6 cubes with the rear seats folded, is down only slightly from the outgoing GLB.
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Shop the 250 Mercedes-Benz EQB near you
Standard and Available Safety Features
The “With EQ Technology” isn’t the only verbose naming convention Mercedes uses. Its safety technologies are all now branded Digital Extra: [fill in the blank]; more advanced technologies are Digital Extra: MB.Drive [fill in other blanks]. Example: It’s not adaptive cruise control, it’s Digital Extra: Distance Assist Distronic.
For now, adaptive cruise control is the only such system we know will be standard on the GLB. The lane-centering steering assist, blind spot intervention, automated parking and a 360-degree parking camera will also be available. A standard suite of eight cameras, five radar sensors and 12 ultrasonic sensors enable safety functions, and Mercedes says the tech suite’s water-cooled supercomputer has “sufficient power reserves for future functions and regular over-the-air updates.”
Typical Mercedes-Benz Luxury
Standard in-car tech consists of a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 14-inch touchscreen, with the latter now having an artificial-intelligence-powered virtual assistant. Available luxuries include a 14-inch passenger display with video streaming, a 16-speaker Burmester audio system and a new fabric upholstery Mercedes describes as “pearl effect.”
Release Date and Pricing
Mercedes-Benz has not yet announced when the new GLB With EQ Technology will go on sale or how much it will cost. Expect it around the middle of 2026, with prices starting in the mid- to high-$50,000 range.
Read More Mercedes-Benz News:
- How Much Is the 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB?
- 2023 Mercedes-EQ EQB300 Review: A Solid EV With Room for Improvement
- How Much Is the 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class?
- Is the 2023 Mercedes-EQ EQB300 a Good Electric SUV? 5 Pros and 3 Cons
- Research the Mercedes-Benz GLB 250
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