The Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 4MATIC AMG Line facelift model arrives in 2024 with small changes.
In the line-up of compact premium vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz GLB is actually utterly unique in that it comes with 3 rows of seats. That lends it an uncommon versatility in the starter-premium segment that no other brand has yet to match. The versatility goes beyond just seating flexibility, but within the variant range itself. The GLB is available with a pure petrol front-wheel drive base model (the GLB 200), a mild hybrid all-wheel drive mid-spec (the GLB 250 4MATIC AMG Line), a high-performance model (the AMG GLB 35 4MATIC, which sadly loses its 3rd row of seats), and an all-electric model (the EQB).
The model we’re testing out is the one with the widest appeal – the middle child GLB 250. This model was first introduced to Malaysia during the pandemic in 2020 and 4 years later has received a facelift. This facelift may seem minor on the outside, but this time around the M260 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine has been mated with a 48V hybrid system with an integrated starter generator. If all that sounds like too much, don’t worry – it’s essentially a mild hybrid that’s there to save some petrol and boost the output a little. It doesn’t need to be charged and quite honestly the drive experience is largely unaltered, save for a bit more ‘gliding’ when coasting or coming to a stop.
Other changes worth noting include a mild redesign of the bumpers, grille, headlights and taillight graphics on the outside. This time around the GLB 250 model is also outfitted with the Night Package, meaning you get high-gloss black and matte black trim pieces instead of the usual chrome finery. It lends the GLB a more sporty appearance that really works well with the AMG Line bodykit and the Digital White paint finish. The familiar 19″ 5-twin spoke AMG light alloy wheels make a return this time wrapped in more suitable Pirelli P Zero instead of Continental EcoContact rubbers.
The look of the car from the outside has gone largely unaltered and given this is a facelift this is no surprise to us. If you’re looking for the easiest ways to tell this apart from its predecessor, look for the more extensive use of black as mentioned earlier.
Not only does it replace almost all the chrome on the outside, but this time around the wing mirrors are also painted black and so is the circular area around the front grille surrounding the three-pointed star. The headlight and taillight graphics are also laid out differently. The new daytime running light graphic features a line along the top where the previous model had two L-shaped curves at each corner of the headlight. As for the taillight graphic, it’s a similar story of lines replacing curves, in this case 4 lines instead of 2 softly curved quadrilaterals.
Inside, the differences are equally discreet, but it’s easy enough to tell the facelift apart from the original if you know what to look for. This new GLB comes with star pattern trim pieces on the dashboard and door cards, plus a new sports steering wheel with distinct high-gloss black capacitive buttons on the right and left spokes.
There are also new graphics on the same dual 10.25″ displays.
The new star pattern trim is a nice cosmetic upgrade that plays nicely with the reflective surfaces and even interacts with the ambient back lighting on this 250 model.
With the visual changes out of the way, What was the 2024 GLB 250 4MATIC AMG Line like to drive? To be honest, it was just as surprisingly fun as ever. The powertrain has a healthy 221hp and 350Nm of torque on offer but now with a little bit of EQ Boost to fill in any gaps.
It’s a car that loves to be driven hard and the 7-second century sprint time feels like a bit of an understatement, to be honest. We really like this sporty character from the GLB 250, and it certainly feels like it still deserves to command a premium price tag with this kind of performance. Yes, it won’t be as fast as many modern EVs, but in a direct comparson between the 250 model and the all-electric EQB, we found the petrol model to be much better sorted behind the wheel.
The suspension set-up here is also very commendable. You get multilink suspension at the rear, enabling excellent ride and handling that will make you forget that you’re driving something you could transport your whole family in. In typical Mercedes fashion, the GLB 250 glides over speed bumps with ease and isn’t upset by potholes, though it does send some feedback through the steering.
The third row of seats is not made for most adults, so be sure to set your expectations right.
Think of it as a way to move your children’s friends on the afterschool commute or perhaps a domestic helper on a short journey to a restaurant.
Functionally, it’s nice to have extra seats in a pinch. More often, we think the GLB’s 3rd row will be folded flat to make better use of that boot space, which goes from 130L to 570L with the rear seats folded and even to 760L with the middle row slid forward.
You can even fold the second row of seats flat and get one of the boxiest cargo spaces in its class. It’s worth noting that there are two USB-C ports all the way in the back for occupants back here.
It’s also nice that they’ve wrapped even the 3rd row of seats in the same Artico/Microcut blend as the other seats with the same red contrast stitching too.
The second row gets dedicated air blowers and there are a couple of USB-C ports hidden in the centre box that can be accessed too. Middle row seating is acceptable with a lot of room vertically for adults and enough for 3 horizontally.
Priority of course goes to the front occupants. Here you’ll find the new trim pieces, the ambient lighting, the dual displays, and a lot of chrome and gloss black plastic to elevate the cabin feel. The displays are carried over from before but they now run the latest MBUX software which bring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus some new animations and display styles. It’s a nice bump up, just what we expect from a facelift.
Safety-wise, the GLB 250 comes with 7 airbags, Blind Spot Assist, Exit Warning Assist, Active Brake Assist. Lane keeping aids seem to be omitted. More offensive is the lack of a 360-degree parking camera, instead you’ll have to make do with a reverse camera. What’s more, Active Cruise Control seems to be locked behind a paywall of some sort. We’re unsure if all the hardware is even there to support the feature, but the message we got when we pressed the button was that it will be available at cost at a future date.
Overall, we still loved the fun, capable and utilitarian character of the GLB 250 4MATIC. The changes are pretty small, but they build the appeal of the crossover. The price is up by RM9,000, which is less than a 3% hike. Reasonable, considering the inflation and fluctuating Ringgit over the last 4 years. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has decided not to locally-assemble the GLB and instead fully imports these from Mexico.
Considering they’ve got this niche covered, we would say they could try a little harder to bring the prices dramatically down, but we understand that the volume for such a vehicle is probably not very high. In fact, a quick check on the government’s open data website shows that fewer than 1,000 GLBs have been sold since 2020. That being said, the GLB 250 4MATIC AMG Line is a solid option in this space and a great blend of luxury, comfort, utility and sportiness. It’s just tough to say if its price tag is still entirely justified with the missing 360-degree camera and additional ADAS features.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 4MATIC AMG Line Specifications
Engine: Inline-4, 16-Valve, DOHC, turbocharged Petrol, Mild Hybrid
Capacity: 1991 cc
Gearbox: 8-speed Dual Clutch Automatic + 4MATIC AWD
Max power: 221 hp @ 5500 rpm (+13hp electric)
Max torque: 350 Nm @ 2000 -4000 rpm
Top Speed: 236 km/h
0-100 km/h: 7 seconds
Price: RM341,888
