Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4Matic: this is the new luxury SUV that delivers 302 CV

The Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4Matic will reach the market in early 2020, but first it will make its way to the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, which begins on 10 September.

Mercedes-Benz’s high-performance sports division, Mercedes-AMG, has just added a new member to its family of compact models. It is the Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4Matic. Its debut is scheduled for the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, ahead of its arrival on the market in early 2020.

The new AMG SUV is the fourth model to receive the 35 treatment, after the recently unveiled Mercedes-Benz A35 4Matic and the Mercedes-Benz CLA 35 4Matic. It is also the first AMG compact model to offer the option of a five- and seven-seat interior layout.

Like its siblings, the Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4Matic runs on an AMG version of the M270 engine from Mercedes-Benz. The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit produces 305 CV at 5,800 rpm and 400 Nm of torque between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm.

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Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4Matic: this is the new German SUV

These figures represent an increase of 80 CV over the top-of-the-range Mercedes-Benz GLB; the Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 4Matic, which uses a less tuned version of the same engine. By comparison, the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine of the BMW X2 M35i xDrive matches those 302 CV, but produces 50 Nm more torque than the AMG-tuned new GLB.

Power is sent through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox with a Race Start function and a four-wheel-drive system with a multi-plate clutch capable of directing up to 50% of the drive to the rear axle. Five different driving programmes are offered through the AMG Dynamic Select system: Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport + and Individual.

An additional AMG Dynamic system offers two different agility programmes: Basic and Advanced. The driving characteristics vary depending on the parameters of the four-wheel-drive system, the speed-sensitive steering and the stability control sensors.

Further updates focus on the brakes. It uses 350 mm discs at the front in combination with four-piston calipers and 330 mm discs with single-piston floating calipers at the rear. Mercedes-AMG has not yet revealed a kerb weight figure for the GLB 35 4Matic, although it quotes a 0-100 km/h time of 5.2 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 249 km/h.

The new SUV, 4,630 mm long, is supported by a McPherson front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension. It receives a series of updates over the suspension used by the standard GLB models, including new steering knuckles and transverse control arms at the front, as well as a redesigned subframe and revised wheel carriers at the rear. Buyers can also add an optional AMG Ride Control setup with electronically controlled damping and a choice of three firmness levels: Comfort, Sport and Sport +.

The Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4Matic is differentiated from the standard GLB models by a Panamericana-style grille, the first time it has been used on a 35 model, within an AMG-specific front bumper. Additional styling changes are concentrated around the rear, with a prominent spoiler above the tailgate and a reworked bumper with an aluminium-look trim strip, which houses two exhaust pipes with AMG lettering and an integrated diffuser element. Standard wheels are 19 inches in diameter, with 20- and 21-inch rims available as an option.

Inside, the new AMG model uses the MBUX operating system from Mercedes-Benz. It works in combination with standard digital instruments and an infotainment screen, both housed in a single panel at the top of the GLB 35 4Matic’s dashboard. The instruments can be modified in three different themes: Classic, Sport and Supersport, the latter providing AMG-specific vehicle data.

As with other GLB models, the GLB 35 comes as standard with a five-seat interior layout. Buyers can also opt for an optional seven-seat layout with a third row of seats consisting of two individual seats and a forward and backward adjustment of the second row of seats.