Mercedes-Benz GLB review

The range opens at Sport, at a pretty reasonable £46,100. It has all the essentials really. Part-cloth seats are no hardship; there's a glass roof and roof rails, and Apple CarPlay, but use the integrated navigation for long trips because it has a better charge planner.

A £2k premium above that steps you up to Sport Executive, adding hands-free access, a phone charge pad, ambient lighting and fake leather seats.

Then £51,050 nets you the first of the AMG line versions. That's also the first that allows the 350 4Matic powertrain, which is about a £4k add-on. That trim line is mostly that: trim, and you can opt for some upholstery colour schemes that vary from tasteful to 1990s Frankfurt Nite Klub.

Then come AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus. These have 20-inch wheels and adaptive dampers, the passenger screen, two-zone climate, memory seats and the passenger screen. The latter adds a fabulous Burmester hi-fi and HUD, among others.

You end up at £60,900 for the GLB 350 4Matic AMG Line Premium Plus. But as we mentioned earlier, lots of sensors are fitted as standard but disabled. Pay more and you can have them, permanently for a flat fee or temporarily for a subscription.

How does it compare to rivals?

The closest is probably the Peugeot e-5008, which is a fair bit cheaper. The Hyundai Ioniq 9, Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90 are all… considerably more.

One to keep an eye out for is the Skoda Peaq. We’re told it’ll “comfortably” fit up to seven adults, and starts at £52k. 

As we write lease prices haven't been settled, but because Mercedes has access to cheap corporate finance and residuals are strong, it can usually offer cheap-ish lease and PCP deals relative to the retail price.

What’s the best spec?

Honestly, Sport has all the kit you could probably need, and you don’t need the passenger screen of the top two versions. It feels reasonably priced, and most families will find it suits their needs.

But the all-wheel drive one is noticeably livelier, so if you're likely to drive this fully laden on the regular, you’ll need to step up to AMG Line, which demands a £9k premium. Your move.