You might recall this past summer when Mercedes-Benz paused production of the dedicated EQE and EQS battery-electric vehicles, and then a few months later the smaller EQB all-electric crossover was pulled from the market. The volatile tariff landscape surely was a factor, as was the Trump Administration’s disdain for battery-electric vehicles, codified in the discontinuation of federal tax credits, which had been helpful in spurring along EV sales.
But Stuttgart isn’t giving up on EVs for the U.S. market, as signaled by next year’s arrival of a fully redesigned 2027 GLB compact crossover. It comes to the U.S. in the second half of 2026 as an EV, but a hybrid variant will arrive later.
This confirms Mercedes’ pivot from using a dedicated platform for the EQE and EQS, which ride on the Electric Vehicle Architecture, to the new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (introduced with the new CLA), which can accommodate both EVs and internal-combustion hybrid powertrains.
800-Volt Architecture For 10-Minute Charging
The new underpinnings incorporate an 800-volt electrical architecture that Mercedes says enables the new GLB to add up to 162 miles of range (based on the WLTP test cycle) in just 10 minutes. That’s assuming you can find a functional charging station working that fast. A DC converter comes standard for plugging in at 400-volt DC fast chargers. Estimated range up to 392 miles is also based on WLTP, so U.S. range will be lower.
The GLB is the second-smallest crossover in the Mercedes lineup, larger than the GLA but smaller than the GLC. And here’s a head-scratcher: the current GLB (along with the 2027 model) offers an optional third row of seats, but the larger GLC does not.
Good Luck Using 3rd Row, Parents
Based on the dimensions, the third row will be quite cramped, fit only for the smallest children, with even less third-row headroom (34.7 inches) than the current GLB. Still, Mercedes says the 2027 model will accommodate two child seats in the second row, as well as two in the third. Good luck to the parents wrestling those seats into place, then strapping in the kids.
But the other key dimensions reflect growth from the current GLB to the new one. It’s nearly 4 inches longer overall (to 186.3 inches) and more than an inch wider (to 73.3 inches), and the wheelbase stretches 2.4 inches (to 113.7 inches).
‘Radically Redesigned’ Cabin, With Superscreen
Headroom expands in the first and second rows by at least an inch, while second-row legroom stretches nearly 3 inches, which might explain the slight reduction in cargo capacity, especially with the third row folded down. What doesn’t fit behind the seats might store nicely in the frunk.
Stuttgart says the 2027 GLB will have a “radically redesigned” ergonomic interior that is “modern architectural,” offering the optional MBUX Superscreen. A panoramic roof is standard, but the Sky Control glass surface is optional and can switch in milliseconds from transparent to milky opaque, with 158 stars illuminated at night.
New 85-kWh Li-ion Battery Pack
The 2027 GLB will use a new 85-kWh (usable capacity) lithium-ion battery pack made of nickel manganese cobalt that can charge at up to 320 kW. Two models, both “with EQ Technology,” will be offered, each with top speed limited to 130 mph.
The GLB 250+ is rated at 268 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque, good for reaching 60 mph in a leisurely 7.3 seconds. This is the model with up to 392 miles of estimated range based on WLTP. The GLB 350 4Matic all-wheel-drive variant will deliver 349 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque (5.4 seconds in the sprint to 60 mph), and range is estimated at 382 miles based on WLTP.
Hybrid Goes All-Electric Downtown
When the “high-tech” hybrid comes along, it will rely on 48-volt technology and an electric motor in the transmission that enables all-electric driving at inner-city speeds. Visually, Mercedes says the AWD hybrid will closely resemble the EV.
It’s too early for pricing of the 2027 GLB EVs, but the current 2026 GLB 250 starts at $45,050 with destination charges. Before the all-electric 2025 EQB left the market, its starting price was $53,050.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
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