{"id":605012,"date":"2026-08-26T09:18:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T09:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/605012\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T09:18:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T09:18:12","slug":"mercedes-launches-7-seat-electric-family-suv-and-refreshed-glc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/605012\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercedes launches 7-seat electric family SUV and refreshed GLC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words by Donal Byrne, video by Leah Carroll.<\/p>\n

There’s no doubting the level of interest family buyers have in seven-seat cars, even if the last row of seats might not be used all that often. It\u2019s considered an option that comes in very useful from time to time – and it does.<\/p>\n

However, there aren\u2019t that many seven-seaters around and those on the market usually involve a challenging compromise; with the back seats up, there is little or no space for luggage or sports equipment that might normally be stored in the rear.<\/p>\n

In this regard, Mercedes has come up with a clever solution for its new GLB family SUV.<\/p>\n

\"Mercedes-Benz
\nMercedes-Benz GLB<\/p>\n

The middle row of seats can slide backwards and forwards to offer much more legroom and headroom for that last row of seats, allowing a family to find their own level of comfort and space.<\/p>\n

As well as freedom to accommodate different shapes and sizes, the GLB has two Isofix tethering points for the extra two rear seats. These are fixtures other manufacturers don’t always fit, so parents will likely find this added security for child seats quite a selling point.<\/p>\n

I note, however, that the extra row of seats are added equipment, so it will cost you \u20ac1,745 to fit them.<\/p>\n

When you see the word “premium” appearing before the “family SUV” description by Mercedes, you will automatically assume the price is also a premium one. In the case of the GLB it is premium, but not quite as much as you might expect.<\/p>\n

\"Mercedes-Benz
\nMercedes-Benz GLB<\/p>\n

The entry-level GLB 200 electric version, with a 58 kWh battery and a claimed range of up to 425 kilometres, comes in at \u20ac59,355 – just below the threshold for State grants. After \u20ac60,000, you are not eligible for the grants.<\/p>\n

The battery size options go from that 58kWh capacity to 71 and 85 kWh units in a total of four versions, which Mercedes says can deliver ranges of between 521 and 607 kilometres respectively.<\/p>\n

Our usual caveats about claimed ranges by car manufacturers apply here, as they very seldom deliver the ranges achieved in ideal driving conditions.<\/p>\n

The bigger the battery and the more equipment you opt for, the higher the price, and the top of the range comes in at \u20ac68,065.<\/p>\n

There are five hybrid options also, with prices from \u20ac60,775 to \u20ac70,050.<\/p>\n

\"Mercedes-Benz
\nMercedes-Benz GLB interior<\/p>\n

The main 14″ infotainment screen is impressive, and so too is the driver\u2019s 10.25″ information screen. You can, for an extra charge of \u20ac1,546, opt for the very smart MBUX supercreen, which spans the dashboard and adds a 14″ passenger screen.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a minimum boot space of 480 litres on the electric version, and 540 on the hybrid version. The EVs also get a pretty large 127-litre front boot for stowing charging cables.<\/p>\n

According to Mercedes, the charging time of 20 minutes to get from 10 to 80 per cent is based on supercharger rates. These won\u2019t be equalled by the majority of chargers in this country.<\/p>\n

The GLB is slightly longer and wider than the previous model, and first impressions suggest a more spacious interior as a result. The lower roofline is also rather pronounced.<\/p>\n

\"Mercedes-Benz
\nMercedes-Benz GLC<\/p>\n

Mercedes has also introduced its refreshed GLC – its top-selling model around the world. It gets a new grille, and it comes in three different electric versions.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, diesel, petrol and plug-in versions will continue to be sold along with the electric versions, which have two battery options – 85 kWh and 94 kWh and claimed ranges of 638, 606 and 664 kilometres respectively.<\/p>\n

\"Mercedes-Benz
\nMercedes-Benz GLC<\/p>\n

Prices for the EV options start at \u20ac72,085 and then rise to \u20ac76,580 and \u20ac79,615.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Words by Donal Byrne, video by Leah Carroll. There’s no doubting the level of interest family buyers have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":605013,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,61,60],"class_list":["post-605012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=605012"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605012\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/605013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=605012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=605012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=605012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}