One Week with the GLB200d 4MATIC: First Impressions After 1,000 km

GLB200d 4MATIC

While there are many reviews of the GLB250, the front-wheel-drive GLB200d without 4MATIC, and the GLB35 on YouTube, magazines, and web media, detailed reviews of the most popular and best-selling 4MATIC GLB200d are quite rare. This time, for those considering purchasing the GLB200d 4MATIC, I’d like to share my review after about one week of ownership and roughly 1,000 km of driving.

The 202301 Model GLB200d 4MATIC

The one that came to our home is the GLB200d 4MATIC (202301 model). The main changes from the 202202 model include the return of the electric power seats, wireless smartphone charging, and the number of USB ports reverting to the previous count. For the exterior color, I chose Iridium Silver. While I thought white would suit the rounded design of the GLA, for the GLB’s more angular design, I preferred a color other than white to highlight its lines. Also, white is overwhelmingly common and too easy to blend in with others, so I excluded it. Black shows dirt too easily. That left Mountain Grey or Iridium Silver as candidates, and since Mercedes is synonymous with the ‘Silver Arrows,’ and all the Mercedes I’ve owned so far have been silver, I chose Iridium Silver. This color has a strong metallic feel and changes subtly depending on the weather and sunlight, which I really like. I opted for the AMG Line for both interior and exterior. Personally, I’m not a big fan of Alcantara (called DINAMICA by Mercedes), so I chose the AMG Leather Exclusive Package with a Titanium Grey/Black interior. I also selected the panoramic sliding roof, head-up display, and the Advanced Package, which includes the Interior Assistant. In short, it’s a fully loaded, top-spec model.

Interior Impressions

The quality feels high for this class. More than just fine details, the interior design has a certain flair. This is a unique Mercedes charm not found in other brands, and although the interior color is black-based, the overall feel is bright and elegant. The seats are quite large in both the cushion and backrest, so even larger individuals should be very comfortable. The seating feels typical of European cars—somewhat firm, with leather stretched taut. The seat length is adjustable, and there’s lumbar support. This moderate firmness works well; after driving about 500 km between Tokyo and Osaka, I felt no back pain or fatigue. However, the leather in the AMG Leather Exclusive Package is somewhat slippery. Especially with stiff pants or freshly washed jeans, it can feel a bit slippery and lacks hold. The rear seats offer ample space. The legroom is definitely more generous than the Macan but slightly less than the Cayenne. However, the seat cushion is quite short, so some adult men might find it a bit uncomfortable. Regarding the third-row seats, many articles and videos criticize them as cramped or useless, but these seats are intended for emergency use and not designed for comfortable long-term seating. Evaluated from that perspective, they are perfectly practical for children or short emergency trips. As for the luggage space with the third row folded down, while some might wish for more room to carry bicycles or large outdoor gear, for those like us who mostly carry large suitcases, the space is sufficient.

Impressions of the Diesel Engine

The 2-liter diesel engine starts up very quietly. Opinions vary on the typical diesel idling noise and vibration—some find it quiet, others notice the diesel-like vibrations and sounds. Personally, I find it quite quiet with minimal vibration. Having experienced various diesel engines, I believe this one ranks high in quietness. Of course, the vibration isn’t zero, but it’s steady and doesn’t have the irregular “arrhythmia-like” vibration typical of a 4-cylinder engine without a balancer. It’s more like a white noise—a subtle, fine vibration. Incidentally, I recently borrowed a well-known domestic compact gasoline car as a loaner, and its vibration and noise were far worse, so compared to that, the GLB’s vibration is almost negligible. In Comfort mode, when you press the accelerator to keep pace with traffic, the automatic transmission surprisingly holds the revs a bit longer. Perhaps the car hasn’t yet learned my driving style, but it shifts from 1st to 2nd and 3rd gear around 2,000–2,500 rpm. I’d prefer it to shift up earlier at lower revs, but it’s unexpectedly sporty in its control. During this, the engine sound is fairly audible inside the cabin. However, it doesn’t sound particularly “diesel-like”—it’s not the rattling noise you’d expect from a truck but more of a smooth “vroom” similar to a regular gasoline engine, leaning toward a sporty tone. While idling is quiet, you do hear the engine during acceleration, so if you want absolute quietness, you might want to consider a higher-tier model instead of the GLB. Once acceleration ends and you’re cruising, it becomes quiet again. The car is well insulated against external noise, road noise, and wind noise at steady engine speeds, making the cabin relatively quiet for its class.

Impressions in City Driving

In stop-and-go city traffic, I personally have no complaints. It’s not exactly powerful, but the ample low-end torque accelerates the vehicle smoothly without any stress. The brakes feel a bit soft and are adjusted more by pedal stroke than pedal force, so switching from a Porsche can feel a little unsettling at first. However, the braking power and vehicle stability when pressing firmly are excellent, providing that reassuring European car feel. The GLB uses an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission called ‘8G-DCT’, not a torque converter AT. The shifting is smooth about 90% of the time, but at very low speeds in 1st or 2nd gear, the clutch engagement can feel a bit slow or prolonged, sometimes seeming hesitant or, conversely, abruptly engaging. For those used to Japanese CVTs or torque converter ATs, this might be a noticeable quirk. Among dual-clutch transmissions, those from the Volkswagen Group, including Porsche, have a longer history and seem to have the edge.

Next page → How’s the ride comfort? Impressions of handling and highway driving