Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 Premium Plus 2021 UK first drive

I know this model is styling itself as a performance car and so we should be tucking straight into the performance and dynamics, but it’s worth taking a moment to consider the GLB’s cabin. Mercedes really is at the top of its game at the moment and the interior of this seven-seat SUV gives very little away in upmarket allure to the brand’s luxurious Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Sure, there are some cheap plastics lower down, but from the glossy panoramic infotainment screen and TFT instrument cluster through to the metal-finished minor switchgear, the Merc looks and feels a cut above. It’s even more beguiling at night, when the ambient lighting extends to those eye-ball air vents, backlighting them in any one of numerous colours. The feel-good factor is high.

On the move, the first thing you’ll notice is the GLB’s impressive rolling refinement. Many souped-up SUVs suffer from a brittle and crashy ride, a corollary of the overly stiff springs needed to check the sort of roll angles encountered in something with such a high centre of gravity. Yet even on its 20in alloys, the Merc rides well, with the edges of an underlying firmness nicely rounded off by the adaptive dampers in their Comfort setting.

Push on a bit and delve into the near-limitless options offered by the AMG Dynamic Select driver modes and you’ll discover that the GLB mostly lives up to its on-paper promise. With the suspension and throttle in their sportiest settings, the Mercedes delivers strong composure and grip, resisting push-wide understeer and significant body roll despite a not inconsiderable 1770kg kerb weight. Four-wheel-drive traction also inspires confidence, with the Merc able to deploy all its power even in damp and greasy conditions.

It’s not an expressive car, with little or no mid-corner adjustability, but its ability to stay locked to your chosen line means it's a faithful companion. It’s quick across the ground, too, the raised driving position and large glass area affording you a view of unfamiliar roads that lower-set hatchbacks deny you. It’s not fun exactly, but the GLB can pick apart twisting and unpredictable British B-roads with a surprising turn of speed.

So it’s a shame the steering spoils an otherwise capable machine, with the AMG-specific Direct-Steer set-up robbing the car of some precision and poise. It responds quickly to your initial inputs, but the weighting is light and inconsistent, with very little feedback. There’s also a vagueness off the straight-ahead that makes it hard to pick an accurate line through slower corners in particular.

Given its tall and heavy SUV origins, the Mercedes is a surprisingly capable cross-country companion. Frustrating steering aside, it can pick apart roller-coaster stretches of Tarmac with impressive pace and composure. It’s not engaging or entertaining in a traditional sense, but there’s enough pace and poise here to frighten the occasional well-driven hot hatch.

The car's USP, however, is that it combines this speed and agility with a decent dose of family-friendly practicality. Yes, those third-row seats are a bit of a bind to access, and for anything other than short journeys, they’re best left to the kids, but they do add a useful dollop of versatility. And the rest of the cabin is spacious enough, filled with handy cubbies and, as mentioned, supremely well finished. The fact that it's quiet and comfy enough only adds to its appeal.