- The all-new Mercedes-Benz GLB has completed cold-weather testing at –40 °C in Sindelfingen’s climatic tunnels.
- Its new heat-pump system halves energy use while doubling cabin heating speed.
- The redesigned GLB offers five- or seven-seat layouts and an optional MBUX Superscreen.
Mercedes-Benz is giving its next-generation GLB a proper polar workout.
Before its world premiere this December, the medium SUV is enduring sub-zero trials inside the brand’s climatic wind tunnels in Sindelfingen, where engineers can whip up temperatures down to –40 °C and simulate snowstorms at 200km/h.
The goal is to ensure that even the chilliest alpine trips feel like coming home. The tunnels replicate real-world conditions across an astonishing –40 °C to +40 °C range, complete with snow cannons, a rolling road and enough fan power to push test speeds up to 265km/h. Engineers can tweak humidity, wind and solar radiation from a control room without ever stepping outside into the cold.
Hot, cold and everything in between
It’s not all snowflakes and ski jackets. Mercedes also blasts the GLB with heat reaching +60 °C to test how the SUV copes with desert-level sunshine. A solar simulator recreates the intensity of Death Valley, while a “Hot Road” surface mimics asphalt temperatures up to +70 °C.
These chambers allow the team to test everything from wiper performance in snow spray to cabin defrosting.
The GLB’s heating system reportedly clears an icy windscreen in 15 minutes at –15 °C without driver intervention.
It also warms the cabin twice as fast as its predecessor, using about half the energy of a comparable petrol model, thanks to a clever new heat-pump system derived from the Vision EQXX programme.
Comfort meets clever tech
Efficiency aside, the redesigned GLB aims to feel distinctly premium inside. A floating MBUX Superscreen stretches across the dash, flanked by turbine-style vents and a minimalist centre console with wireless charging. Customers can choose five- or seven-seat layouts, both offering more space and flexibility than before, including a sliding second row and easier access to the third.
Topping it off is a panoramic sunroof with switchable transparency and an optional illuminated star pattern - a literal shining touch. Underpinning it all is Mercedes’ new MB.OS digital platform, combining an AI-powered virtual assistant, Google Maps integration, and over-the-air (OTA) updates for driver-assist systems.
The result is, evidently, a medium SUV built to handle both Death Valley and the Alps, all while keeping its passengers perfectly comfortable in either.
