Mercedes goes boxy with 'Baby G-Wagen' GLB concept

SHANGHAI — Mercedes-Benz is carving out yet another niche in the burgeoning crossover market with a new small people mover — this one styled like a traditional SUV — underscoring the rapid fragmentation of the segment and a practice once common in the car market.

The German luxury automaker introduced the concept GLB — a new MFA2 platform companion to the GLA — on the eve of the Shanghai auto show.

The GLB, referred to as the Baby G-Wagen, has an 111-inch wheelbase and fits up to seven people.

The concept is powered by a four-cylinder engine that delivers 224 hp. The GLB also features all-wheel drive and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

"It's a functional, small SUV, more of a people mover, whereas the GLA is sportier," Greg Barnes, president of Bill Ussery Motors in Coral Gables, Fla., and chairman of Mercedes-Benz's dealer board.

Pricing and launch dates for the GLB have not been disclosed but dealers expect it to hit U.S. showrooms in the fourth quarter.

In the U.S., the GLB will compete with the Lexus NX, Cadillac XT4 and BMW X1. In China, the model will go up against BMW X1 and Audi Q3.

The GLB, which slots between the entry-level GLA and the GLC, adds another crossover in the Mercedes showroom aimed at entry-level luxury customers. Overall, sales of luxury compact crossovers rose 13 percent in the first quarter, making it one of the fastest-growing product segments.

The GLA is compromised on interior space and utility, limiting its appeal, since one of the primary reasons people prefer crossovers is their practicality and functionality, said Ed Kim, analyst with AutoPacific.

The GLB will offer a slightly larger and more functional package, a function of its boxy dimensions, Kim said.

"The GLB class will likely outperform the GLA class in the U.S. market thanks to its greater utility, and American customers tend to like boxier and more traditional upright SUV proportions like the GLB class will have," Kim said.

Being on the large side for the segment — with three-row seating — the GLB, however, risks cannibalizing some GLC sales.

Mercedes "will have to carefully position the GLB class to minimize negative impact on GLC class sales," Kim said.

The GLB concept is powered by a M260 four-cylinder gasoline engine. The cylinder bore is widened at the lower end of the cylinder liners to minimize friction and thereby lower fuel consumption. The pistons feature cooling ducts for more efficient combustion. The aluminum four-valve cylinder head features a variable-valve timing system that can increase fuel efficiency or boost the engine's performance.

The GLB concept has the muscular exterior proportions and luxurious interior similar to the discontinued Mercedes GLK.

For the first time in a compact model by Mercedes-Benz, the GLB's third-row seat is equipped with two additional single seats that can be folded for extra cargo capacity. The third-row seats fit two medium-sized occupants, Mercedes notes.

The GLB is also equipped with Mercedes' new multimedia system — Mercedes-Benz User Experience.