The new GLB forces an awkward choice, and money is the least of it
Want the new GLB sooner? Take the hybrid. Believe in electrons? Wait. Mercedes just split its lineup by three months — and by ideology.
Mercedes has just cornered new GLB buyers in Germany. Want the car sooner? Take the hybrid. Believe in electric and ready to wait? Get comfortable. According to MBpassion, the petrol GLB with a mild-hybrid system will reach customers as early as the third quarter of 2026 — while the fully electric version won’t arrive before the fourth. Three months apart. And worlds apart in philosophy.
We’re talking about the next-generation GLB. The X248 badge belongs to the combustion version, while X244 is the electric one. And here’s the catch: the hybrid is not a plug-in. Under the hood sits a 4-cylinder petrol M252, built through the cooperation with Geely, paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. No sockets. No “electric only” mode. Just a regular petrol crossover with a helpful electric motor in the background.
At launch, this GLB undercuts the electric version. But not by much — the gap no longer looks like a canyon.
The base Mercedes-Benz GLB 180 Hybrid starts at €50,396.50 in Germany. The GLB 200 costs from €52,990.70, the GLB 220 from €54,835.20, and the all-wheel-drive 4MATIC variant climbs up to €57,048.60. The electric range opens with the GLB 200 EQ at €53,454.80. The GLB 250 EQ starts at €56,548.80, the GLB 250+ EQ at €59,047.80, and the flagship GLB 350 4MATIC EQ at €62,177.50.
The electric versions come with different batteries — and that affects more than just the price tag. The GLB 200 EQ packs 58 kWh of usable capacity, the GLB 250 EQ gets 71 kWh, while the GLB 250+ and GLB 350 4MATIC EQ ride on the largest 85 kWh pack. So the choice between hybrid and electric isn’t really about money. The hybrid lands in your garage faster and shrugs off long trips — fill up and go. The electric GLB plays a different game: cheaper to run, but it demands the habit of charging at home or at work.