Mercedes-Benz’s slew of new products will continue with the second-generation GLB, which like its CLA sibling will offer both internal-combustion hybrid and fully electric powertrains, the latter taking the place of the existing EQB. The automaker won’t be revealing the new GLB until December 8, but to tide us over until then it has released images of a prototype inside Mercedes’ advanced climatic wind tunnels, which simulate Arctic conditions (blizzards included) as well as the blistering sun in places like Death Valley. It’s an important part of the testing regimen, ensuring that your car will be able to handle anything nature throws at it.
We’re also getting to see the GLB’s interior without camouflage, and it looks basically identical to the CLA’s, including the available dashboard-spanning Superscreen. Mercedes will continue to offer the GLB with an available third row, and the company says there is “noticeably more headroom” in the first and second rows. My favorite bit? The standard panoramic sunroof can be had with ambient lighting that illuminates dozens of three-pointed stars in the glass.
It’s a huge help
In each of the climatic wind tunnels, which are located at the Mercedes Technology Center at the brand’s Sindelfingen factory in Germany, there’s a rolling road similar to what you find on a dyno. Electric motors drive four rollers in the floor, so all-wheel-drive cars are able to be tested, and they can handle a total output of up to 1,046 horsepower and speeds of up to 165 mph — the company might need to upgrade that for its upcoming AMG EVs. Mercedes can refuel and charge vehicles inside the tunnels, too. The building covers 230 feet by 197 feet, and there are offices and a control room, where everything can be adjusted from behind the comfort of fully insulated windows.
These tunnels are a major help in the development process, as not only are both useable year-round (when actual conditions like these are harder to find out in the real world), but the conditions and measurements are reproducible over and over. That makes it even easier to diagnose issues and improve performance.
It gets mighty cold in there
In the cold tunnel, the temperature can range from -40 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity is also adjustable. “Advanced snow cannons” can create a variety of different types of snow across different temperatures, and when paired with the wind tunnel’s big fan, Mercedes can simulate blizzards with wind speeds of up to 124 mph. Engineers check how the windshield wipers function, whether air intakes get clogged with snow and spray from passing vehicles, how the snow affects aerodynamics, and more.
This testing is especially important with EVs, where the climate control can be one of the biggest saps of energy, especially in cold weather. Mercedes says that on a 20-minute drive in 19-degree ambient temperatures, the new GLB heats up twice as fast as the current EQB and uses half as much energy, and it heats up even quicker than a gas-powered car. That’s partially thanks to a new multi-source heat pump that uses ambient air heat, battery heat, and waste heat from the powertrain — Mercedes describes it as “free” heat, and says it needs a third of the electric energy as a comparable auxiliary heater. The cabin begins to heat up as soon as someone enters the car, and it first warms the hands and upper body of occupants. With an outside temperature of 5 degrees Fahrenheit, Mercedes says it takes only 15 minutes for the windshield to be clear using just the defrost setting, no wipers needed.
Mercedes-Benz
There’s also a separate chamber for heat testing, where the temperature ranges between 14 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This tunnel has 32 separate lamps over a 26-by-8-foot area that create a radiation spectrum comparable to natural sunlight, with the intensity variable between 200 and 1,200 watts per square meter — Mercedes says the highest setting is like Death Valley. This room also simulates a hot road surface, with the ability to continuously adjust between 122 and 158 degrees Fahrenheit.
Coming soon
Like with the current-generation GLB, the new model’s interior looks exactly the same as the CLA, at least when you’re in the front seats. There are illuminated air vents with very cool designs, a floating center console with storage and wireless charging, nicely sculpted door panels, a redesigned steering wheel with more physical controls, and of course that optional Superscreen that combines three displays under one panel. Sadly it isn’t seamless like in the new GLC, but the new MB.OS operating system will be a massive step up.
Mercedes-Benz
In addition to the interior being more spacious, the new GLB will offer a sliding second-row seat with an adjustable backrest, and the optional third row is easier to access and fold. The standard panoramic sunroof is made from heat-insulating laminated glass that not only has an infrared-reflecting coating, but also a low-emissivity coating, thinner than a strand of hair, that reduces heat loss by reflecting the interior heat back into the cabin. Mercedes will offer the sunroof with adjustable transparency along with those illuminated stars.
