Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class VS Jaguar F-Pace
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class
Likes
- Very comfortable
- Impressive practicality
- Surprisingly fun to drive
Dislikes
- Minor visibility issues
- 200 a bit gutless
- Doesn't feel small
Jaguar F-Pace
Likes
- Great engines
- New interior
- Window switches relocated
Dislikes
- No plug-in hybrid
- Wireless charging standard only on SVR
- Safety tech could be more up-to-date
Summary
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class
Mercedes-Benz reckons its A B Cs are as easy as a competitor's 1 2 3s, which is why it's adding an all new nameplate to the world's ever-expanding list of premium small SUVs.
What you're looking at here is the GLB, and as the name implies – it's the latest addition to the Deutsche juggernaut's 'compact' family. Mercedes is a little late to the show, though, with its main competitors, Audi and BMW, already offering two small SUVs each.
Not to be outdone, Merc's GLB is a totally different take on the small premium SUV formula, especially since, well, it's not all that small...
Read on to find out what that's about, as well as what we made of the GLB at its international launch.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.3L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.5L/100km |
| Seating | 7 seats |
Jaguar F-Pace
Jaguar has announced that by 2025 it will only make and sell electric vehicles. That’s less than four years away and means the F-Pace you’re thinking about buying could be the last Jaguar with an actual engine that you ever own. Heck, it could be the last car with an engine you ever own.
Let’s help you pick the right one then, because Jaguar’s just called last drinks.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.4L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class7.8/10
The GLB is set to mix up the Australian premium small SUV landscape by launching something a little different to most of its competitors. It's bold and interesting to look at, which is a good sign for a brand that's spent the last few years going to great pains to homogenise the styling of its main models.
Importantly, it manages to look interesting and drive well, while living up to an ambitious practicality promise.
Whether consumers warm to it or not will largely depend on its standard specs in Australia, so stay tuned closer to its second quarter 2020 launch to see exactly how competitive Benz can make its not-so-small small-SUV...
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.
Jaguar F-Pace8.1/10
The F-Pace has been gifted new styling, new engines and more practicality making it an even better SUV than it already was. You could seriously pick any of the grades and be happy with your purchase. Then there’s the question of the engine…
Jaguar says there’s a few more years left in the combustion engine yet, but we know exactly how many years – four, because the company has gone on the record announcing it will go fully electric by 2025. The question for you is – how will you ring out the end of an era – with a four-cylinder petrol, a six-cylinder turbo diesel, an inline turbo six petrol or a cracking V8?Â
The sweetspot in the range is the R-Dynamic SE 400, with just enough luxury and more than enough grunt.
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Design
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class8/10
The GLB is ugly... in a good way. I think so, anyway. It shuns the slick lines of the GLC, and Benz sedan family in favour of something unusual.
You'll notice straight away the chunky lines and upright front and rear fascias of the GLB, along with its light fittings that are wrong, but also right?
Then there's the shutline of the bonnet which rides across the top, creating a distinct off-set line, which is rudely interrupted by a jutting bit of chrome over the rear wheel arch.
It's almost so intentionally jarring that it feels like it's meant to conjure up visions of a mini G-Class. Benz says many of these design elements were internally dubbed 'squircles' due to their blending of angles and curves.
There's a lot to look at, and admittedly I wasn't initially a fan, but like many new design languages, you have to see it in the metal to appreciate it. I found it only became more endearing with time.
Just like the rest of the Benz compact vehicle family, the GLB has a new interior full of screens and round design elements. If you're a fan of the A-Class' interior you'll be a fan of this, too, although the GLB even ups the quality with some genuinely nice materials strewn about the place.
Special attention was paid to things like the little tubular metal fittings in the dash and doors, meant to represent grab handles and the LED lighting on higher spec cars reflected inside the air vents is always one of those wow factor items.
The dual 10.25-inch screen set-up is controversial. Some will love it, some will be begging for a set of analog dials.
Once you've adjusted to it though, it's relatively easy to use – with a couple of caveats we'll explore in the practicality section.
Jaguar F-Pace9/10
The very first F-Pace arrived in Australia in 2016 and even after all these years and the arrival of more rivals I still think it’s the most beautiful SUV in its class. The new one seems to look a lot like the old one, but the styling updates have kept it cool.
If you want to see instantly how the design of the F-Pace has evolved from the original to the new one, be sure to watch my video above.
Short story is, this new F-Pace has been given a pretty major styling overhaul inside and out.
Gone is the old F-Pace’s plastic beak. That sounds weird but the previous F-Pace’s bonnet stopped short of the grille and a nose cone had been fitted to cover the rest of the distance. Now the new bonnet meets a larger, wider grille and its flow from the windscreen down isn’t disturbed by a large join line.
Also more pleasing to the eyes is the badge on the grille. The snarling jaguar head is now larger and no longer mounted on a terrible looking large plastic plate. The plate was for the adaptive cruise control radar sensor, but by making the Jaguar badge bigger, the plate was able to be house in the badge itself.
The headlights are slimmer, and the tail-lights have a new design which looks futuristic, but I miss the styling of the previous ones and the way they dipped into the tailgate.
Inside, the cabin has been made over with a giant landscape screen, new chunky climate control dials, a new steering wheel and the rotary shifter has been replaced by a regular upright one which is still small and compact, with cricket ball stitching. Again, take a look at the video I’ve made to see the transformation for yourself.
While all F-Paces have a similar look, the SVR is the high-performance member of the family and stands out with its giant 22-inch wheels, a tough body kit, quad tailpipes, a fixed SVR rear wing, and bonnet and fender vents.
For this update the SVR has been given a new front bumper and larger cooling vents flanking the grille. But it’s more than just tough looks, the aerodynamics have been revised to decrease lift by 35 per cent, too.
What hasn’t changed are the dimensions. The F-Pace is a mid-sized SUV measuring 4747mm end to end, standing 1664mm tall and with the mirrors out is 2175mm wide. That’s not huge, but make sure it’ll fit in your garage.
Practicality
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class9/10
The GLB's thematic purpose in the Benz family is to be the practical option to the upcoming GLA's 'sportiness' and larger GLC's luxury. Although it's not that much smaller than the GLC, the GLB is packaged in a radically different way.
For one, it can be had as a seven-seater, and at this size there's not much that can compete in the luxury space. Again, that makes its closest rival the Land Rover Discovery Sport which is dimensionally similar and also offered with seven seats.
The next closest seven-seat competitors come in the form of the VW Tiguan Allspace and perhaps Skoda Kodiaq.
Audi and BMW don't quite have anything like it (despite fielding a Q2 and Q3 or X1 and X2 respectively... ), and that could well be the GLB's master stroke. It almost fills its own niche. Mercedes is heavy on the idea that this will be the perfect SUV in its line-up for growing families.
Like those VW group rivals, the GLB is a bit of a practicality wizard, too, able to make use of a huge 500-litre boot with the rear seats stowed, or 570 litres as a five-seater.
The second row is on rails, so you can either max legroom or max boot space respectively. I was genuinely surprised with how spacious the third row is.
The packaging is brilliant, I can fit in there, not only with my head completely upright (just touching the roof), but also with actual knee room! The second row seats are also designed as such that your feet can tuck under them, so you don't feel squashed.
Even with another adult in the rear row it's wide enough to not cause problems.
Keep in mind though, with all three rows deployed you'll almost be sacrificing 100 per cent of that massive boot. I couldn't even fit a basic duffel bag in the shelf of space left over.
The second row offers simply heaps of legroom for passengers, even with adults in the third row, and it's surprisingly wide and deep. I found the panoramic sunroof, fitted to some launch cars, ate into the headroom, although it was still more than enough.
Up front is upright, but comfortable in all grades, with the GLA 35 having the most comfortable seats, by far. There are a few trenches strewn about the place, decent cupholders and a centre console box which hosts USB ports.
Trim quality was a notch above the A- and B-Class across the dash, mainly thanks the the choice of materials in the GLB's design.
I do have a few minor issues with visibility though. The A-pillar is upright and, at times, takes up too much of your line-of-sight, especially when approaching corners.
In my seating position, the top of the steering wheel obscures bits of the digital dash, and vision out the back was okay but not stellar thanks to the GLB's almost flat rear window.
Benz' digital dash suite is capable of almost everything that Audi's benchmark 'Virtual Cockpit' does, although using it is a bit awkward, with many sub menus and odd touchpads for flicking through them on the steering wheel.
Jaguar F-Pace8/10
The F-Pace was always practical with a big 509-litre boot and great rear leg and head room for even me at 191cm tall, but the cabin re-design has added better storage and usability.
The door pockets are larger, there’s a covered area under the floating centre console and in a victory for common sense and practicality the window switches have been relocated from the window sills to the armrests.
This is along with a deep centre console storage area, and two cupholders in the front and another two in the rear fold-down armrest.
Parents will be happy to know that all F-Paces come with directional air vents in the second row as well. And there are ISOFIX outboard child-seat anchors and three top-tether restraints, too.
Price and features
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class7/10
We don't know how much the GLB will cost when it comes to Australia, but Mercedes says to expect it to fall in a sensible void between its GLA (currently $44,700 - $94,382) and the GLC ($66,100 - $168,100).
Its traditional competitors will mainly be in the form of the BMW X1, and Audi Q3, although size and spec wise it's much closer to the Land Rover Discovery Sport (from $60,500) which can also be had with seven seats.
While standard inclusions on the Euro cars as tested here were decent, we expect they will increase for base Australian cars, along with a price hike.
Prices will largely depend on the choice of engine grade and out of the six options available globally, Australians will only be offered three petrol powertrains (Mercedes has decided against bringing the three diesel options to our market, citing a relative lack of demand).
Of course, option packs will transform each car, and there are many of them, but there are some revealing downfalls in the internationally specified cars. LED headlights, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring are part of an option pack in Europe. We hope these items, or at very least blind spot monitoring, is added to the standard features list for Australia.
Jaguar F-Pace8/10
There’s a Jaguar F-Pace for every budget as long as your budget is somewhere in between $80K and $150K. That’s quite a large range in price.
Now, I’m about to take you through the grade names and I need to warn you that it’s going to be messy and confusing a little bit like white water rafting, but not as wet. Life jacket on?
There are four grades: the S, SE, HSE and top-of-the-range SVR.
They all come standard with the R-Dynamic pack.
There are four engines: the P250, D300, P400 and P550. I’ll explain what this means in the engine section down below, but all you need to know is 'D' stands for diesel and 'P' for petrol and the higher the number the more grunt it has.
The S grade only comes with the P250. The SE comes with a choice of P250, D300 or P400. The HSE only comes with the P400 and the SVR has exclusive rights to the P550.
Following all this? Great.
So, the entry grade is officially called the R-Dynamic S P250 and it lists for $76,244 (all prices listed are MSRP - before on-road costs). Above this is the R-Dynamic SE P250 and it lists for $80,854, then there’s the R-Dynamic SE D300 for $96,194 and the R-Dynamic SE P400 for $98,654.
Almost there, you’re doing super.
The R-Dynamic HSE P400 lists for $110,404 and at the top is King F-Pace – the SVR with the P550 listing for $142,294.
There you are, wasn’t so bad was it?
Coming standard from the base grade up is the new 11.4-inch touchscreen, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate, power adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, LED headlights and tail-lights, and an auto tailgate.
The entry-level S and the SE above it come with a six-speaker stereo, but as you step into the HSE and SVR more standard features appear such as a 13-speaker Meridian sound system, plus heated and ventilated front seats. A fully digital instrument cluster is standard on all grades apart from the entry S.
The options list is extensive and includes a head-up display ($1960), wireless charging ($455), and an Activity Key ($403) which looks like an iWatch that locks and unlocks the F-Pace. Â
Paint prices? Narvik Black and Fuji White are standard at no extra cost for the S, SE and HSE. The SVR has its own standard palette and includes Santorini Black, Yulonhg White, Firenze Red, Bluefire Blue and Hakuba Silver. If you don’t have the SVR but want these colours it’ll be $1890, thank you.
Under the bonnet
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class8/10
The GLB has an almost confusingly extensive list of engine options. In Europe it's offered with three petrols and three diesels in either front- or all-wheel drive.
We'll only address the petrols as they are the only units destined for our market. The entry-level car is the GLB 200 which has Mercedes' familiar 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo engine (120kW/250Nm) shared across the A- and B-Class, as well as various Renault models. In this case it's mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Next up is the GLB 250. The 250 is a 2.0-litre engine with significantly higher outputs (165kW/350Nm). It is offered only with Benz' '4Matic' all-wheel drive. It is offered with an eight-speed dual-clutch auto only.
Then there's the star of the petrol-powered show, the GLB 35 AMG. Powered again by a 2.0-litre engine, the AMG-tuned GLB ups the ante to 225kW/400Nm. It is offered with an AMG tuned eight-speed auto, and adds the 'Sport +' drive mode.
Jaguar F-Pace9/10
Jaguar’s engine names sound like forms you have to fill in when you apply for a home loan.
The P250 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine making 184kW and 365Nm; the D300 is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel producing 221kW and 650Nm; while the P400 is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo petrol with outputs of 294kW and 550Nm.
The P550 is a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 producing a colossal 405kW and 700Nm.
The SE grade gives you the choice of the P250, D300 and P400, while the S only comes with the P250 and the SVR of course is powered only by the P550.
The D300 and D400 are new engines, both are straight sixes and replace the V6 engines in the old F-Pace. Superb engines, they are also found in the Defender and Range Rover.
Jaguar calls the D300 and P400 mild hybrids, but don’t be misled by the terminology. These engines are not hybrids in the sense that an electric motor is working to drive the wheels along with a combustion engine. Instead, a mild hybrid uses a 48-volt electrical system to help take the load off the engine by helping it start and running the electronics such as climate control. And yes, it does help save fuel, but not stacks.
There’s plenty of grunt from all these engines no matter which you choose, they all have eight-speed automatics and all-wheel drive.
You are also very likely looking at the last combustion engines to go into an F-Pace. See Jaguar has announced that it will only sell electric vehicles beyond 2025.
Four years and that’s it. Choose wisely.
Efficiency
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class8/10
Fuel consumption figures are as varied as the engine choices, the base GLB 200 will consume 6.2L/100km on the combined cycle, while the GLB 250 adds more than a litre to that number at 7.4L/100km, and despite its performance focus, the GLB 35 will supposedly do 7.6L/100km on the combined cycle.
Real-world figures will have to wait until we get our hands on Aussie-spec GLBs to do a fair week-long test. Stay tuned for that.
It is yet to be confirmed, but we'd be surprised if the GLB required anything less than 95RON mid-grade unleaded petrol.
Jaguar F-Pace7/10
It doesn’t make sense that Jaguar has announced that it will be going all electric by 2025 yet doesn’t offer a plug-in hybrid in its Australian line-up, especially when there is one available overseas.
Jaguar says it doesn’t make sense either, but by that they mean business sense, in bringing one to Australia. Â
So, for fuel economy I’m marking the F-Pace down. Yes, the D300 and P400 use clever mild-hybrid tech, but it doesn’t go far enough to reducing fuel use.
So the fuel consumptions, then. The official fuel consumption for the petrol P250 is 7.8L/100km, the diesel D300 will use 7.0L/100km, the P400 is stated to sip 8.7L/100km and the P550 V8 petrol will drink 11.7L/100km. Those figures are "combined cycle" numbers, after a combination of open and urban driving.
Driving
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class8/10
Driving the GLB was surprising. It's comfortable! It doesn't seem to matter which grade you pick, either. In fact, the GLB 35 rides the best, with its ridiculous wheels overcompensated for by impressive active dampers.
Families will love the plush seats and ultra-compliant ride. Some Benz magic must have gone into the suspension calibration, but we think the ride is also helped along by the long wheelbase.
The position of the wheels also helps prevent the GLB from feeling too nose happy. You don't feel at risk of understeer at all, and this is probably due to the fact that the front wheels are actually quite far ahead of the A-pillar.
In terms of handling, the GLB is great. The steering is light, but direct in Comfort mode. Sport mode is more of a mixed bag, with the wheel feeling a bit too artificially heavy. In 'Individual' mode you can set it up to have the suspension and transmission set to Sport, with the Comfort steering.
Obviously the GLB 35 is a hoot in terms of power available. It's fun, if a little silly. I was surprised how sedate the exhaust is, even in Sport +, a show-pony the GLB 35 is not.
That goes for all grades, too. The cabin is generally well refined.
The 250 is the right car for most drivers, with plenty of power on tap, and a reasonably smart eight-speed dual-clutch. This transmission's major drawback was how annoying it was in Sport mode, sticking in gear and revving the engine out unnecessarily.
Surprisingly, we also had the chance to sample the base model 200. This car rode just as well as its higher-spec counterparts, and it was just as quiet, too, but the 1.3-engine took a long time to get to its sweet spot.
The extra weight of the GLB over the A-Class and B-Class was evident, and the seven-speed auto seems a little less intelligent and slick-shifting than the eight-speed on the other two grades.
There was a long waiting time for peak torque, meaning foot to the floor for several seconds before anything really happened.
That having been said, the 200 is still an attractive option to cut the cost of a GLB for someone who will mainly use it for city or urban driving.
Which leads to one of the GLBs drawbacks – it doesn't feel like a 'small' SUV behind the wheel. You feel every last bit of its dimensions when negotiating a three-point turn with its almost 12-metre turning radius or trying to navigate tight city streets.
Overall though, the GLB offered a surprisingly comfortable, quiet and even entertaining drive experience for an SUV.
Jaguar F-Pace8/10
My two test cars at the Australian launch of the new F-Pace were the R-Dynamic SE P400 and the R-Dynamic S P250. Both were fitted with the road noise cancellation system which comes with the optional $1560 Meridian stereo and reduces the level of road noise coming into the cabin.
Which would I rather? Look, I’d be fibbing if I didn’t say the SE P400 with its smooth inline six that has seemingly endless shove, but it’s $20K more than the S P250 and neither engine is low on grunt and both handle and ride almost identically.
That ride has been improved in this new F-Pace with the rear suspension being retuned so that it’s not so firm.
Steering is still on the sharp side, but body control feels better and more composed in this updated F-Pace.
On the twisty and quick country roads I tested the S P250 and SE 400, both performed superbly, with responsive engines, great handling, and serene cabins (thanks to the help of the noise cancelling tech).
The second part of the test was driving both in city traffic for the best part of an hour each which isn’t pleasant in any car. The now wider F-Pace seats were comfortable and supportive, however, the transmission seamlessly swapped gears and even rolling on 22-inch wheels in the SE and 20-inch alloys in the S the ride was excellent. Â
Safety
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class7/10
Thanks to those kooky Germans and their love for high-speed freeways, every GLB will ship with high-speed auto emergency braking with standard pedestrian and cyclist detection.
It also gets lane departure warning (delivered by vibration through the steering) and a limited version of lane keep assist that works on solid lines and helps swerve away from oncoming vehicles.
Additionally via an option pack on the Euro cars we tested is 'Pre-Safe Plus' which adds blind spot monitoring, improved lane keep assist with lane change assist, and a system which uses a rear radar to detect incoming collisions and lessens the risk of whiplash.
We don't know what will be on Australian-specified cars yet, so stay tuned for an update.
The GLB has a total of six airbags, and in case you're wondering, the GLB's side curtain airbags are capable of protecting even the third row.
ISOFIX and top-tether chid seat mounting points are available on both the outboard seats in the second row, and in the third row in seven-seat variants – for a total of four child seat ready positions.
We'll have to wait and see what ANCAP rating the GLB scores (with standard safety equipment for this market to be confirmed), although it already wears a maximum five star Euro NCAP rating.
Jaguar F-Pace8/10
The F-Pace scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2017. Coming standard is advanced safety tech such as forward auto emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot assist, lane keeping assistance and rear cross-traffic alert.
This tech is great, but in the five years since the F-Pace first arrived safety equipment has moved on even further. So, while the AEB can detect pedestrians, it’s not designed to work for cyclists, there’s no reverse AEB, nor evasive manoeuvre systems, nor a centre airbag. All are items which weren’t common in 2017 but are now on most 2021 five-star rated cars.
Ownership
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class7/10
Like Audi and BMW, Mercedes persists with a three-year/unlimited km warranty. If you believe BMW, they say consumers in this price bracket don't expect longer warranties, but it would be nice, no?
The first German to do it will win a distinct advantage, but for now the GLB's warranty promise is par for the course.
Service pricing has not been plotted out for the GLB in our market yet but expect to be able to package in several years at a fixed price on finance, as you can on other Benz vehicles.
Jaguar F-Pace8/10
At the launch of the new F-Pace Jaguar announced that all of its vehicles would be covered by a five-year unlimited/kilometre warranty, a step up from the three-year coverage it used to offer. Â
Service intervals? What are they? The F-Pace will tell you when it needs maintenance. But you should sign up for a five-year service plan which costs $1950 for the P250 engine, $2650 for the D300, $2250 for the P400 and $3750 for the P550.