It's an interesting car, the GLB35, boasting as it does a relatively compact footprint, a fairly modest 2.0-litre engine - and seven seats as standard. Ask someone to bring to mind an AMG seven-seater, and any right-thinking chap would conjure up a lairy old V8 E-Class with a rear-facing pair of pews. But this is the 2020s. Niche? It's almost like Mercedes invented the word.
Now prices have been announced for this latest addition to the '35 AMG range, the line-up currently comprised of A-Class hatch, A-Class saloon, CLA sort-of saloon and CLA Shooting Brake. The GLB is the most expensive of the bunch, starting from £48,665 on the road. While it comes as standard with the MBUX infotainment system, a Driving Assistance package, LED headlights, panoramic sunroof and 20-inch wheels, buyers will still have the choice of a few optional paint colours. There are six metallics at £595, the design Patagonia red metallic at £795 and the design mountain grey magno for £1,795. So yes, £50,000 is eminently achievable.
In terms of rivals, the GLB's seven-seat trump card means it's hard to find anything that you'd call direct. That said, prospective buyers might also consider the Audi SQ2, which costs £43,770 as a Vorsprung Edition, or the £44k BMW X2 M35i. Don't forget the Range Rover Evoque, either; a P300 R Dynamic SE is closest on price to the Mercedes, at £48,075. Or, if there are any other £50,000, four-cylinder, seven-seat SUVs out there, they will rival the AMG perfectly. But we're damned if we can think of any...
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