A Mercedes-Benz GLB prototype was spotted testing at
the Nurburgring recently, trying to hide the Panamericana grille with vertical
slats and the rest of its details with a smattering of camo. Now, given that the AMG GLB 35
was already unveiled last month, it follows that this should be the 45 version,
either in “base” or top 45 S guise. Compared to the 35, it has differently
styled front and rear bumpers and different exhaust pipes, although this
probably won’t be its final form.
Other vinyl stickers are found on the lower part of
the doors, side sills, roof spoiler and the portion right above the headlamps,
suggesting that Mercedes-AMG has concentrated some of its efforts on slightly
updating these parts. If this is indeed the GLB 45 or GLB 45 S, then expect
bigger wheels with a different pattern, larger brakes and a slightly lower
ground clearance to further enhance its handling.
The icing on the cake will be the 2.0-liter
turbocharged four-cylinder, which produces a massive 421 PS and 500 Nm of torque in the A45 S and CLA 45 S. The lump is matched
to an eight-speed automatic transmission that channels the output to the
all-wheel drive system. If the company sticks to that pattern, then expect the lesser
GLB 45 to produce 387 PS and 480 Nm of torque.
We don’t know when the top-of-the-line GLB will
debut, but it might launch sometime next year, probably as a 2021MY.
