^ Some took place already in Colorado the other day. Here's an excerpt from Motortrend. More may be in the pipeline.
On the press drive in Colorado, I rode shotgun in the only U.S.-spec 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class in the United States. Behind the wheel was Jochen Eck, Mercedes' senior manager for vehicle testing for compact cars, and he explained the differences between the GLB and its sedan siblings. A longer wheelbase and extra width mean the GLB rides on the largest iteration Mercedes' new MFA2 architecture, first used in the 2019 A-Class sedan. Asked if this platform could underpin larger vehicles, Eck immediately said no before adding that the GLB will be the biggest model on it. "You'd end up with compromised vehicles," he said. "You would need to recalibrate too many things for it to conform to safety regulations and get it driving properly."
The route followed twisty roads into Colorado's front range. As a passenger, I noticed the firm suspension; you feel the road, but it's not harsh. Eck's team has created a nicely balanced standard setup that's firm enough but doesn't don't toss you around over uneven roads. Learnings from previous models have been applied to the new generation of Mercedes-Benz compact cars. As a result, the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class' ride and handling have a level of sophistication absent from its predecessors. The available adaptive dampers were intentionally given only two modes. "There needs to be a clear distinction between them without sacrificing drivability," Eck said. Compared to the base suspension, putting the adaptive dampers in Comfort mode makes it more compliant, and Sport mode is still stiffer for better handling.
Our first impressions of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class were promising. Its quality and road manners appear to be an improvement over the outgoing CLA-Class and the soon-to-be-replaced GLA-Class. Additionally, the GLB gives buyers a family-friendly option that's right-sized for life in urban areas. We look forward to getting behind the wheel of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class and experiencing it and its more potent iterations thoroughly in the very near future.
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB First Ride: New Compact SUV Promises Luxury and Utility - Motor Trend