You open your eyes instinctively and the clock is showing 7.05am. Mental alarm bells go off because the real alarm clock had failed to ring, and the kids need to be at school by 7.25pm – one of many nightmare scenarios parents who handle the chore of sending kids to school face each day.
No, you don’t really need an SUV with over 300 hp to get to school on time (a more reliable alarm clock would do), but you’ll want one anyway, because Moms and Pops need to catch some breaks too. The new GLB 35, when it does arrive here, will no doubt be a standout amongst the sea of MPVs hogging the school grounds with its angry Panamericana grille.
The first implementation of the Panamericana grille on a compact class model.
The Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 can execute race starts and get from idle to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds (top speed limited to 250 km/h), while seating up to seven with its three-row configuration. AMG cranked up the M270 turbocharged four-cylinder engine to produce 306 hp and 400 Nm, and mated it to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission which sends drive to all four wheels via an AMG-specified 4MATIC all-wheel drive system; of which up to 50% of the torque can be sent to the rear wheels when required.
Depending on how late the parent may be running, he or she will have five different drive modes and two chassis settings to cater to the conditions, this is on top of a reworked chassis by the AMG division that sees larger brakes, upgraded steering knuckles, control arms and suspension subframes. We know, it’s overkill for school-related chores but one can’t never be too careful, just in case you run into a pesky BMW X2 M35i or the odd Volkswagen Golf R.
