Compare the2023 Mercedes GLBVS 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLB have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The GLB’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Mercedes GLB has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the GLB and the Sportage PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The GLB’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sportage PHEV runs out after 100,000 miles.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mercedes GLB is faster than the Kia Sportage PHEV:

Both the GLB and Sportage PHEV have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The GLB has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The GLB has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sportage PHEV (15.9 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

An eight-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Mercedes GLB, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Sportage PHEV.

The GLB offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the GLB’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Sportage PHEV:

The GLB stops much shorter than the Sportage PHEV:

The GLB’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sportage PHEV’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLB offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Sportage PHEV’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the GLB can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The GLB offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Sportage PHEV’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The GLB’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLB’s wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than on the Sportage PHEV (111.4 inches vs. 108.5 inches).

The GLB 250 4MATIC handles at .89 G’s, while the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Mercedes GLB may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 550 pounds less than the Kia Sportage PHEV.

The GLB offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Sportage PHEV can only carry 5.

The GLB has 2.9 inches more front headroom and 1.3 inches more rear headroom than the Sportage PHEV.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GLB. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The GLB uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sportage PHEV uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige, the GLB has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, suspension setting, power steering assist, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLB’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sportage PHEV’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the GLB the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Sportage PHEV can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GLB’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Sportage PHEV’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the GLB offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights. The GLB also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The GLB’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sportage PHEV offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The GLB offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Sportage PHEV.

The GLB offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The GLB is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the GLB owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the GLB will cost $945 to $1725 less than the Sportage PHEV over a five-year period.

The GLB will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the GLB will retain 46.13% to 48.36% of its original price after five years, while the Sportage PHEV only retains 45.04% to 45.21%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes GLB will be $847 to $852 less than for the Kia Sportage PHEV.