2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB vs 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen completely overhauled the Tiguan for the 2018 model year, introducing an all-new second generation of its compact crossover SUV. The 2020 Tiguan maintained this contemporary Volkswagen styling with clean and simple lines. The new flat logo adorned a horizontal grille that ran the full width of the front fascia, connecting the Tiguan’s headlights. Inside, however, the Tiguan's interior was plain, with dull surfaces and hard black plastic. The optional digital dashboard and glass-covered touchscreen infotainment system were highlights, offering a modern, smartphone-like appeal.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB, introduced in 2020, joined an extensive lineup of Mercedes SUVs. The GLB was an attractive, taut SUV with an athletic stance, thanks to its 7.9 inches of ground clearance. Inside, the GLB was a modern stunner with a conscious repetition of round shapes across the dash and polished metal details. The single panel housing both the virtual instrument cluster and the infotainment screen was elegant and attractive. The cabin had excellent fit and finish, with a beefy steering wheel featuring perforated leather grips.

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. It drove either the front or all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Tiguan's powertrain offered a snappy throttle response with minimal turbo lag, but it was only moderately fleet of foot. The Tiguan's handling was impacted by its larger size, with a longer wheelbase making it less nimble. The suspension was soft, ensuring a comfortable driving experience even on rough roads.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine, delivering 221 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It was paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The GLB's curb weight ranged from 3,638 to 3,891 pounds, and it could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds. The 4MATIC all-wheel-drive version offered better handling and driving feel, making it a wise choice for drivers. The GLB also came with the Off-Road Engineering Package, which included hill-start assist, downhill speed regulation, and an animation program for off-road maneuvers.

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan offered practicality with its second row of seats, which could slide up to seven inches fore and aft, making the third row useful. The third row had enough legroom for shorter adults and kids. Front-drive Tiguans had the third row as standard, while AWD models had it as an option. The split second-row rear seats folded flat, providing a cargo capacity of 65.7 cubic feet with the third row collapsed and 73.5 cubic feet in two-row Tiguans. The Tiguan felt roomy, with plenty of hip and shoulder room in the front seats.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB offered a third-row option, affecting the second row and cargo compartments. The second row's seatbacks were divided 40:20:40, with each passenger able to adjust their own angle of recline. The third row was retractable, folding flat when not needed. Cargo space for the five-passenger GLB was 27.0 cubic feet behind the second row and 62.0 cubic feet behind the first row. In the seven-passenger GLB, cargo space was 5.1 cubic feet behind the third row, 24.0 cubic feet behind the second row, and 56.7 cubic feet behind the first row. The front row of seats was very comfortable, with eight-way power adjustment and three-position memory.

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan featured the MIB II infotainment system, with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display in the base S trim and an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen in higher trims. The Tiguan S had a single USB-C port, while higher trims had two USB-A ports and a wireless charging pad. VW’s Digital Cockpit was available on top SEL trims, offering a fully digital instrument panel that could be customized. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a WiFi hotspot were standard.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB came with the latest Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system, featuring voice control and natural language understanding. The GLB had a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 7-inch touchscreen multimedia display. The Premium Package upgraded the displays to 10.25 inches each. Navigation with augmented reality was part of the optional Multimedia Package. Other advanced options included adaptive damping, 64-color ambient interior lighting, inductive wireless device charging, NFC pairing, parking assistance with surround view, active parking assist, and a head-up display.

For the 2020 model year, Volkswagen improved the Tiguan’s standard safety package, adding forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assistance and LED headlights with automatic high beams were reserved for the top SEL trim. VW equipped all 2020 Tiguan models with Car-Net, a telematics package that connected the vehicle to an owner’s smartphone or watch through an app. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rated the Tiguan a Top Safety Pick for top-of-the-line SEL Premium models with LED headlights.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB came with standard safety features, including active brake assist, adaptive braking technology, crosswind assist, attention assist, and Mercedes-Benz emergency call service. Available safety features included active LED headlamps, adaptive high-beam assist, and blind-spot assist. The Driver Assistance Package added advanced features like active distance assist Distronic adaptive cruise control, active steering assist, active brake assist with cross-traffic function, active speed limit assist, active blind-spot assist, active lane-keeping assist, and Pre-Safe Plus with Pre-Safe Sound. The 2021 GLB had not yet been rated for safety by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).