BMW iX1 vs Mercedes-Benz GLB
A detailed look at how two of Australia's most popular SUVs compare on price, running costs, safety, and everyday livability.
BMW iX1 scores higher, 70 vs 63
Prices are RRP before on-road costs unless stated otherwise. Always confirm with the manufacturer or dealer before purchasing.
Data checked: specs 1 Oct 2026, price 1 Oct 2026
BMW iX1
21 of 27 standard · 2 optional · 4 no dataFrom
$77,900
RRP, before on-road costs
- Body
- SUV
- Fuel type
- Electric
- Engine
- Electric
- Power
- 230kW
- Energy use
- 20.2 kWh/100km
- Safety
- ANCAP ★5 · 2022
- Boot (seats up)
- 490L
Top CarSorted Score, 70 vs 63
Driva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Mercedes-Benz GLB
15 of 27 standard · no option data · 12 no dataPrice TBC
The manufacturer has not published an Australian price for this model yet.
- Body
- SUV
- Fuel type
- Petrol
- Engine
- No data
- Power
- 120kW
- Economy
- 7.5 L/100km
- Safety
- Not rated by ANCAP
- Boot (seats up)
- No data
Driva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Mercedes-Benz GLB: we're still completing price, length, width, height and wheelbase, plus 5 others.
A blank cell below means we don't have that figure, not that the car scores badly on it. We leave them empty rather than estimate, so any row where one car is blank isn't a like-for-like comparison yet.
$77,900RRP
- with the Mercedes-Benz GLB's standard kit: at least $77,900 (1 option priced only inside packages; 1 with no data, not charged)
1 added option
- Panoramic Roof: priced only inside the Enhancement (Z1T)
No price
- no option data for this car
Printed option prices only. A pack is counted once and makes the figure a floor when it carries no printed price. Nothing is inferred from the other car.
Price and cost per week
BMW iX1 xDrive30
$77,900
RRP, before on-road costs. Checked 6 Sept 2026
No published drive-away price on our record.
About $337 a week in repayments ($77,900 RRP, before on-road costs; assumes $5,000 deposit, 5 yrs at 7.5% p.a.). An estimate, not a loan offer.
Mercedes-Benz GLB GLB 200
No price published
The manufacturer has not published an Australian price.
$71,429 drive-away in VIC, as published by Mercedes-Benz Australia
About $307 a week in repayments ($71,429 drive-away; assumes $5,000 deposit, 5 yrs at 7.5% p.a.). An estimate, not a loan offer.
The BMW iX1 currently qualifies for the electric-vehicle FBT exemption, which applies to novated leases. The Mercedes-Benz GLB does not: no price recorded, so eligibility cannot be assessed.
Matching the Mercedes-Benz GLB's standard equipment means adding extra-cost options to the BMW iX1, and one is priced only inside a package whose price the manufacturer doesn't publish, so the true gap is larger than the sticker difference suggests.
On-road costs (stamp duty, registration, CTP and dealer delivery) depend on your state and the dealer; ask for a written drive-away price before you sign.
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Ways to buy
For the 2 cars on this page.
Finance
From ≈$307/wk(≈$1,331/mo)
Estimate on the Mercedes-Benz GLB at $71,429 drive-away; assumes $5,000 deposit, 5 yrs at 7.5% p.a. Not a quote or an offer of credit.
Compare real car-loan ratesDriva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Novated lease
Electric, with an RRP under the $91,661 fuel-efficient LCT threshold (2026-27): under the ATO's electric cars exemption a novated lease of an eligible electric car attracts no FBT if luxury car tax was never payable on it. The benefit is still reportable.
Novated lease quoteWork out a lease on the BMW iX1Driva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link. Opens apply.driva.com.au in a new tab.
Safety Rundown
ANCAP's published record does not give the Mercedes-Benz GLB a rating. With no pair of ratings to compare, the active-safety features in the spec table above are the fairer comparison.
Driver assistance, as the manufacturer lists it
Driver assistance, system by system. We can confirm 9 of 10 key systems on the BMW iX1 and 5 on the Mercedes-Benz GLB.
Swipe across. Tap a feature to see what it does and each car's source.
StandardOptional: printed price, +pack or NCO (no-cost)No, not offeredNo dataCounts beside each car use the same colours; ? is no option data.
From each manufacturer's Australian equipment list. No data means that car's document does not say. The drawings are our own illustrations of how each kind of system works.
Recalls on our record
BMW iX1
- REC-006090 · published 2 Oct 2024Due to a manufacturing defect, a component of the brake booster system may have been incorrectly welded and could break.Year range on the notice: 2022 - 2024
- REC-005906 · published 5 Mar 2024Due to a manufacturing defect, signal interference may occur within the electronics of the brake system.Year range on the notice: 2022 - 2023
- REC-005746 · published 8 Aug 2023Due to a manufacturing defect, the front right drive shaft may become loose and detach from the eDrive.Year range on the notice: 2022 - 2023
- 1 more on the model page.
Mercedes-Benz GLB
- REC-006695 · published 12 Aug 2026Nine model lines: door lock defect (campaign RC5219)Year range on the notice: 2018 - 2026
- REC-006158 · published 6 Nov 2024The tyres within this production range may not meet manufacturing specifications which may lead to deflation of the tyre.Year range on the notice: 2024
- REC-005949 · published 15 Apr 2024The electrical power steering control unit back-up software may not operate as intended.Year range on the notice: 2018 - 2024
- 8 more on the model page.
A recall covers the builds its notice lists, not every car of a model. Check your VIN at vehiclerecalls.gov.au.
Charging times
How long each takes to charge, from a household power point to a DC fast charger, estimated from battery size and the car's own maximum charge rates.
How long to charge
64.8kWh usablePublic DC
50kW charger · 0–80%
Ultra-rapid DC
up to 130kW · 0–80%
Estimates from usable battery size and the car's max charge rates (11kW AC, 130kW DC). Real times vary with temperature, starting charge, charger output and the charging curve.
Feature Showdown
Both come with modern infotainment systems. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.
The BMW iX1 stands out with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and Harman Kardon audio — features our data doesn't list for the Mercedes-Benz GLB. The Mercedes-Benz GLB counters with Apple CarPlay, head-up display, panoramic roof and ambient lighting. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.
Interior trim differs: the BMW iX1 gets sensatec synthetic leather upholstery while the Mercedes-Benz GLB offers black artico man-made leather.
Equipment few rivals have, on either carShowHide
Drivetrain
The BMW iX1 uses a Electric producing 230kW and 494Nm of torque, sent through a auto to a AWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.1 seconds.
The Mercedes-Benz GLB lines up making 120kW, paired to a 8g-edct dual clutch transmission, 8-speed automatic driving the front wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 8.7 seconds.
The BMW iX1 has the clear power advantage at 230kW vs 120kW. In the 0-100 sprint (manufacturer-claimed), the BMW iX1 is 2.6s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.
Space & Comfort
The BMW iX1 turns in a 11.9 m circle, kerb to kerb; the Mercedes-Benz GLB's turning circle is not on our record.
Cost to own
At 15,000 km a year, electricity for the BMW iX1 costs about $970 a year (20.2 kWh/100km) and fuel for the Mercedes-Benz GLB about $2,138 a year (7.5 L/100km), at $1.90 a litre and 32c a kWh.
Warranty: 5 years / Unlimited (BMW iX1) and 5 years / Unlimited (Mercedes-Benz GLB).
Where each one leads
The BMW iX1: more power (230kW against 120kW).
The Mercedes-Benz GLB: nothing in the figures we hold puts it ahead of the BMW iX1.
The Verdict
BMW iX1 scores higher, 70 vs 63
The BMW iX1 scores 70 to the Mercedes-Benz GLB's 63 on the CarSorted Score, and leads 2 of the 2 spec rows that separate them. The biggest gaps: safety (BMW iX1 ahead by 29 points), performance (BMW iX1 ahead by 26 points).
Ways to buy
For the 2 cars on this page.
Finance
From ≈$307/wk(≈$1,331/mo)
Estimate on the Mercedes-Benz GLB at $71,429 drive-away; assumes $5,000 deposit, 5 yrs at 7.5% p.a. Not a quote or an offer of credit.
Compare real car-loan ratesDriva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link.
Novated lease
Electric, with an RRP under the $91,661 fuel-efficient LCT threshold (2026-27): under the ATO's electric cars exemption a novated lease of an eligible electric car attracts no FBT if luxury car tax was never payable on it. The benefit is still reportable.
Novated lease quoteWork out a lease on the BMW iX1Driva is an independent finance provider, not part of CarSorted. We aren't paid for this link. Opens apply.driva.com.au in a new tab.
Common questions
Which is cheapest, BMW iX1 and Mercedes-Benz GLB?
The BMW iX1 is the cheapest at $77,900 before on-road costs.
What are the ANCAP safety ratings?
BMW iX1 holds a 5-star ANCAP rating (tested 2022). ANCAP's published record does not give a rating to Mercedes-Benz GLB, so there is nothing to compare on crash performance. Compare the active-safety features above instead.
Which can tow the most?
The BMW iX1 has the highest braked towing capacity at 1,200kg.
Which is the most powerful?
The BMW iX1 makes the most power at 230kW. The BMW iX1 is quickest to 100km/h in 6.1s.
Track the BMW iX1 & Mercedes-Benz GLB
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How to read this page. Prices, specifications, ANCAP ratings, warranty, the CarSorted Score and the verdict come from our records for the grades shown, sourced from the manufacturers' Australian documents, and change when those records change; the date each was last checked is printed under the headline. Prices are recommended retail prices before on-road costs unless marked drive-away. A plug-in hybrid's fuel figure is labelled with its basis: with a full battery (the certified combined figure) or as a hybrid (battery depleted). Charging and running costs are estimates on the stated assumptions. Always confirm price and specification with the manufacturer or dealer before you buy. CarSorted does not accept payment for recommendations.
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