It began life some six years ago as sort of a raised hatchback with all-wheel drive capability.
Yet the Mercedes-Benz GLA not only enters its second generation but also morphs into what looks like a proper crossover.
The new member of the Mercedes-Benz compact car family now sports a beefier exterior that is shorter in length yet grows in both height in wheelbase.
This equates to more room for passengers inside, as well as more versatile cago carrying capacity.
While it now tends to blend in with the rest of the crossover crowd, the Merc sets itself apart with some cool toys that make it more convenient to operate and safe to drive.
The Car Wash function, for instance, will automatically close the windows and sunroof, fold the sideview mirrors, temporarily deactivate the rain sensors, and switch on the climate control’s recirculation function once it detects you’re entering a car wash.
As for safety, the new GLA is equipped with all sorts of tech such as Crosswalk Assist that will warn the driver if there are people crossing the street, among a long list of safety equipment.
When it comes to power, the new GLA comes with either a 1.3-liter mill (co-developed with Renault) that’s good for 161hp and 250Nm of torque that’s paired with a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox in the GLA 200, a 2.0-liter turbocharged gas motor that puts out 221hp and 350Nm, mated to an 8-speed dual clutch tranny—enabling it to do the 0-100kph run in 8.6 seconds in the GLA250 and GLA 250 4Matic models, a diesel mill, or a plug-in hybrid version.
Those that want more oomph can go for the AMG GLA 35 with a more potent 2.0-liter turbo four with 302hp and 40Nm, hooked up to an 8-speed gearbox, doing the rest to the century mark in 5 seconds. This one comes with 4Matci all-wheel drive.
But if that still isn’t enough, you may want to hold off for either the AMG GLA 45 or 45 S models. The former gets 382hp and 480Nm while the latter produces 416 horses and 500Nm of twist.
The new 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLA should be available in the second quarter of 2020.
