Features
11 Dec 19

Mercedes GLA 2020 adds strong SUV flavour

Daimler has just revealed the all-new Mercedes GLA during an entirely digital press event. The smallest crossover in the OEMs line-up is now more of an SUV than a high-riding A-Class. It is an astonishing 10cm taller than the first-generation model – which is good news for the headroom and the surround view for the passengers. At the same time, it boasts a Cd value of just 0.28, proof of a job well done in the wind tunnel. It looks sturdier, too, with its powerful nose, muscular bonnet, 3cm longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs.

The seating position is now higher and more upright than in the previous model, leading to a more commanding, SUV-like feeling. As to the interior design, people familiar with the new A-Class won’t feel alienated. Included as standard is the MBUX infotainment system. The powerful computer, brilliant screens and graphics, customisable presentation, full-colour head-up display, navigation with augmented reality, learning software, and voice control activated with the prompt ”Hey Mercedes” are the key advantages of the system.

Petrol, diesel, plug in hybrid

Also carried over from the A-Class is the wide range of four-cylinder combustion engines. The entry-level GLA 200 is powered by a 1.33-litre petrol unit with cylinder deactivation (129 g/km) putting 120kW on the front wheels.

Fleet managers with CO2 targets will be happy to learn that the plug-in hybrid 250e derivative (which is already available in the A- and the B-Class) will also appear in the catalogue,although probably not before the end of 2020. In the case of the B250e, this plug-in hybrid powertrain comprises the aforementioned 1.33 petrol engine, an 8-speed automatic transmission, a 15.6-kWh battery pack and a 100hp electric motor.

Moreover, the new GLA will also form the basis for the upcoming all-electric EQA – the EQC’s baby brother. That explains the higher ride of the GLA: the batteries need to fit in the platform.

The new GLA will make its debut in Europe in the spring of 2020 and find its way to the brand's sales partners in the USA and China in the early summer or summer of 2020.

Authored by: Dieter Quartier