Photo: Mercedes Benz
Mercedes has officially pulled the curtains off its latest member of the compact car family, a crossover SUV built in the gray area habituated by the Volvo V40 Cross Country, the BMW X1 or the Audi Q3. Set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, the production model stays remarkably true to the concept shown earlier this year.
The GLA-Class is the smallest soft-roader offered by Mercedes and it offers no apologies for what it is and does. It's aimed at younger buyers and shares its platform with the A-Class. The proportions are quite compact (length x width x height 4417 x 1804 x 1494 millimetres), but the GLA still manages to boast impressive loading space, 421 liters of it with the seats down.
When it eventually rolls off the assembly line in Hungary, the GLA will do so with a choice of four engines.
The most basic petrol unit will be fitted to the GLA 200, boasting a 1.5-liter turbo with 156 PS (115 kW) and 250 Nm of torque from just 1250rpm. The bigger GLA 250 is also available with 4Matic and uses a 2-liter turbo engine do deliver the now familiar 211 PS and 350 Nm. Mercedes says this sports of all models will get from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.5 seconds.
However, most people buy crossovers with diesel engines, and the GLA-Class has two of those as well. Both the 200 CDI and 220 CDI use a 2.2-liter turbo engine and boy are available with 4Matic. However, the cheaper 200 CDI only has 136 PS and 300 Nm of torque while the 220 boasts a more impressive 170 PS and 250 Nm of torque.
All engines come standard with start/stop and offer a choice between standard six-speed manual or with a 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission (standard for GLA 250, GLA 220 CDI and the 4MATIC models).
"With the compact GLA we add a fifth attractive SUV variant to the MercedesBenz model portfolio in this constantly growing segment. The GLA impresses mainly with its progressive character and agile handling," says Dr Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing MercedesBenz Cars. "So I am very confident that the GLA with its fascinating design and high everyday practicality will fill many new customers with enthusiasm for the Mercedes-Benz brand."
The GLA will slot into the model range beneath the GLK and will undercut it in terms of price. Not surprisingly, considering how well BMW's X1 is doing in Europe and America, Daimler expects to sell a lot of GLAs, probably over 100,000 in the first full year of sales.
When it eventually rolls off the assembly line in Hungary, the GLA will do so with a choice of four engines.
The most basic petrol unit will be fitted to the GLA 200, boasting a 1.5-liter turbo with 156 PS (115 kW) and 250 Nm of torque from just 1250rpm. The bigger GLA 250 is also available with 4Matic and uses a 2-liter turbo engine do deliver the now familiar 211 PS and 350 Nm. Mercedes says this sports of all models will get from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.5 seconds.
However, most people buy crossovers with diesel engines, and the GLA-Class has two of those as well. Both the 200 CDI and 220 CDI use a 2.2-liter turbo engine and boy are available with 4Matic. However, the cheaper 200 CDI only has 136 PS and 300 Nm of torque while the 220 boasts a more impressive 170 PS and 250 Nm of torque.
All engines come standard with start/stop and offer a choice between standard six-speed manual or with a 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission (standard for GLA 250, GLA 220 CDI and the 4MATIC models).
"With the compact GLA we add a fifth attractive SUV variant to the MercedesBenz model portfolio in this constantly growing segment. The GLA impresses mainly with its progressive character and agile handling," says Dr Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing MercedesBenz Cars. "So I am very confident that the GLA with its fascinating design and high everyday practicality will fill many new customers with enthusiasm for the Mercedes-Benz brand."
The GLA will slot into the model range beneath the GLK and will undercut it in terms of price. Not surprisingly, considering how well BMW's X1 is doing in Europe and America, Daimler expects to sell a lot of GLAs, probably over 100,000 in the first full year of sales.
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