Skip to content
Posted by Leo Nulty News

ON THE ROAD – IAN LYNAS PREVIEWS THE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ GLA

The smallest SUV in the Mercedes-Benz line-up is the GLA, which first appeared in 2013 at a motor show in China. Earlier generations offered the choice of two or four wheel drive in a choice of trim levels. It’s worth noting that GL stands for Gelandewagon, the German for off road vehicle. Nissan in the USA marketed a restyled variant of the GLA through its Infiniti brand as the Q30 and QX30, for a short period of time.

Now comes news of the next generation of the GLA; combining a lower silhouette, longer wheelbase and an illuminated iconic grille for a distinctly sporty and confident presence. The completely redesigned interior brings more light, space and refinement to every journey, with a panoramic roof, a large MBUX Superscreen and premium materials. Intelligent technologies, including the MBUX Virtual Assistant powered by generative AI, enable natural interaction and personalised support.

At launch, customers can choose between three fully electric variants with further high-tech electrified combustion models to follow. The new GLA brings together striking design, advanced technology and everyday practicality in a way that makes urban mobility feel more confident, more intuitive and more exciting. Owners of the current GLA will welcome more headroom and legroom in every seat and more space for luggage thanks to the spacious interior, a versatile boot and a 107 litre frunk. Towing capacity is up to two tonnes with the 4MATIC versions. With all wheel drive, the TERRAIN driving mode and the transparent bonnet function delivers safety off road; mind you I reckon very few will venture off road with their new GLA.

Good news re range, up to 657 kilometres (408 miles) and thanks to 800 volt technology the new GLA can be recharged with up to 270 (168 miles) additional kilometres of range in a mere ten minutes. For those who prefer to stay away from the electric highway the new GLA will be offered with a high tech electrified combustion variant with 48 volt technology and a state of art internal combustion engine which can drive purely on electric power in urban situations, coast along rural roads and recover energy in every gear. Mercedes Benz is taking in-car entertainment to the next level, offering customers access to more than 40 apps and an expanding portfolio of premium streaming, sports and video experiences. From YouTube, RIDEVU from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Disney+ with Dolby Atmos support to future additions including the world’s leading sports entertainment platform DAZN and AirPlay video in the car, the latest MBUX Entertainment offering turns every journey into an intuitive, personal and cinematic experience right inside with a dedicated 14-inch display, everything feels intuitive, personal and individually tailored, creating that unmistakable feeling of being at home. For the market launch later this year, customers can choose between three fully electric models. The 165 kW GLA 200 electric has a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a usable energy content of 58 kWh, while the GLA 250+ electric develops an output of 200 kW. The 260 kW GLA 350 4MATIC electric is the sporty top model, it sprints from rest to 100 km/h ^2mph) in 5.4 seconds. Both models are equipped with an NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) battery, which has a usable energy content of 85 kWh. Another model with a 71 kWh NMC battery will follow in early 2027.

The new GLA is certainly a luxury compact SUV, with no doubt a hefty price tag, the price you pay to have that famous badge.

Ian Lynas

Categories

News, On The Road

Tags

, , ,

Leo Nulty View All

Discover more from Motorsport.ie

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading