Während Mercedes A-Class 2018 will bring a new edition, the technology brother GLA must still stick to 2020. In order to remain attractive for the next three years, the compact SUV has now undergone a rejuvenation.
The innovations are subtle. Changed bumper and grill, there are new alloy wheels and LED lights replace the previous xenon lights. Inside, Mercedes went into detail and improved the quality. These include chrome-plated controls, new decor elements and fabrics. The ease of use has also been increased. New is a hands-free access to the trunk: a foot swivel under the bumper is sufficient and the tailgate opens or closes.
Also new is an 360-grade camera, in which very detailed pictures of the surroundings are shown. At the push of a button there is also a complete view from above. A total of four cameras generate this virtual top view.
Eleven drives with a performance range from 90 to 381 PS are available. As before, the range of diesels ranges from 180 d with 80 kW / 109 PS (from 31.952 Euro) to 220 d 4MATIC (130 kW / 170 PS, from 40.686 Euro). The GLA 220 4Matic has been added to the petrol series. The 135 kW / 184 PS strong two-liter turbo unit is forcibly married to all-wheel drive and an 7 dual-clutch transmission and is said to consume 6,5 liters according to the standard. Cost point: around 37.000 euros. The cheapest option is still the around 29.000 Euro expensive GLA 180 - that are about 1.000 Euro more than before. (Michael Specht / SP-X)