The Mercedes-Benz GLA is a
subcompact luxury crossover SUV
Subcompact crossover SUV is an automobile segment used to describe the smallest segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, below the compact crossover SUV. Subcompact crossover SUVs are usually based on a platform of a subcompact ...
manufactured and marketed by
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
over two generations. It is essentially the SUV equivalent of the
A-Class, and the smallest SUV marketed by the brand. The production version was revealed in August 2013 ahead of the
2013 Frankfurt Auto Show in September 2013.
The GLA is powered by a range of petrol and diesel 4-cylinder engines, and comes in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the latter marketed by Mercedes as
4Matic.
The GLA nameplate aligns with Mercedes SUV nomenclature, where GL stands for Geländewagen (German for
off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle, sometimes referred to as an overland or adventure vehicle, is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with dee ...
) and the A designates its overall place in the Mercedes range, in this class, the smallest or
A-Class.
Concept models
Concept GLA (2013)
The Concept GLA debuted in the 2013
Auto Shanghai
Auto Shanghai (), officially known as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (), is a biennial international automobile show that alternates with the Beijing Auto Show (Auto China) as China's yearly international automotive ...
and is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine rated , 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, driving all wheels via the Mercedes-Benz
4Matic system. The concept included front headlamps with a laser-beam projector, two cameras housed in the front roof rail, 20-inch wheels and fibre-optic ambient interior lighting.
Concept GLA 45 AMG (2013)
The Concept GLA 45 AMG concept car was unveiled at the
2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, as a high-performance version of the GLA with an AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-scroll turbocharged petrol engine rated and , 4Matic all wheel drive, AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed transmission with paddle shifters, and fitted with various AMG-badged accoutrements and an AMG sports exhaust system with an electronically controlled variable vane system to modulate the exhaust note.
Concept GLA 45 AMG (2016)
The 2016 Concept GLA 45 AMG with an AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-scroll turbocharged petrol engine rated and , 4Matic all wheel drive, AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed transmission with paddle shifters, and fitted with various AMG-badged accoutrements and an AMG sports exhaust system with an electronically controlled variable vane system to modulate the exhaust note.
First generation (X156; 2013)
The production X156 GLA is closely based on the Concept GLA design and was unveiled at the
2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. Orders had been taken beginning from the end of November 2013, and arrived in dealer showrooms during 2014, with Japan and US in the autumn.
At launch, Mercedes-Benz claimed the vehicle was the most aerodynamic in its segment, with a Cd figure of 0.29. The GLA’s platform makes use of a strut-type front suspension and a
multi-link rear setup, and an electric power steering.
Nissan marketed a restyled variant of the GLA from 2016 to 2019 through its Infiniti brand in North America as the
Infiniti Q30
The Infiniti Q30 is a subcompact executive car built and sold by Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand between 2016 and 2019. The Q30 is built on the third-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class platform to create a small, premium hatchback. The Q30 is a resu ...
and
QX30, sharing the GLA mechanicals with revised exterior sheet metal. The Infiniti derivatives were produced between 2016 and 2019.
File:Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 CDI Urban (X 156) – Heckansicht, 30. August 2014, Düsseldorf.jpg, 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 CDI Urban (pre-facelift)
File:2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 AMG Line CDi 4MATIC 2.1 Front.jpg, 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 (pre-facelift)
File:2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 AMG Line CDi 4MATIC 2.1 Rear.jpg, 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 (pre-facelift)
File:Mercedes-Benz GLA180 Sports (X156) interior.JPG, Interior
Facelift
Mercedes unveiled a mid-life facelift of the GLA at the
Detroit Motor Show
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. I ...
in January 2017. The updated model came with some cosmetic tweaks on the outside, including a redesigned grille, new front and rear bumpers and updated 18-inch alloy wheels. Moreover, the bi-xenon headlamps of the previous models were replaced by all LED units, while the taillights too were all LED and got a new design pattern. A new Canyon Beige colour option was also added. The interiors carried forward the same dashboard layout, though the infotainment system received a new 8.0-inch screen that was located on top of the centre console in a free-standing layout.
File:2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 180 (X 156) wagon (2018-07-19) 01.jpg, 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 180 (facelift)
File:2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 180 (X 156) wagon (2018-07-19) 02.jpg, 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 180 (facelift)
File:2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 220 AMG Line Exclusive Diesel 4MATIC 2.1 Front.jpg, 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 220 (facelift)
File:2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 220 AMG Line Exclusive Diesel 4MATIC 2.1 Rear.jpg, 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 220 (facelift)
GLA 45 AMG
The design of GLA 45 AMG is based on Concept GLA 45 AMG, with AMG sports suspension (
MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
front axle with stiffer steering knuckles, four-link rear axle, optimised elastokinematics, specially tuned spring/damper units, bigger anti-roll bars), electromechanical AMG speed-sensitive sports steering, AMG high-performance braking system (ventilated, cross-drilled brake discs with grey- or red-painted brake calipers), 3-stage ESP with "SPORT Handling" mode, ESP
Curve Dynamic Assist, 5-twin-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels painted titanium grey with high-sheen finish and 235/45 R19 tyres (optional 10-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels in 2 a choice of 2 colours (titanium grey with high-sheen finish, matt black with high-sheen rim flange) 235/40 R 20 tyres), AMG front apron with front splitter in matt titanium grey, AMG 'twin blade' radiator grille in matt titanium grey, black flics (air deflector elements) above the large exterior cooling air intakes, bi-xenon headlamps, side sill panels with titanium grey inserts, 'TURBO AMG' lettering on the front wings and the aluminium roof rails, rear diffuser insert with titanium grey trim, rectangular chrome-plated tailpipe trim at the twin tailpipes.
Launch models of the AMG are sold as "Edition 1", available for one year from market launch, and include a high-gloss black Aerodynamics package with larger front splitter, additional flics in the front apron, and rear aerofoil. The vehicle was unveiled at the
2014 North American International Auto Show with sales from the summer of 2014.
File:Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG.jpg, Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG 4MATIC
File:Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG 4MATIC Edition 1 (X 156) – Frontansicht, 24. Oktober 2015, Münster.jpg, 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG 4MATIC Edition 1
File:Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG 4MATIC Edition 1 (X 156) – Heckansicht, 24. Oktober 2015, Münster.jpg, 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG 4MATIC Edition 1
File:2019 Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC Automatic 2.0.jpg, 2019 Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 facelift
Technical details
The GLA shares its platform with the
A-Class and
B-Class, with a similar range of petrol and diesel engines.
Availability of engines varies between markets.
Engines
Transmissions
Marketing
As part of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
, the two companies released a television commercial featuring
Mario
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
driving a Mercedes-Benz GLA in the Japanese market in May 2014 to coincide with the line's Japanese launch. Additional commercials featuring other ''
Mario
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
'' characters in the same style were released in November 2014, culminating in the GLA becoming a selectable vehicle in ''
Mario Kart 8
is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It features the '' Mario Kart'' series' game mechanics, in which players drive go-karts using ''Mario'' franchise characters in various race formats. Items placed ...
'' and its
Switch port
A network switch (also called switching hub, bridging hub, and, by the IEEE, MAC bridge) is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device.
A netw ...
with Mercedes'
W 25 Silver Arrow and
300 SL Roadster also being included.
Second generation (H247; 2019)
The second generation, introduced on 11 December 2019 at Mercedes media event, is revised from the previous generation. The chassis number, 247, is shared with
W247 B-Class and
X247 GLB. The GLA uses the second generation MFA2 platform and completes the eight-model
W177 A-Class compact based line-up.
The H247 GLA is shorter in length, narrower, higher than the first-generation model, and the wheelbase has been extended by . The H247 GLA has 116 mm more headroom, 45 mm more elbow room and 43 mm more rear shoulder room.
The ground clearance has been raised by 9 mm to 143 mm and the front seats are positioned 140 mm higher than in the W177 A-Class. Despite this, there is an added of front-seat headroom compared to its predecessor.
As with other MFA2-based models, the GLA has suspension with
MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
s up front and either a
torsion beam
The twist-beam rear suspension (also torsion-beam axle, deformable torsion beam or compound crank) is a type of automobile suspension based on a large H or C-shaped member. The front of the H attaches to the body via rubber bushings, and the ...
or
multi-link suspension
A multi-link suspension is a type of vehicle suspension with one or more longitudinal arms. A wider definition can consider any independent suspensions having three control links or more multi-link suspensions. These arms do not have to be of eq ...
at the rear. Variable damping control is optional.
Inside, the GLA is similar to other MFA2 Mercedes models, featuring a dashboard with a free-standing digital display panel, the MBUX infotainment system, as well as other tech such as a colour Heads-Up Display.
A
battery electric version called the Mercedes EQA was introduced in 2020 as the third battery electric SUV from Mercedes-Benz.
File:Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 e AMG Line (H 247) – h 11042021 (exposure adjusted).jpg, Rear view (AMG Line)
File:Mercedes-Benz H247 IMG 3407.jpg, Interior
File:Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 4MATIC (H247) Auto Zuerich 2021 IMG 0269.jpg, Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 4Matic
File:Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S 4MATIC+ (H247) IMG 5888.jpg, Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S 4Matic+
Technical details
Powertrain
The second generation GLA has four petrol and four diesel models at launch. The GLA 250 e plug-in hybrid model was revealed in March 2020.
The model range for the United States is GLA 250, GLA 4MATIC, and Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 4MATIC.
Transmissions
Only GLA 180 and 200 uses 7-speed 7G-DCT automatic transmission while the rest of engine range uses 8-speed 8G-DCT automatic transmission. The GLA 35 4MATIC AMG uses 8-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission. The GLA 250 e 8-speed
automatic 8F-DCT. No manual transmission option is available anymore.
Sales
References
External links
*
{{Mercedes-Benz timeline 2020 to date
GLA-Class
Cars introduced in 2013
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Mini sport utility vehicles
Luxury crossover sport utility vehicles
2020s cars