Today we have brought you the review of a luxury car Mercedes Benz GLA. This series has proved to be quite successful for the company. Between 2014 and 2019, 10% of Mercedes-Benz India sales came from GLA only. The company has brought its second-gen model in May. It has become taller than before, has increased space and now it has an SUV-like feel. But, for those who want to buy it, how practical the Mercedes-Benz GLA will be, today we are going to know in this review.
Exterior
As soon as you see the front design of the car, you understand that this is a Mercedes SUV. It gets the same grille as the rest of the company’s vehicles, with a large Mercedes logo, and chrome pinheads. It has LED high performance headlamps with DRL. The side profile gets 19-inch 5 spoke alloy wheels, turn indicators on the ORVMs, large window glasses, as well as chrome.
At the rear, you have been given LED taillights, which come in a two-piece design. It gets rear wiper, dual exhaust, variant name and Mercedes logo in the middle. You can open its tailgate with the key or the button given in the diver-side door. You get 435 liters of boot space in the GLA. The special thing is that it gets the facility to turn it off electrically. Talking about the dimensions, its length is 4436mm, width is 2020mm, height is 1611mm and wheelbase is 2729mm.
interior
The interior of the car is really impressive. As soon as you look from inside, you start getting the luxury feeling in the car. It has a 10.25 inch touchscreen display. It also supports voice assistant with Android Auto and Apple Car Play. You can control this display in three ways. You can use it as a touchscreen, as well as a track pad has been given for it and in Mercedes’ language it is called command system. The third way is that you can also operate it through the controls given on the left side of the steering.
It has a fully digital instrument cluster, which I personally find very beautiful. You can also customize it according to you. Its controls are found on the right side on the steering itself. The tubular air bents given in the interior make the interior of the car more stylish. Another interesting thing I found is the 64-colour ambient lighting, which looks very beautiful at night. You can also adjust its colors as per your choice.
If you haven’t been a Mercedes user before, it may take time to get used to its functions. For instance, you can find the seat adjustment controls on the doors. It should also be noted that the facility of seat adjustment is available for both the driver and the co-passenger. Secondly, the lever to change gears is not given in the center console, but the gear shifter has been given in the right side of the steering. Near this you find the headlight control knob. On the left side of the steering, you get the turn indicator and controls for the wipers.
Talking about other features, you have been given connected car technology, wireless charging, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate controls, reading lamps, front handrest with large storage and extremely comfortable seats. The IRVM it has, it looks a little more simple in appearance. It could have been designed a little better. One more thing, C-type ports have been provided for mobile charging in the car, the USB charging port is missing in it.
In the previous generation GLA, the space of the second Raw was quite congested. But this time you won’t have any complaints. It gets enough leg room and head room. Under-thigh support is also good. You can also place your feet under the front seat. For your comfort, it also gets a rear handrest with cup holders, AC vents, charging ports and a sunroof. The special thing is that you can also move the rear seats forward, which increases the boot space. However, it would have been better if a separate climate zone was given for rear seat passengers.
Engine and performance
The new GLA is powered by the same 1.3-litre turbo petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engines as the A-Class Limousine. The petrol engine generates 165PS of power and 250Nm of torque. At the same time, the diesel engine is of 190PS power and 400Nm peak torque. We have driven the diesel variant available in the 220d 4Matic variant. It comes with 8-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT).
It gets four driving modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Individual. You get more mileage in Eco mode, while Sports mode is for better quick response. Comfort mode is a mixture of these two. Its DCT gearbox gives you good performance along with good mileage. At the same time, if you want to gearshift according to your own, then paddle shifters are also available in it. Not only is it very comfortable to drive, but you also get a different confidence. The suspension setup also does its job well. Overall, it’s fun to drive.
Our Verdict
It is an entry-level Mercedes-Benz that offers space and comfort with stylish interiors and a powerful engine. It is fun to drive, as well as the material quality of the interior is also good. However, it seems to be missing some features like ventilated seats, separate climate control for rear passengers, and better boot space. But, if your budget is around 50 lakhs and you are looking for a compact luxury SUV then the new Mercedes GLA is a great option.
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