The new Mercedes-Benz GLA, the eighth model to join the line-up, rounds off the current compact car generation from Mercedes-Benz. At the same time it represents the entry level into the brand’s successful family of SUV models.
The character has been significantly reinforced here compared with the previous model: the height of the new GLA, at 1611 millimetres (1616 with roof rails), exceeds that of its predecessor by more than ten centimetres. The correspondingly higher and characteristic SUV seating position also comes with more headroom in the first row. Legroom in the rear is likewise much more generous – even though the GLA is now one and a half centimetres shorter.
Typical off-road design features include the upright front section, short overhangs at the front and rear, and protective cladding all round. 4MATIC models feature the Off-Road Engineering Package as standard. This comprises an additional driving program, a downhill driving assist function and an off-road animation in the media display, along with, in combination with MULTIBEAM LED headlamps, a special light function for off-road driving.
The new Mercedes-Benz GLA makes a further step in terms of safety courtesy of its driving assistance systems with cooperative driver support. The enhanced functions of the Driving Assistance Package include, for example, the turning manoeuvre function, the emergency corridor function, the exit warning function alerting the driver to approaching cyclists or vehicles, and a warning when pedestrians are detected near zebra crossings. The GLA is able to react when the driver doesn’t.
Active Brake Assist is charged in many situations with applying autonomous braking to avoid a collision or to reduce its severity. The system can also brake at a speed of up to approx. 60 km/h for stationary vehicles and pedestrians crossing the road ahead. Depending on the situation this even prevents collisions up to a speed of 50 km/h. The new GLA is set to arrive at European dealerships in the spring of 2020.
With powerful and efficient four-cylinder engines, the latest driving assistance systems with cooperative driver support, the MBUX infotainment system with intuitive operation as well as the comprehensive ENERGIZING comfort control, the new model has all the strengths of the current generation of compacts from Mercedes-Benz.
“The launch of the new GLA marks the culmination of a complete renewal of our family of compact cars”, says Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales. “The high demand for our SUVs shows that we can offer the right model for all of our customers here. Reflecting customer demand, these include two off-road models, the GLB and GLA, which complement each other perfectly: the GLB is the most functional and most spacious representative of our compact class family, while the new GLA is positioned as its sporty brother and as a lifestyle-oriented SUV.”
“The new GLA embodies the perfect synergy between pure beauty and robust off-road elements”, according to Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler Group. “With it, we are carrying the dynamic SUV forward into the future of modern luxury.”
The new Mercedes-Benz GLA will make its debut in Europe in the spring of 2020 and find its way to our sales partners in the USA and China in the early summer or summer of 2020. Thanks to this global sales coverage Mercedes-Benz anticipates that, calculated across its full life cycle, the GLA will become one of the brand’s most popular compact class models, only just behind the A-Class. With a cd figure that starts at 0.28, the GLA offers very low wind resistance.
The new GLA combines the best from the two highest-volume segments, the compact cars and the SUVs. The SUVs are a major structural pillar in the Mercedes-Benz product portfolio and now represent the highest-volume segment for Mercedes-Benz. To date, more than six and a half million customers around the world have opted for a Mercedes-Benz SUV.
The Mercedes-Benz GLA is produced in Rastatt (Germany), for the local market, in Beijing (China).
