Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class: India Review

India’s love affair with the SUV is well known. With the ‘bigger is better’ syndrome deeply rooted in the Indian car buyer’s psyche, the SUV has always been at the pinnacle. Recently, the compact SUV though has been the hottest moving thing in the Indian car segment with nearly everyone scampering to get a piece of the pie. In the luxury compact SUV segment though the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1 had it pretty much to themselves with no real competition from anyone else. Mercedes-Benz in particular had a huge gap in their product portfolio by not being present in that segment…..until now. The GLA-Class then is Merc’s answer to the Q3 and the X1. So how does it fare?

Exterior styling

What classifies as an SUV today is quite a grey area. Just like most modern SUVs the GLA is based on a truly multi purpose platform. Sharing DNA with the likes of the A-Class, B-Class and CLA-Class, the GLA is essentially a front-wheel-drive compact SUV that seems to integrate a coupe-ish profile without any fuss. There is no denying the fact that the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class is by far the best looking car in its segment.

The large two-slat front grille finished in a shade of matte-silver combined with chrome inserts and a large three-pointed-star gives the front fascia a sporty look. The lower bumper too gets the same matte-silver treatment that completes the luxury-cum-practicality look. The large headlamps, inspired from the likes of the A-Class and finished with a fibre-optic daytime running light and a large projector headlamp.

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As we mentioned earlier, the GLA-Class has a coupe-ish look to its side profile. That combined with the large 18-inch wheels that come as standard make the GLA look mature and purposeful. The GLA also gets a set of diamond finished 19-inch wheels, a first of its kind in the segment. Around the back though is where the GLA really shines. The large LED tail lamps light up like a Christmas tree in the night and the wide fenders lend an extremely planted look to the car. The GLA’s twin trapezoidal exhaust tips completes the look of this luxury compact SUV.

Score: 4.5/5

Interior & space

The interior, shared with the likes of the A-Class and B-Class is typically classy and sporty. The centrally mounted screen combined with the three large air-conditioning vents lends an aeronautic touch to the GLA’s interior. The AC-vents though have been slightly updated with more intrinsic styling elements embedded into them. The GLA also comes standard with a huge panoramic roof and sunroof package that gives the cabin an airy feel. One can opt for three interior color packages. The all-black version with a silver accent piece running from left to right, looks mature and goes well with the silver accent on the steering wheel. On the other hand, the all-beige and the black-beige combination interior options look classy and will surely appeal to the Indian customer.

The GLA-Class comes with electric seats for both the driver and the passenger. While one can choose a black interior package, the more popular beige version makes the car feel airier and larger on the inside. Although there is a decent amount of legroom in the back seats, we found a severe lack of under thigh support. This factor would make the passengers in the back of the GLA feel rather uncomfortable on longer road trips.

Score: 3/5

Features & Equipment

The Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class comes loaded with everything you might want from a luxury compact SUV in today’s day and age. The typically Mercedes-Benz centre console with the inbuilt telephone and audio controls does look a little outdated although they do their job well. With additional features like a reverse camera, parking sensors and GPS-navigation, the GLA is right at par with everything else in its segment. The GLA also comes with safety features like tyre pressure monitoring sensors, attention assist and seven airbags.

Mercedes-Benz’s Command system that controls all the function on the main infotainment screen is as good as ever and offers the driver and the passengers an intuitive experience. That said, we did find the infotainment screen to be slightly smaller than what we could have expected and as with the A-Class and B-Class, a slight after though on the part of the designers.

Score: 3.5/5

Ride and ease of driving

The Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class gets electro-mechanical power steering offering the best of both a conventional mechanical or hydraulic steering setup and the new age electronic power steering systems. As of now, the GLA will only be offered with a front wheel drive option with a 4Matic (all-wheel-drive) version coming soon. With a turning radius of 11.8 metres, the GLA turns nicely in tight spaces too.

The Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class is aimed straight at a younger audience like all other MFA platform cars. This means that the suspension is slightly on the stiffer side, which in turn does tend to compromise on ride comfort. Over undulated roads, the stiff suspension combined with the bigger wheels did feel a tad bit uncomfortable and bouncy. That said, the joys of a stiffer suspension come to play on smoother surface. But more on that later.

Score: 3/5

Engines & performance

The Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class gets two engines. The petrol, badged GLA200 comes with a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged, direct injection engine making 184PS of peak power at 5500rpm and 300Nm of peak torque between 1200-4000rpm. This Euro 6 compliant engine will be capable of propelling the GLA200 from 0-100kmph in a claimed 7.6 seconds on to a top speed of 205kmph. Not only does the petrol engine feel brisk when you put your foot down, power delivery seems instantaneous and linear. As a bonus, the petrol engined GLA sounds fantastic especially passed 5000rpm with just a hint of turbo whistle between gear changes.

India though predominantly is a diesel driven market, and the GLA will come with a 2.1-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine. Badged the GLA200 CDI, the engine produces 136PS of peak power between 3600-4400rpm and 300Nm of peak torque between 1400-3000rpm. With a top speed of 205kmph and a claimed 0-100 time of 9.9-seconds, the diesel is substantially slower than the sportier petrol. That said, the GLA diesel feels much more drivable than the A-Class or B-Class diesel with oodles of fuss-free power and torque delivery. Although both engines are rated at the same level in terms of torque, the diesel seems to have more poke especially lower down in the rev range.

Both the petrol and diesel engines will be mated to Mercedes-Benz’s tried and tested 7G-DCT automatic transmission with a dual clutch setup. Although we initially expected only the petrol to get paddle shifters like the A-Class and B-Class, we were pleasantly surprised to see both the petrol and diesel getting them as a part of standard equipment.

Score: 4/5

Handling & braking

As we mentioned earlier, the GLA-Class does seem a little stiffer than its rivals. Although that does have a negative effect on ride comfort, it has a hugely positive effect on handling finesse. If there was ever a car to highlight the ‘sport’ part of a sports utility vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class is it. Although the larger 18-inch wheels combined with the 235/50 R18 tyres does lend to some of the handling prowess of the GLA, its real ability is more than skin deep.

The Mercedes-Benz GLA features a McPherson front axle and an independent multilink rear suspension. This translates to flat and precise cornering abilities combined with the ability to take corners at higher speeds than one would usually expect. The large front and rear disc brakes combined with safety systems like ABS, EBD, ESP and traction control also help make the GLA-Class a very competent handler indeed. Ground clearance has also been addressed specifically for the Indian GLA-Class with 183mm on offer, nearly 30mm more than its international counterparts.

Score: 4.5/5

Price and Fuel efficiency

Although Mercedes-Benz has not really announced the pricing of the GLA-Class, expect them to aim straight at the likes of the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1 with it. While the diesel version should be priced at just under Rs 30 lakh, expect the petrol to be priced slightly higher at about Rs 31-32 lakh (ex-showroom). Not only will the GLA-Class make great value at this price point, it is also quite frugal to run.

According to ARAI tests, the diesel Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 CDI offers a staggering 17.9kmpl whereas the petrol GLA 200 will offer an equally impressive 13.8kmpl.

Score: 4/5

Verdict

The Mercedes-Benz GLA is not only the most important car Mercedes-Benz will launch this year, we believe it will be the most important car Mercedes-Benz will launch for a while. With the new C-Class and the stunning CLA-Class on its way to India soon, the only thing Mercedes-Benz will really have to be worried about is the GLA cannibalising traditional sedan customers with the lure and aura of a multipurpose platform like a compact SUV.

Should the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1 be worried about the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class wooing audiences in a way they have never had to worry about in the past? Considering the fact that the GLA offers good performance, handing and interior trim while managing to look as good as it does, the answer is a resounding YES!

And if that’s not all, Mercedes-Benz India have also announced that they will launch the GLA45 AMG very soon. If that wasn’t enough, it will followed by an all-wheel-drive version of the GLA with an even more powerful diesel engine.

Score: 4/5