Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Step inside the cabin of the Mercedes-Benz GLA, and while it might not look as new age and futuristic as the cabins of the other new-generation cars from Mercedes-Benz, it still feels modern and premium enough to justify its premium positioning.

The driver’s cockpit welcomes you with a nice-in-feel Y-themed multifunctional steering wheel, with a pod-like instrument console with a nice looking MID in between the round dials. The layered theme for the upper part of the dashboard comes with soft-touch plastics and at the centre of the dashboard sits a free-standing infotainment screen.

The lower portion of the centre console has a nice propeller-like round AC vents, below which sits the control panel for the infotainment system. Below this sits the panel for the automatic climate control, which is a not too ergonomically positioned.

Given that it is a Mercedes-Benz product despite its smaller price tag and size, the GLA is packed with premium comfort and convenience features to the tee. However, what comes out as a major disappointment is the cramped seating at the rear, with the limited knee room and legroom making it a place best for two people at the back.

The Mercedes-Benz GLA creates a sort of mixed bag of opinions when you see it for the first in actual – while there is no doubt that it is a stylish looking vehicle, it doesn’t look surely an SUV as how the company brands it. The low slung stance and sloping bonnet makes it look more like a jacked-up hatchback.

Having the quintessential Mercedes-Benz front fascia, the Mercedes-Benz GLA has a trapezoidal front grille with rounded edges, which comes with two thick slats of chrome having a studded design, with the large three-pointed star logo in between. The headlamps cool with their tooth-shaped design having LED projectors and inverted L-shaped daytime running LEDs. The skid plate at the bottom of the front grille adds some brawny appeal to the front.

It is from the sides when one can sense the hatchback like stance in the Mercedes-Benz GLA, thanks to the low roofline and sloping bonnet. However, in profile, the GLA looks stylish with smooth curves flowing over the rounded wheel arches.

There is much influence of rounded design elements at the rear of the Mercedes-Benz GLA, with the LED tail lamps having rounded edges and the scooped style for the rear roof-mounted spoiler. The thick looking silver skid plate on the rear bumper adds to the rugged appeal of the SUV.

The Macpherson struts at the front and torsion beam at the rear of the Mercedes-Benz GLA are tuned for optimum agility, which shows up in the way it handles and rides. The ride quality is on a stiffer side, though not comfortable, and the multiple drive modes do make things easy on the go.

The Singapore-spec Mercedes Benz GLA is a petrol-only model, with the SUV being offered with two turbocharged petrol engine options. The more affordable GLA 180 is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine which makes 122 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque. The more premium and powerful GLA 250 gets a bigger 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine which produces 211 PS of power and 350 Nm of torque. Both engines are paired to a 7-speed DCT as standard.

The Mercedes-Benz GLA gets some premium safety kit on board, like the front, side, and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, pre-safe occupant protection package, blind spot assist, lane keep assist, distance pilot and attention assist.

The Mercedes-Benz GLA might not be a practical SUV, to begin with, with cramped rear-seat space and stiff ride quality limiting its daily usability. However, for those who live to be behind the steering wheel and admire beauty over the traditional SUV stance, the GLA is a good car to begin your luxury motoring with.