Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class Revealed

To compete with the recent wave of subcompact German crossovers, the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, Mercedes decided to jack-up its hatchback A-Class to form the GLA-Class. A concept version previewed the GLA earlier this year, and the GLA will officially debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The GLA-Class is only 173.9 inches long, 71 inches wide, and 58.8 inches tall. That makes it very small; it is 4.4 inches shorter and 8.1 shorter than Mercedes' compact GLK-Class crossover.

While the GLA-Class is small in size, it does not have a modest personality. The exterior styling is best described as extroverted, with dramatic curves and bold shapes. I might also think it's cluttered and a mess, but others might think differently. 18-inch wheels are standard, and 19-inch wheels can be had as well.

The interior, thankfully, is much more conservative. While I don't think the round air vents match the design, they do give off a high-quality air. The dashboard can be trimmed with aluminum, glossy wood, or matte wood. The seats are upholstered with MB-Tex fake leather in the base version, and genuine leather is optional.

Powering the GLA is Mercedes-Benz's 2-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. It is good for 208 horsepower and 258 pounds-feet of torque in this application. The new, lighter, more efficient, and smarter 2nd-generation 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system is available, but front-wheel-drive is standard. The 4MATIC GLA can accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 6.4 seconds and hit a top speed of 145 miles per hour, according to Mercedes. Fuel-economy ratings will be released later, but there is a standard Eco mode than can improve efficiency.

The Attention Assist drowsy driver alert, a collision avoidance system, and braking assist system are all standard safety equipment on the GLA. Optional is a new feature for Mercedes, Collision Prevention Assist. It can automatically put on the brakes on at speeds up to 124 miles per hour is a collision is detected. If the object you are about to crash against is not moving, then the feature will only activate itself at speeds up to 18 miles per hour. Many other active safety features are on the options list.

No pricing has been spoken for the GLA, though you can except it to start the the low $30000 range. The 4MATIC version goes on sale first in the fall of 2014, while the front-wheel-drive version arrives in early 2015.

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