Can this facelift on the Mercedes GLA keep it fresh enough to consider?
Exterior – Front
So, lets start with the styling and if you have watched my Mercedes A Class and B Class as well as GLE Facelift review then you will most likely know that this will be the same story. New Headlights, grill and bumper. Well on the GLA it is like any other current Mercedes Facelift. we get a new grill with the new Mercedes Star mesh pattern on it. We get a new set of headlights with new Daytime Running Light graphics in it and to finish it off we get a new bumper design with more aggressive side vents that makes the car look more AMG than ever before.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side the changes are minimal and have just been kept to new wheel and colour options.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back and just like the A Class the changes are minimal. We get a set of new taillights that are like the A Class but apart from that, that’s it. We get the e bumpers as before with fake exhausts though which is a shame, but it is the same on every other Mercedes. Let’s have a look at the engine options that you can have with the new Mercedes GLA.
Car and engine specs and price
So, for the Mercedes GLA you can have Petrol Hybrid, Diesel, or Petrol Plug in Hybrid. The petrol mild hybrid engines are new for the facelift. Let’s start with the Petrol Hybrid engines. To start with you can have the GLA 200. This is a 1.3 litre turbo engine with 161 bhp but with the hybrid assistance you can get an extra 12 bhp like any other mild hybrid Mercedes. 0-62 is delt within 8.9 seconds which is good also and power goes through a 7-speed automatic and is sent to the front wheels. For the diesel range you can have the 200d. this uses a 2-litre turbo engine which has 148 bhp and can do 0-62 in 8.8 seconds. This uses an 8-speed automatic gearbox and power is sent to the front wheels. Next up is the 220d 4MATIC. This uses the same 2 litre turbo engine, but the power has been increased to 188 bhp. power is sent though an 8-speed gearbox but this time it goes to all 4 wheels making it 4-wheel drive. 0-62 is delt within 7.5 seconds which isn’t bad. Finally let’s have a look at the plug-in hybrid option called 250e. this uses the 1.3 litre turbo petrol engine and a electric motor making 216 bhp. this goes through an 8-speed automatic powering the front wheels. You can do about 43 miles in it which is an increase of about 5 miles. The price of the Mercedes GLA starts at £37,625. Let’s have a look at the interior.
Interior – Design
Now getting inside the GLA and you are welcomed with the same changes as the A Class. This means you get the newer Mercedes steering wheel with touch sensitive buttons as well as the newer MBUX 2.0 without the touchpad which is slightly annoying as it made using the system easier to use on the move. You also get some new materials but apart from that everything is the same. To be honest I don’t mind as the interior of the GLA as it does feel premium for a cheaper Mercedes, and it does feel better than the ageing Audi, but it is not as good as the new BMW and Range Rover. Let’s have a look at the practicality.
Practicality
So, getting into the back of the Mercedes GLA and practicality is possibly one of the best in its class with plenty of legroom and headroom. You can even slide your feet under the seat which is rare in a car like this. You also get an arm rest and some air vents too. You can also sit 3 in the back in comfort.
Boot Size
Opening the boot to the Mercedes GLA and you are welcomed with 485 litres of boot space which is quite good. It is bigger than the Evoque and Q2 but smaller than the BMW. With the seats down you get 1,420 litres. If you go for the plug-in hybrid model, then the boot space does get reduced but not by a silly amount like another Mercedes. In the GLA it only reduces to 445 litres which is still a useable amount.
Summary
So, what do I think of the Mercedes GLA. Well, it is a decent car and with the facelift it does improve on some points whilst making the car look more modern and sportier. Would I choose this over a Range Rover Evoque and BMW X1, maybe not but I would consider it more than before possibly putting it ahead of the Range Rover but only slightly.
Exterior 3/5
Interior 3/5
Practicality 4/5
Total 10/15
Model | Mercedes GLA 200 AMG-Line Premium Mild Hybrid |
Engine | 1.3 Litre Turbo, 161bhp +12bhp, 0-62 = 8.9 Seconds, Front Wheel Drive |
Trnasmission | Automatic 7 Speed |
Price | £42,715 |
On Sale | Now |
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