Velvet Magazine June 2017

Motoring
Introducing
The Mercedes GLA
This is the new Mercedes-Benz GLA, although you might not be
able to tell. As is the trend in Stuttgart these days, the revisions
made to the GLA to keep it fresh are pretty subtle - there’s a new
pair of bumpers and some LED headlights. That’s really about it,
but there was never a great deal wrong with the car in the first
place, as long as your expectations were well managed.
That’s because the GLA might look like a tough SUV, ready
to kick sand into the face of any ordinary hatchback, but it’s
actually, well, an ordinary hatchback. Yes, it’s been jacked up on
its suspension a little (and the 2017 cars ride 30mm higher than
the old model) but it’s really a Mercedes-Benz A-Class with some
muscular cladding on the bodywork.
There’s a nod to some off-road ability, with the inclusion of hill
descent control - this electronically keeps the car under a set
speed when descending steep inclines - and there’s a four-wheel
drive 4Matic option, but the GLA is best suited to the tarmac.
On the straight and narrow it’s arguably a little firm, but UK
buyers generally like the sporty feeling that provides. The longer
suspension means it tends to remain a little fiddly over the
small bumps and cracks in road surfaces, but it absorbs longer
undulations without any issue. Switch the adaptive suspension
to Sport mode and the GLA becomes quite engaging on more
interesting roads, with body roll kept well in check and plenty of
grip being offered from wide wheels. Before it succumbs to the
laws of physics, electronic wizardry starts controlling power and
braking to each individual wheel, helping ensure the GLA remains
on the right side of the scenery.
The 200d is powered by Mercedes’ well-versed 2.1-litre diesel
engine and the company’s engineers have managed to squeeze
plenty of useable power from the unit. There’s 134bhp that’s
enough for a nine second sprint to 62mph. It also reduces its fuel
use significantly; officially, 65.5mpg is possible, but this writer has
seen results far better than that on a gentle motorway run.
On the inside of the car lies a couple more updates. It’s much as
it used to be, which means a solid and upmarket dashboard that
adds a sense of occasion missing from its German rivals, but now
with added bling and redesigned instruments. There’s an iPad-like
infotainment screen stuck high up on the centre stack, bringing
sat-nav instructions or other information right up to the driver’s
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Velvet Magazine | June 2017