Sunday Drive: Mercedes-Benz GLA 35

Sunday, 17 January 2021

Take a virtual walkaround of the new Mercedes-AMG GLA 35. (Mercedes-Benz supplied footage)

MERCEDES-AMG GLA 35
Base price: $99,900
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol inline-four, 225kW/400Nm, 8-speed dual-clutch automatic, AWD, combined economy 8.0L/100km, CO2 184g/km (source: RightCar)

Outward changes over the standard GLA include the Panamericana grille, blacked-out features and new wheels.

Vital statistics: 4438mm long, 1849mm wide, 1581mm high, 2729mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 435 litres, 20-inch alloy wheels.
Safety: Not tested yet
At a glance: Potent drivetrain and chassis in a small SUV bodyshell results in a nice combination of practicality and performance, although the ride errs on the side of firmness and there’s more road noise than there probably should be.

Boot space here has been nicely bumped over the A-Class base, 430 litres versus 370.

Who should consider it: Young parents unwilling to give up the sports car dream but needing to compromise or those wanting a hot hatch with a higher driving position.

Mercedes-Benz lifted and expanded the A-Class to create the GLA-Class, the first of the new generation arriving here in the second half of 2020. Performance arm AMG also had a go, giving the small SUV its standard ‘35’-tier once-over.

Badges and black bits aside, the twin exhaust pipes are the only visual indication this is an AMG model. Until it starts up, of course.

ON THE OUTSIDE

Compared to the regular GLA range, the GLA 35 doesn’t look massively different. There’s the obvious grille swap to AMG’s Panamericana unit, different wheels, new exhaust tips and ‘AMG’, ‘Turbo 4Matic’ and ‘35’ badging. There’s also the AMG Night Package included as standard, which adds black accents along the beltline, front splitter, wing mirrors, roof rails, side sills and rear apron.

The interior is smart with plenty of luxury creds. But there’s too much road noise and speed and the ride could be softer in Comfort.

* Top luxury SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLS 400d

* Road test review: Mercedes-AMG GLE 53

At the end of the day, this is AMG’s cheapest SUV. That alone will draw in plenty of buyers.

* Special GLC SUV delivery from Mercedes-AMG

This tester was specced with wider tyres than the A 35 hot hatch gets, which helps some with ride comfort and road noise, despite having 20-inch wheels (the A 35 gets 19s).

ON THE INSIDE

It’s a similar story inside, comparing the 35 to the vanilla 250. The most obvious change here is the AMG-spec steering wheel, featuring the twiddly drive mode knob and independent suspension/exhaust mode buttons. Additional bits include brushed aluminium trim, comfort sports seats up front and more leather upholstery.

Changes between the A 35 and the GLA 35 here are largely limited to the boot, which increases in capacity from 370 litres to 430 litres. The seats are also geared more towards comfort than sporty driving, meaning less side bolstering and more cushioning.

UNDER THE BONNET

Like the A 35, the GLA 35 doesn’t get AMG’s hand-built, fully insane 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, that honour being reserved for vehicles graced with the 45 badge. Instead, the lesser AMG uses the same 2.0-litre as found in the 250, though massaged to spit out 225kW and 400Nm of torque.

AMG has also added its sports suspension system with adaptive dampers to adjust the firmness of the ride on the fly, as well as its own tune of 4Matic all-wheel drive. It’s standard fare for those familiar with the current A 35, though the GLA is nearly 150mm taller than the hatch.

ON THE ROAD

Weight has been kept to a trim 1731kg at the kerb, which means this baby SUV is a properly quick thing. It’ll take you around five seconds to clip 100kmh, the eight-speed dual-clutch banging through the cogs with a rather satisfying crackle in Sports Plus. Not too many years ago, this sort of performance was reserved for the spiciest of hot hatches. Having it in a family-friendly SUV is a pretty awesome thing.

Those 20-inch wheels and 255mm-wide slabs of rubber means the GLA 35 hooks into corners with plenty of gusto, helped by a sorted all-wheel drive system and precise steering. You’d be doing well to get either end to break traction… that, or you’re a bit of a moron.

Adaptive damping in the suspension means Sports Plus also ratchets the firmness of the ride right up to “sitting on a plank of wood”. This is great for body control on the racetrack but not so much for patchy Kiwi roads. Unfortunately, Comfort doesn't quite dial it back enough, which means bounces and judders make their way into the cabin all too often. And road noise is simply too high, a crucial metric for suburban SUVs.

Take the GLA 35 inside city limits and it turns into a well-trained dog, trotting by your side. It’s easy to get through tight streets, the steering wheel is easy to spin from lock to lock and there’s lots of space in the cabin. As mentioned, boot space is a healthy 430 litres, enough for most day-to-day bits and bobs.

VERDICT

So, can AMG make a small SUV that also does sporty things?

Mostly. If the ride is sorted, then yes. No one is going to argue with the power and cornering ability of the GLA 35 and it has size, interior space and luxury on its side too. Plus, and this is probably the biggest reason why you’ll see dozens of GLA 35s on the road soon, it’s AMG’s cheapest SUV at $99,900.

If your new car checklist leans more towards practicality than driving thrills, Mercedes-AMG also offers the seven-seater GLB in 35 trim for $112,990. A step down gets you the GLB 250 for the same price as the GLA 35.