Mercedes Busts Into Another New Segment With GLA

BURLINGTON, VT – Good looks and a strong brand go a long way, and no automaker has proved this better than Mercedes-Benz. It’s been breaking down barriers and expanding sales and market share in many new U.S. segments, from commercial vans to affordable sedans.

The automaker made a big splash in the U.S. last year when it jumped into the mainstream with the $30,000 CLA sedan and started competing with the likes of the Buick Regal and Volkswagen CC.

Now it’s looking to make an even bigger impact in the red-hot compact CUV market with the GLA, a small ute based on the CLA that has the same 106.3-in. (2,200-mm) wheelbase but is 8.4 ins. (213 mm) shorter and 3.4 ins. (86 mm) taller. All-wheel-drive models are hitting showrooms now; a front-wheel-drive version will be available in the spring.

Despite critics, including WardsAuto, who warned the CLA’s cramped back seat, lackluster interior and stiff option prices might lead to a cool reception at U.S. dealerships, Mercedes says the car is a home run and it can barely keep up with demand. It sold more than 18,000 units in the U.S. through September and dealers have been averaging a 46-days’ supply for the past year according to WardsAuto data; 60-days’ supply is considered optimal. What’s more, a spokesman says the CLA is bringing in the younger 30- and 40-somethings Mercedes craves, 75% of them new to the brand.

But a lot of buyers attracted to the CLA’s sexy sheet metal need something more practical, with more room in back than its downward sloping roof allows. And that’s who Mercedes is targeting with the GLA.

Officially, it is designed primarily to compete with the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, but its dimensions and starting price of $32,000 for FWD models, including a $925 destination and delivery charge, put it in competition with dozens of potential competitors, from the Lexus NX to option-laden Ford Escapes. A $50,000, 355-hp AMG version casts Mercedes’ net even wider.

This new CUV gives Mercedes a roster of five luxury-oriented utility vehicles. The GLA now is the entry vehicle, slotting under the compact GLK in the Mercedes line-up. They are followed by the ML, the big GL and the old-school body-on-frame G-Class.

The strategy gives Mercedes two entries in the rapidly growing small- and midsize CUV segments, which lumped together are bigger than the once-preeminent midsize car segment. According to WardsAuto data, the GLK is the current leader in the compact luxury CUV segment, with 28,229 sales through September.   

Design and Safety GLA’s Strong Points

Bart Herring, general manager-Product Management at Mercedes-Benz North America, says the GLA will stand out in three areas: design, safety and technology.

Design indeed is the first thing you notice about the GLA. The folks in Stuttgart did a great job translating the CLA’s beautifully sculpted contours into a 2-box CUV, keeping all the nice curves and giving it a low, powerful stance and muscular shoulders above the rear axle.  Powerdomes on the hood and highly styled headlights framing the big Mercedes star in the middle of the grille make it stand out. The AMG version, in particular, looks more like a hot hatch than a compact CUV. And we mean that as a compliment.

Unfortunately, the downside of being lower and more streamlined than competitors is that interior headroom suffers, especially with the optional panorama sunroof, which steals about 1 in. (25.4 mm). While the interior is roomier upstairs than the CLA, we still heard some tall journalists complaining. Our 6-ft., 2-in. (1.9 m) driving partner said he was comfortable so long as the seats were adjusted to their lowest setting. Those of more average height need not worry unless you wear a top hat while driving.

The GLA interior takes most of its design cues from the CLA, which caught flak from critics who complained the materials, switchgear and trim were not up to Mercedes standards. However, the interiors we sampled in the GLA seem improved, with brighter colors, richer materials and more refined textures and trim.

Our GLA250 test car featured a special option package that includes brown leather and fabric upholstery, “Trapezium Grain” aluminium trim and a simulated leather cover on the instrument panel that is light years better than the last CLA we tested with a drab black-on-black interior. We also find the stand-alone human-machine interface display screen that juts from the center stack less visually jarring than we did initially.

Powertrain and Pricing

The engines are the same as the CLA’s: a turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0L I-4 making 208 hp and 258 lb.-ft. (350 Nm) of torque and a potent AMG 2.0L making 355 hp and 332 lb.-ft. (450 Nm). Both are connected to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The volume engine provides plenty of thrust for the roughly 3,400-lb. (1,542-kg) vehicle, getting it to 60 mph (97 km/h) in a tad over 7 seconds. The AMG engine does the job in just 4.8 seconds.

Both engines are highly capable and deliver excellent fuel efficiency, but power delivery is not as linear as we would like. The standard engine is rated at 24/32 mpg (9.8-7.4 L/100 km) city/highway. We logged 28.7 mpg (8.3 L/100 km) in a half-day of mixed driving, better than its official combined rating of 27 mpg (8.7 L/100 km). The GLA45 also did not stray from its official fuel economy numbers of 23/29 mpg (10.2-8.1 L/100 km).

We were a little disappointed in the AMG engine because our test vehicle promises so much with an eye-popping specific output of nearly 178 hp/L and a heroic sticker price of $62,655. While it’s clearly a special engine, it makes its horsepower with a very high 26 psi (1.8 bar) of boost, more than twice the pressure of most mainstream turbocharged engines. You have to put your foot down hard to get the power. If you’re not flogging it, the engine seems conflicted between being a beast and a fuel miser. The exhaust note intermittently reflects this internal struggle, sometimes emitting a lusty roar and other times sounding pedestrian.

What most impressed us about the GLA45 is its steering, handling and optional $2,250 Recaro sport seats. The standard GLA250 handles well to start, with precise steering and a well-planted on-center feel going down the highway. But the AMG’s modified steering and suspension locks the vehicle down on the road and through corners like a race car, without any of the expected harshness. The same is true for the seats: performance without punishment.

Our AWD GLA250 raised our eyebrows with a $45,115 sticker including a $925 destination charge, but media test vehicles frequently are loaded with every available option. Mercedes says  expected transaction prices are  $37,000 for the GLA250 4Matic, $57,000 for the GLA45 AMG and $35,000 for the upcoming FWD GLA250.

That’s not bad, considering we’ve tested Ford Escapes and numerous other mainstream compact CUVs with pricetags approaching $40,000.

And the vehicle does come standard with collision prevention assist, including autonomous braking; a drowsiness monitor, power front seats, power liftgate and numerous other features.

With the GLK and CLA already succeeding, it would be ill-advised to bet against Mercedes muscling into yet another new segment.

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