See all Motoring NewsMercedes has announced details of its new GLA SUV, which will go on sale across Ireland in 2020. With sportier styling and more space than before, along with added safety features, the GLA is a partner to the GLB, and a sibling of the GLC and GLE within the brand’s SUV family. The new GLA will be available in a choice of two specifications, with Progressive and a high-performance AMG version.
Despite being slightly shorter than the previous model, the new GLA is 100mm taller than before, while there is added interior headroom for front seat passengers and greater rear legroom for back seat passengers. Practicality has also been improved with additional boot space and rear seats that can slide backwards and forwards by up to 140mm. The rear seats are split folding as standard, while there is a height-adjustable load floor that can be transformed into a flat loading area for lugging large items. Elsewhere in the cabin, there are several new design details carried over from the larger 7-seat GLB and the GLC.
The new GLA is available with new four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. Petrol models are a 1.3-litre, 163hp GLA 200, a 2-litre, 224hp GLA 250 and GLA 250 4MATIC. The high-performance AMG GLA 35 and AMG GLA 45 will also be available to order on launch. Diesel versions, all 1.9-litres, are a 150hp GLA 200d, GLA 200d 4-MATIC and a 190hp GLA 220d and GLA 220d 4MATIC. Also in the pipeline is a 180d 1.5-litre diesel and a plug-in petrol electric variant.
Commenting on the arrival of the new GLA, Ciaran Allen, sales manager for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in Ireland said: “the arrival of the new GLA is being supported with attractive price and purchase finance arrangements pitched competitively against those of its main rivals and broadly in harmony with those of its predecessor”.
Arguably, its most visually striking feature is a free-standing driver instrumentation and infotainment display that frames the view almost from door-to-door. Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system is now also featured as standard and can be voice activated by saying ‘Hey Mercedes’. The GLA also includes a new car wash function, which on a single command, exterior mirrors fold inwards, side windows and sliding roof close, rain sensor is suppressed and other settings disabled – all of which can be automatically deactivated when the driver exits the carwash.
A host of safety systems are provided in a comprehensive Driver Assistance Package that includes automatic inputs to assist drivers with routine and accident avoidance emergency braking, distance control, parking, steering, lane keeping, blind spot observation, speed limit keeping, driver fatigue alerts, and more.
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