The new GLA, the eighth model to join the line-up, rounds off the current compact-car generation from Mercedes-Benz. At the same time it is the entry-level model in the brand’s successful SUV range. The character has been significantly reinforced compared with the previous model: With a height of 1611 millimetres (1616 with roof rails), the new GLA is more than ten centimetres higher than its predecessor. The correspondingly higher and characteristic SUV seating position also comes with more headroom in the first row. Legroom in the rear is likewise much more generous – even though the GLA is now one-and-a-half centimetres shorter. Hallmark off-road design features include the upright front section, short overhangs at the front and rear, and protective cladding all round. 4MATIC models feature the Off-Road Engineering Package as standard. This comprises an additional driving program, a downhill driving assist function and an off-road animation in the media display, along with, in combination with MULTIBEAM LED headlamps, a special light function for off-road driving.

The new GLA makes a further step in terms of safety courtesy of its driving assistance systems with cooperative driver support. The enhanced functions of the Driving Assistance Package include, for example, the turning manoeuvre function, the emergency corridor function, the exit warning function alerting the driver to approaching cyclists or vehicles, and a warning when pedestrians are detected near zebra crossings. The GLA is able to react when the driver doesn’t. Active Brake Assist is charged in many situations with applying autonomous braking to avoid a collision or to reduce its severity. At typical city speeds the system is also able to brake for stationary vehicles and crossing pedestrians, and avoid collisions depending on the situation.

With powerful and efficient four-cylinder engines, the latest driving assistance systems with cooperative driver support, the MBUX infotainment system with intuitive operation as well as the comprehensive ENERGIZING comfort control, the new model has all the strengths of the current generation of compacts from Mercedes-Benz. The GLA boasts excellent aerodynamic efficiency with a C_d figure from 0.28. An EQ Power model with third-generation hybrid drive will already be available in the first half of this year. And the EQA, a fully electric model, will follow by the end of the year.

“The launch of the new GLA marks the culmination of a complete renewal of our family of compact cars”, says Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales. “The high demand for our SUVs shows that we can offer the right model for all of our customers in this segment. To meet their wishes, the range includes the GLB and GLA, two off-roaders that ideally complement each other: the GLB is the most functional and most spacious representative of our compact-class family, while the new GLA is positioned as its sporty brother and as a lifestyle-oriented SUV.”

“The new GLA embodies the perfect synergy between sheer beauty and robust off-road elements”, according to Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler Group. “With it, we are carrying the dynamic SUV forward into the future of modern luxury.”

The new GLA will be launched in Europe at the end of April 2020. It will appear in dealerships in the USA shortly afterwards, and will also be available in China. Thanks to this worldwide sales presence, and according to

Mercedes-Benz expectations, it will become one of the brand’s most popular compact-class models over its lifecycle. The GLA is produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt (Germany), and in Beijing (China) for the local market.

The compact car family: Versatile and successful

With the GLA, the new family of Mercedes-Benz compact cars now consists of eight models. With three wheelbase lengths, front and all-wheel drive as well as petrol, diesel and hybrid models, the range is broad in scope. In the form of the GLB, Mercedes-Benz is now for the first time offering a compact model with seven seats. In addition there are the sporty versions from Mercedes-AMG.

Since the launch of the first A-Class, the first compact car from Mercedes-Benz, in 1997, more than seven million vehicles belonging to this segment have been delivered worldwide by Mercedes-Benz. Since the market launch of the GLA in 2014, more than one million units of this compact SUV have been delivered to customers worldwide. Today one in four cars sold by Mercedes-Benz in one year is a compact.

In 2019 unit sales of compact cars set a new record: more than 667,000 units of the A and B-Class, CLA Coupé,
CLA Shooting Brake and the previous GLA and GLB were delivered. This means that the previous record achieved in 2016 was exceeded by more than 30,000 units. The new compact models, among them the A-Class Saloon and the new B-Class worldwide and the new CLA Coupé in Europe, have greatly contributed to the growth of this segment.

The compact car family at a glance:

[1] For the local market

[2] For the local market

[3] Details for five-/seven-seater