GLAd you made it...

What we like:

Longer suspension travel means it’s more livable than the A 45 AMG. Boot is 80 litres bigger than the hatchback.

What we dislike:

Gets quite thirsty when you’re giving it the beans.

Like the rest of its AMG new borns, the GLA 45 AMG shares the exact same drivetrain which consists of a seriously tweaked 2.0-litre four cylinder turbocharged engine bolted to a strengthened 7G-tronic transmission. Both horsepower and torque figures are replicated from the A and CLA 45 AMGs at 360bhp and 450Nm from 2,250rpm. Despite its larger body, this crossover is still very much capable of smashing through to 100kmh in less than 5 seconds (4.8 seconds to be exact).

However, characteristic of this engine, nothing happens when you put your foot down until the needle sweeps past 2,000rpm. Before everything outside takes on a rapid pace as the turbo explodes into action. In this regard the GLA is every bit a hoonigan as the other two with every gear change accompanied with a ferocious crack and roar as the engine pops on the overrun.

At 46mm higher than the thoroughbred hot hatch, the GLA is robbed some of its agility but still impressive in the bends. There’s a slight hint of body roll but steering response is near identical to the A 45 but there’s a lot less fear as the crossover comfortably glides over the imperfections compared to its crashier sibling. Enjoyable or not really depends on how white knuckled you prefer your fun to be. But in the GLA, the added suspension travel makes it the more livable of the three variants from Affalterbach.

No doubt the GLA 45 AMG is nearly as fast as the other two and with little compromises. The added suspension travel means the GLA isn’t quite as tiring to drive on a daily basis as its hatchback sibling but with 90% of the fun still intact.

Our hot blooded spirit might yearn for the A 45 AMG but our 30 year old body finds a better home in the GLA 45 AMG.

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline