Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4MATIC Review: The Robust Star

What we like:

Stylish and yet robust design of this hot hatch; the array of features available on this variant

What we dislike:

Passengers above 1.8 metres might face a little headroom problem at the rear.

Owners of the GLA would perhaps have gotten the car for its sportiness. You wouldn’t expect an extremely comfortable and luxurious ride, though we cannot totally rule out these elements here. It is, after all, a Mercedes-Benz.

But that aside, the GLA offers a unique ride as compared to others in its class. The marriage of comfort and sportiness results in a ride that allows you to cruise effortlessly on most road surfaces, providing you with much needed damping on the roughest of surfaces, as well as superb handling on tight corners at high speeds.

Under the hood, the 2-litre turbocharged powerplant puts out 211 bhp, and more excitingly, 350 Nm of torque starting from just 1,200 rpm. You won’t encounter much delay in getting ahead of most vehicles at the lights, although we felt that the GLA tends to drag its gears a little especially in Eco mode.

The 7G-Dual Clutch Transmission gearbox allows for smooth and seamless transitions between gears, giving a boost in its fuel efficiency. The GLA 250 4MATIC completes its century sprint in 7.1 seconds, way ahead of the other variants available here in Singapore (the GLA 200 at 8.8 seconds, and the GLA 200 CDI at 9.9 seconds).

And for the GLA owners looking for a little tinge of off-road excitement, they’ll be pleased to note that this off-roader CSUV handles reasonably well on any other tropical tarmac apart from our roads. While handling may not be as optimal as a full-fledged SUV, the all-wheel drive on the GLA 250 4MATIC allows ample space for maneuvering off-road and on more pronounced bumps. However, we really don’t foresee many GLA owners bringing this CSUV off the tarmac here in Singapore, do we?

You may get confused at where the GLA stands at first glance, because really, it doesn’t look anything like what the Q3 and X1 does. However, once you’ve determined its standing, you’ll soon realise that the GLA offers much more in terms of styling and ergonomics as compared to the others in its class.

With the shape of a hot hatch and the build of what we would term as an urban drive, the GLA might just fit in extremely well on our roads, as well as command a stronger appeal to its younger target audience than its competitors - just like how the CLA did upon its entry into the market here.

Credits: Story and Photos by Irwin Tan