Mercedes GLA brings an added shot of panache to the compact luxury SUV segment. But does it drive as good as it looks?
How does it drive?
Prod the throttle pedal and the GLA 200 takes off with a sense of urgency and performance from the get go is strong thanks to the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit which develops a healthy 181bhp.
Acceleration is pretty strong with the 0-100kph dash clipped in a smidgen over 8 seconds. There’s no let up in shove and 160kph is despatched in a brisk 21.41 seconds.
The strong mid-range of this motor makes everyday driving quite effortless and perfectly suits the role of a crossover urban SUV. Performance is pretty impressive on the highway too where the GLA 200 cruises quite adeptly, with strong overtaking capability just a flex of the right foot away.
But don’t ask too much of this engine. It doesn’t like being revved and starts protesting quite audibly when you near its modest 6,100rpm redline.
Also, the seven-speed DCT transmission is not the smoothest and though Mercedes has improved the way its shifts by tweaking its electronics, it still feels a bit clunky.
With just the front wheels putting down all the power and torque, there’s a fair bit of torque steer under hard acceleration and on uneven roads, the GLA tram lines quite a bit too. For the Indian market, the GLA comes with only front-wheel-drive and there’s no 4Matic option for now. That’s a bit of a shame because with all-wheel-drive, you could certainly make better use of the power on wet and uneven roads. However, the thinking is that since the GLA will be used mainly in cities there’s no real need for the extra hardware (and cost).
The large wheels, increased wheel travel and softer suspension give the GLA a comfortable ride but the big surprise is how adept it is off-road.
Despite riding on strictly tarmac tyres and driven by just the front two wheels, the GLA clambered up a muddy track with remarkable ease.
Back on tarmac, the GLA continued to impress with the confidence it gave on an undulating and gently winding road. The steering isn’t crisp or full of feel but it weights up with a nice consistency and is fairly accurate.
The overall impression after a long drive in the GLA is that there’s a maturity in the way it handles and it feels nicely tied down.
With the monsoons leaving roads in complete disrepair, there’s no better time to examine the ride comfort of any car. And there’s no better place than the highways of Maharashtra where smooth tarmac suddenly gives way to a patch that looks like it's been nuked. Mild bumps and broken roads are dispatched quite effortlessly but the ride is not quite flawless. Deeper potholes crash through and the GLA skitters over sharper ridges too. The overall ride quality maybe quite acceptable to most owners but the fact is that these compact Mercs just don’t deliver the premium and majestic comfort of the bigger Mercedes sedans.