The 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA has been in the news for quite some time now and finally, the German company has taken the wraps off its compact SUV at the North America International Auto Show which is currently underway in Detroit. It was teased earlier in the month as well and so we knew a bit about the way the car would look.
The GLA facelift gets tweaked bumpers up front along with a new grille which gets chain-link chrome elements which give it a bolder, meaner look along with new alloy wheels as well. Also, the headlamps are now LED instead of the earlier bi-xenon lamps. The overall shape and the rear design elements remain the same more or less.
(2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA Facelift)The interior remains more or less similar as well with the exception of a new 8-inch infotainment system along with chrome bits thrown around inside the cabin and subtle updates to the instrumentation cluster behind the steering wheel. The upholstery is new as well. The current generation GLA always had an Attention Assist system, which could detect drowsiness in the driver. In addition to that, now it also gets Active Brake Assist, which signals the driver when a car is too close to the GLA. There is also a 360-degree parking camera with a bird's eye view, although it is not sure if the Indian model will get it. Also, one can opt for the electric tail gate with motion detection, which only requires a foot gesture for the boot to open and close.
(2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA Facelift)Mercedes-Benz has also given updates to the suspension, which makes the car sit 30 mm higher than the current model. The engine options will remain the same as they are now, which is a 2-litre petrol and a 2.1-litre diesel.
(2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA Facelift)Also, the updated Mercedes-AMG GLA45 4MATIC was revealed as well, getting minor cosmetic updates. The powerplant remains the same as earlier, a fire-breathing 2-litre turbocharged engine which belts out 371 bhp and 474 Nm of torque. The gear ratios have been made shorter though, in order to extract even better acceleration and performance from the GLA 45 AMG. It does the 0-100kmph sprint in 4.4 seconds and boasts of an electronically limited top speed of 250 kmph.
Clearly it sounds very exciting and yes, we will see this one in India in 2017. While India has just seen the addition of the GLA Activity Edition which we drove exclusively, the facelift will add a lot of value to the car's presence in India. When the facelifted car arrives in India this year, the Activity Edition tag and trim will be offered on the FWD as well. Considering that the new BMW X1 is here and Audi is prepping the new-gen Q3, Mercedes-Benz, with the updated GLA will have enough fire power to deal with its competitors.
