This supposed first step into Mercedes-Benz life may actually better suit those living out the last days of their own. 

To the many who are currently climbing the corporate ladder with an eye to get their first-ever Mercedes Benz, the GLA compact crossover will likely be one of the prime candidates on their shortlist. After all, with a starting price of just RM 258,888, this higher-riding sibling to the A-Class is one of the most attainable stepping stones into the premium world of the three pointed star. 

Though as someone who is incidentally in that aforementioned demographic right now, a few days spent living with the non-AMG variants of this recently facelifted small SUV (the GLA200 and GLA250 4MATIC) unfortunately did not really light the spark for this writer to yearn for this baby Benz. In what is a rather damning comparison too, a friend of his who he offered a ride in this compact crossover commented that a Mazda CX-30 was to be more worthy of his lust than this Mercedes. 

That said, someone who did find a whole lot more enjoyment out of this German compact crossover was the person whose loins this writer came from. And thus is born this slightly different review of these recently-facelifted GLAs, which sees for its faults to be pointed out by the young’un, while the elder highlights some of its redeeming qualities. 

Features

Young Person:

Perhaps one of the biggest and most immediately noticeable let downs with this GLA — especially to most of these young tech savvy folk — is that it lacks quite a few of the features that a lot within this particular demographic may be keen to have. 

In fact, just forgetting for a moment about the Chinese cars that have completely flipped the script on how much kit could be made available in a car of a certain price range, it is actually even to be the case that a Honda City or Perodua Myvi (from which most of these these up-and-coming go-getters may be upgrading from) is far better-equipped than this much more expensive Mercedes-Benz here. 

Now a good example of Mercedes-Benz being skint with the GLA’s kit list can be seen with its adaptive cruise control feature, or more precisely the lack thereof in this premium compact crossover. It certainly does smack of pure greed for the German marque to have locked this driver aid behind an additional paywall for a car costing upwards of RM 250,000, especially as mass-market car companies (like the aforementioned Perodua) are able to offer it as standard on the higher-end variants of their compact cars. 

This quarter-plus million ringgit compact crossover also incidentally lacks some rather basic nice-to-haves in a supposedly premium automobile too, like dual-zone climate control or a 360º surround view parking camera (though for some strange reason it has an auto-park feature). Oh, and let it be noted that this small SUV doesn’t even come with rear air-con vents or a rear central armrest! 

Old Folk: 

Now while the younger set may be find themselves disappointed that their new Mercedes isn’t able to drive itself right out of the box, the older generation on the other hand is likely to be appreciative that the GLA here does not incessantly beep or buzz at them every other second while on the road. 

And while sure, it would have been nice to have things like a surround view camera and perhaps ventilated seats within this GLA, this small Benz nevertheless already has most of the practical features that one would want. Electric adjustment with memory on both front seats does after all see that everyone in the household can get comfortable behind the wheel at a touch of a button, while standard blind spot assist (which actually has a loud enough warning tone that can blow out ear drums) and a set dazzlingly bright automatic LED ‘High Performance’ headlights is really all the modern driving assistance tech one really requires. 

Also, the GLA here does come a quite a number of neat little touches to in the features department. Like for instance how all four of its exterior door handles have the keyless lock and unlock capability, which certainly makes it more convenient when wanting to grab stuff from the rear after the car is locked.

The front wipers on the GLA have an impressively large screen wipe area too, continuing on the good ol’ Monoblade wiper legacy from Mercedes-Benz models of yesteryear. Having the ambient light ring on the air vent change colour to red or blue upon increasing or decreasing the air-con temperature is certainly another nice touch as well, as is the presence of gas struts to effortlessly lift its bonnet up and an ‘Individual’ driving mode that allows for a sports steering and comfort everything else preset. 

Just for the forgetful elderly crowd that (somehow) may forget to turn off their GLA too, worry no more because this small SUV will automatically shut itself down after 20 mins if it detects that no one is in the vehicle. 

Comfort

Young Person: 

Now admittedly, the lack of kit is pretty much par for the course with a Mercedes that lies in the lower rungs of its lineup. But does the GLA still manage to capture the more qualitative characteristic of feeling like a proper Benz? 

Well, starting with how it rides first, just pootling around town in both GLA variants and it fortunately exhibits the expectedly Mercedes-Benz quality of pretty decently isolating the many bumps and lumps peppering the roads of KL. Get this compact crossover on the highway however, and its stiff suspension setup does unfortunately see for it not be a rather bouncy affair at higher speeds, to the point that it actually pogoes about on the more undulating stretches of road. 

What more is that at least on the GLA250 variant, its firm and somewhat flat sports seats up front is certainly not one for the bony arsed to do long periods on the saddle. The GLA200’s more comfort-oriented front thrones are instead to be much better on the posterior, especially for the daily commute where body-hugging side supports are arguably less crucial. 

And while this is perhaps a tangent on this general topic of comfort here, it would be remissed to not point out that even a cursory feel around its cabin will reveal a greater-than-expected amount of hard and scratchy plastic around what is not a particularly cheap car. The most obvious example of this being with the totally cheap-feeling glovebox latch, which really feels better suited to a Mahindra rather than a Mercedes, and thus rather ruins the perception of luxury that is promised by the massive three-pointed star badge staring back from the steering wheel. 

Having just touched upon the steering wheel too, let this writer indulge in a quick rant on how this new haptic-touch multifunction unit on these facelifted GLAs is perhaps the biggest bugbear towards comfortably living with one of these small SUVs on a daily basis. Such is because it is really needlessly fiddly to operate, and there is no dedicated next/previous track button like every other car! 

This therefore sees that hanging tracks using the steering wheel controls requires a precise lateral swipe while in the dedicated music sub-menu screen on the driver’s display. Else you’re going to be looking at some other sub-menu instead, while the current song continues to play.

Old Folk: 

In countering the various complaints concerning comfort laid out by the young’un above, let’s start first by commending this compact crossover in being quite congenial for those riding round the rear. Its boxy cabin space does offers decent amounts of headroom even for the vertically-endowed to sit up straight round the rear of the GLA, while a pair of deep foot wells beneath both front seats further offers the impressions for the rear cabin compartment to be bigger than it really is. 

Those aforementioned front seats on (both variants of) this small Merc also come as standard with extendable bases too, which is certainly a boon for those blessed with long legs. As for those who are vertically-challenged on the other hand, the GLA has a decently large greenhouse area, with this enhanced view out both increasing driving comfort and mitigating the potential claustrophobic feeling some might have from the overall blackness of its cabin.

While on the move with the GLA too, this small Mercedes SUV once again shows that those at the three-pointed star marque still knows what they’re doing when it comes to offering a refined driving experience. This notion is most evidently exemplified from the smoothness of the 48 V hybrid stop-start system since introduced on the facelifted 250 variant, where the transition from when it cuts the engine to coast to a stop, and then kicking in instantaneously upon the slightest prod of the throttle being virtually unnoticeable for anyone not looking down at the rev counter (or until they start to feel hot because the air-con cuts out when the engine is killed). 

As for the point of hard plastics in its cabin meanwhile, this is admittedly a pretty valid complaint against the GLA. Though it has to be said too that all the major touch and feel points that one would come into contact with all the time did nevertheless have that sense of premium-ness to it: the leather-wrapped steering wheel was nice to grip, the air vents had a decent weight to them and the inner door handles were solid to the tug.  

There is also no denying that this baby Benz still exhibits a sense of solidity to its build that is typically Mercedes. Its doors still shut with the expected bank vault thud, and all the switchgear felt like they would outlast even its younger owners. 

And finally to address the complaint about haptic controls on the steering wheel here, those have no interest in ever using adaptive cruise and who just leave their music selection up to the DJ at BFM or Lite FM will really have no idea what’s the big fuss about, especially when there is a rather nice knurled knob right in the centre console to adjust how loud Kenny G’s saxophone can be. Oh, blessed it be for Mercedes to still retain physical toggles for adjusting the climate control too!

Powertrain

Now this section here is perhaps less so on the complaints/compliments on the GLA’s powertrain, but instead more regarding differences in opinion between the young’un and the old folk as to which variant is the better buy. 

In providing some context to the following too, the GLA200 features a Renault-sourced 1.33-litre turbo four-banger that churns out a respectable 163 PS and 250 Nm of torque to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The GLA250 meanwhile is powered by a 2.0-litre boosted Mercedes-Benz four-cylinder with 48 V mild-hybrid assistance, which sends a significantly meatier 224 PS and 350 Nm of torque to all four wheels via a eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system.

Young Person: 

For the young and ambitious who has some fire up their arse, the simply explosive power on tap in the GLA250 is simply too tempting to ignore. Now sure, this might not be the full fat AMG GLA45 S, and it does admittedly take a split second for it to properly spool up. But the second right after mashing that go pedal, that turbo four under the hood really just pulls as hard as to make one feel that they have been strapped onto a rocket. 

What more is that unleashing that beast under the hood is far from a scary experience too, with a pretty roll-less cornering characteristic and a grippy 4MATIC all-wheel drive system offering the confidence to just give this compact crossover the full beans whenever one is in the mood. And given that one sits higher up and hence has a better view ahead, one might even argue that it is probably quicker in real world traffic that a lower-slung hot hatch. 

Though perhaps most surprising with this GLA250 is that despite having regularly took advantage of its performance potential, it somehow still managed to return a decent fuel efficiency rating in the 10 km/l region during this writer’s time with it. This could probably be attributed to the aforementioned 48 V mild-hybrid system, where its electrical assistance also likely aided in delivering the explosive get-up-and-go potential of this small SUV. 

Old Folk: 

While the punch on offer with the GLA250 is certainly addictive (even to those who should know better with age), it has to be said that the the adequately brisk acceleration available on the GLA200 is actually already more than good enough for most people. 

Thanks to the lack of all-wheel drive and complex mild-hybrid system as well, the mechanically-simpler GLA200 will probably prove to the better choice for those are seeking for a less troublesome long-term ownership experience. 

If there were to be a slight complaint on the GLA200 here however, it is that the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission has a tendency of selecting to one gear too high for maximum efficiency, to the point any imminent incline on the highway at constant throttle will see it slow down slightly. It is also a tad jerky and indecisive in traffic, but that is an expectedly common characteristic of dual-clutch transmissions. 

Looks 

Young Person & Old Folk: 

Now the topic of how the GLA looks is one where there was most consensus across the age group, simply as it is a decently inoffensive design. 

The young’un may have some reservations with this looking a tad blobby and generic, especially in comparison to the sharp new BMW X1, but this baby Benz still does an adequate job in presenting a premium yet sporty look. The Progressive Line GLA200 has a more old-fashioned air of premium-ness to its exterior aesthetic, while the GLA250 that comes decked out in the AMG Line trim certainly trends towards the sportier side of things. 

Though while on the topic of its exterior, the one thing that really is doing the hard sell for this compact crossover is ultimate that three-pointed star prominently displayed on its nose. Even if it is one of Mercedes-Benz’s smallest and cheapest models, that badge still has sufficient cache behind it to make anyone who gets behind the wheel (young or old) of this small SUV drive it with their head held just that little bit higher. 

Or as put bluntly by the elder folk, there is undoubtably a whole raft of cars out there that currently offer a whole lot more for a whole lot less than the GLA. But try as they might (and try as you might too, dear reader, in denying this), there really is still that little bit of magic in getting to say that you own a Mercedes-Benz.

Conclusion: 

Young Person: 

So in getting back to the original question posed right in the title of this review here: Is the GLA really more suited to the soon-to-retire rather than the soon-to-be-promoted? The answer to that is pretty much yes.

The lack of fancy tech that might push the younger generation into a BMW is likely a non-concern for those who are can’t really see the screen without their bifocals anyway. And while this may be a damning assessment of this writer’s generation, it is probably the older set (which have been around when things were made to last) who will better appreciate the underlying quality that is built into this GLA.

What more is that with its comparatively higher seating position and compact size too, the small SUV could really be the next (and last) car that the soon-to-retire could live out the rest of their lives with, after returning the company S-Class. 

Though now the question is what are these old folk to do when Mercedes-Benz eventually gets around to the next generation of GLA, which will all but likely follow on the automaker’s ultra high-tech trajectory?

Mercedes-Benz GLA200 & GLA250 4MATIC Facelift Technical Specifications

Mercedes-Benz GLA200

Mercedes-Benz GLA250 4MATIC