Mercedes-Benz GLA headed to Frankfurt; launch by 2014

CarDekho has been constantly informing you about the Mercedes-Benz's aggressive strategy for the Indian car market, where GLA compact SUV will also play an important role. The vehicle will make its global debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, and is expected to hit the market by the next year. It will be the Mercedes' direct answer to its global rivals Audi and BMW, which already have Q3 and X1 respectively. GLA will be Mercedes' first small SUV, which is based on the GLA concept. The Concept was showcased at the Shanghai Motor show earlier this year, where it bagged applauds from critics and visitors as well.

The production version GLA will make its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, and it is the fourth vehicle to be developed on the Mercedes' Modular Front-drive Architecture (MFA). Merc's like A-Class, B-Class and CLA, are also based on the company's MFA platform. The Mercedes Concept GLA is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that develops 208bhp, and mated to a seven-speed dual clutch auto gearbox, which transmits power to all four wheels. For the Indian car market, we expect the engine line-up of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA will most likely to be carried over from the hatchback A-Class - 1.6-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel, both mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox as standard.

Mercedes GLA crossover will be a five seater, and will feature dimensions similar to that of the A-Class premium hatch, which measures 4,292mm long, 1,780mm wide and 1,433mm high. We reported earlier that Mercedes-Benz GLA will share its interiors with the recently launched A-Class. However, it will also accommodate some latest safety and driver assistance system, which makes it pricier. For UK buyers, the GLA crossover will be priced around £5,000 (INR 470876.60) more than the A-Class range’s entry-level price tag of £20,370 (INR 1918351.27).

It is also speculated that Mercedes-Benz could also launch an AMG version of the GLA SUV. The GLA45 AMG will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine that develop 355bhp, mated to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and four-wheel drive system as the A45 AMG.

Talking about the Indian car market, where Mercedes-Benz India has recently launched a series of the new vehicles including A-Class premium hatch, new GL Class, B-Class diesel. However, the company lacks in compact SUV. We expect GLA SUV to be showcased at the next year Indian Auto Expo, and later launch.