Mercedes-Benz GLA: Old Vs New - What's Changed?

The most affordable SUV from Mercedes, the GLA, made its official debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. It was introduced in the Indian market in 2014 and has been quite popular in the entry-level luxury SUV segment since then. Now, the German automaker has introduced the facelifted version of the GLA at the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The new SUV features several changes. Let's walk you through them.

Front

The facelift looks more muscular compared to its predecessor. The first thing you notice is the revised front bumper and grille. Additionally, instead of bi-xenon, it now features LED headlamps, and it is also being offered with a new colour option, Canyon Beige.

Side

The side profile looks almost identical, however, now the new GLA features new light-alloy wheels and the matte-black cladding is more prominent. Through various aerodynamic optimisations on the exterior, the cd value (drag coefficient) has been reduced to 0.28 from 0.29. This would help in achieving better fuel efficiency and less noise at higher speed.

Rear

At the rear, the facelift has modified bumpers and slightly tweaked taillights.

Interiors

The facelift comes with new upholstery options and chrome around the dashboard. Like the CLA facelift, the GLA also gets the 8.0-inch display that supports Navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It has an updated instrument cluster with new fonts and new needles. Class-leading features like keyless entry and a 360-degree camera have been also been introduced.  

In terms of mechanicals, the facelift is also powered by the same petrol and diesel engines as the current SUV. However, a new variant, GLA 220 4MATIC, has been introduced apart from the existing GLA 180, GLA 200, GLA 250, GLA 250 4MATIC, Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC, GLA 180 d, GLA 200 d, GLA 200 d 4MATIC, GLA 220 d and GLA 220 d 4MATIC variants. The new GLA facelift is currently being sold in Germany and is likely to hit Indian showrooms by the end of this year.

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