The word AMG has always held a soft spot in my heart. And why not? The first ever sports car I drove in my life was an AMG, a sexy silver SL55 with a stonker of a supercharged V8 engine. This was way back in 2003, when AMG cars were a rare sighting in our country. Things have changed and Mercedes-AMG now has a strong portfolio of 10 models officially on offer in India. What we have here today is the GLA45, the AMG cousin of the GLA crossover which is also on sale in local showrooms . It is also one of the more affordable cars from the company’s performance division alongside the CLA45. So does it live up to the iconic AMG badge? Read on.
The first thing you notice about the GLA45 is that it doesn’t try to hide its identity. You easily come to know that there is something different about this crossover. It gets aggressively styled bumpers, with large air dams. There is a sport grille with a thick single slat running across it. A large three pointed star sits in the centre and an AMG badge is seen on the slat of the grille as well. The GLA45 gets bi-xenon headlamps with integrated daytime running lights and LED tail lamps. The bonnet has bulges that look very muscular and add a lot of oomph to the character of the baby AMG. Moving on, the front fenders get Turbo AMG badges and the rear gets quad exhaust pipes and a diffuser in the rear bumper. The 19 inch alloy wheels look sexy and are complimented by the red brake callipers. The stickers that you see running across the doors are optional.
The cabin and dash are similar to the regular GLA but come with AMG treatment. The dashboard has top notch fit and finish. The turbine design AC vents looks classy and a free standing tablet style 7 inch TFT screen sits in the centre that displays data from the COMMAND online infotainment system. There is a three spoke flat bottom steering wheel and a conventional gear lever as opposed to the stalk seen on the standard GLA. Manual steering adjust however is disappointing in a car that costs so much. There is red stitching on the dashboard, steering wheel, seats and the central arm rest. You also get awesome looking red seatbelts.
The GLA45 comes equipped with sport seats that come with integrated headrests. The red and black combo on the seats look great too and they come with side bolstering and electric adjust with memory function. The chrome inserts on the headrests add a nice touch. The rear doesn’t have too much space but can seat two people in decent comfort. Heck, why would you want to be in the rear seat of an AMG anyway. It’s at the wheel at the front where all the action is. Rear passengers get their own AC vents. Other features include automatic climate control, Active parking assist and rear view camera, ambient lighting, a rain sensing panoramic sunroof and a six speaker sound system a CD player, USB/ AUX, Bluetooth connectivity, navigation and a 10 GB onboard hard disk.
The GLA45 gets power from the same engine that is found in its sibling, the CLA45. This 2.0 litre turbo charged petrol motor churns out 355 bhp at 6,000 rom and maximum torque of 450 Nm that comes between 2,250 and 5,000 rpm. The GLA45 does the 0 to 100 kph sprint in 4.8 seconds in ‘Race Start’ mode, which is essentially Launch Control in AMG lingo. The motor is mated to a seven speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. The GLA45 doesn’t come with a Start Stop button. Turn the key and the engine comes to life with a growl and settles down into a smooth idle. Performance is good across the rev range but gets more fun after it crosses the 3,000 rpm mark. There are three drive modes available: Comfort, Sport and Manual. While Comfort is good for daily driving, Sport mode is where the fun is. The gearbox pulls all the way to the redline and it sounds awesome in this mode too. Don’t expect the insane V8 burble of the bid daddy AMGs. The GLA45 has its own unique sound. The pops from the exhausts are especially fun when the gearbox upshifts in Sport mode. And then you have the crackles when you leave the throttle pedal. Super fun indeed. Downshifts on the gearbox are rather slow though. There is a slight delay when doing a kickdown. Even in manual mode downshifts are not instant.
The GLA45 comes with Mercedes’ 4MATIC all wheel drive system. But the GLA being based on the MFA platform, it is primarily a front wheel drive with power being channelled to the rear when required. It handles well around corners but you do miss the fun of a rear wheel drive. Grip levels are fantastic though and the steering is well weighted as well.
Ride quality is compliant for a car that rides on 19 inch wheels and low profile tyres. Most of the undulations on the road including expansion joints in the flyovers are handled well. Going over potholes at even moderately higher speeds will shake you up though. The GLA45 sits 15 mm lower than the standard car but even then, it didn’t bottom out on any of the speed breakers that we encountered. The size makes it very driveable in city traffic too. It also gets the Auto Start/Stop function to save that little bit of fuel.
The GLA45 comes with loads of safety kit. These include dual front airbags, window airbags, side impact airbags for driver and front passenger, kneebag for driver, PRE SAFE, ATTENTION ASSIST, ABS, Brake Assist, Acceleration Skid Control (ASR), Hill Start Assist and Hold, ESP, Curve Dynamic Assist and Adaptive Headbeam Assist.
The GLA45 doesn’t have any direct competition in the market. It is not a hardcore sportscar and you would rather look elsewhere if you wanted one. What is it though is a fast machine and one which you can use every day. It has got the practicality of four doors and interior space. And yes it is a proper proper AMG and comes with all the traits of one. Its high ground clearance is a boon too. Sure it is expensive, but it’s one of the most affordable AMG cars you can buy in India apart from the CLA45. So if you want an AMG badge in your garage that wears the Mr. Practical hat as well, look no further than the GLA45.
Mercedes-AMG GLA45 photo gallery:
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