Mercedes will reveal the GLA Concept in Shanghai this coming weekend.
It’s getting more and more difficult to keep secrets these days. Just ask Mercedes-Benz. The German maker had hoped to reveal its new GLA Concept on the opening day of the Shanghai Auto Show but images and details have already begun to leak out, as you can see here.
If the name sounds familiar, no surprise. Like the recently launched CLA, the new Mercedes GLA is based on the same basic platform as the maker’s A-Class line. But it’s intended to create a more rugged appearance than the CLA hatchback – borrowing liberally from the larger and more familiar Mercedes GLK.
Yes, it’s an alphabet soup as the Teutonic marque continues to fill every conceivable luxury niche. And if you like what you see, start saving. The concept is expected to reappear in production form at the Frankfurt Motor Show this coming September, with sales set to begin around mid-2014.
The GLA Concept is shorter, wider and taller than the Mercedes-Benz CLA.
In concept trim, leaked documents indicate the Mercedes-Benz GLA measures 172.4-inches nose-to-tail. It stands 61.8-inches tall, and has a 77.6-inch width. That’s roughly 10 inches shorter than the CLA, but five inches taller and nearly eight inches wider. GLA, CLA and A-Class all share a common wheelbase.
The nose is nearly identical to the latest GLK iteration, especially the upper grille and headlamps, though there are subtle differences in the lower grille and side scoops.
In concept form, the Mercedes GLA features roof rails, skid plates under the bumpers and wheel arch moldings that do little to conceal 20-inch alloy wheels.
The interior is largely a pick-up of the CLA cabin, with some tweaks to the instrument panel and distinctive rear air vents.
The interior is largely common to the CLA and the A-Class, with slight revisions to the IP.
The basic mechanicals are the same as the A-Class and CLA, though the GLA gets some modest suspension changes to give it at least a little bit of off-road capabilities.
The powertrain is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 208 horsepower through a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. The concept features Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system but the production GLA will likely be offered in either front- or AWD packages.
Expect to see a higher-performance model sharing the same turbo package as the CLA 45 AMG recently unveiled at the New York Auto Show. That should mean something in excess of 300 hp for the GLA 45 AMG.