Uplifted Appeal
Mercedes-Benz probably has the largest SUV line-up available, from a singular car brand. The GLA to buyers is their foot through the door for those who want to shell out their hard-earned monies, to join the three-pointed star club.
The 1.6 litre engine is boosted (mildly) to produce 112 horses, which means that this car does fall into the cheaper Category A COE bracket ($166,888 as at 26 September 2017). While it does claim 200Nm, the car does feel a little sluggish from the lights. Once the engine spins up, it does perform relatively well.
Mounted to a 7G-DCT automatic transmission, driving just the front wheels, gearshifts are smooth and the ratios are well spaced out, delivering enough goods in “Comfort” Mode for acceleration from city to highway speeds.
While this might be decently good, we found that even though the wheelbase is a pretty good 2,699mm, the ride comfort can come across as rather notchy, and when especially in “Sport” Mode, where the gears like to hold on, inevitably rock the car. Steering feel might not be the best here, but the wheel is very well designed, and a joy to hold. There are paddle shifters if you ever feel the need to push the GLA a little harder.
Fuel consumption figures reveal a decent 17.9 km/l, and since the car is front-driven, there should not be the worry of excessive consumption from unnecessary driven wheels.
For some, there is the draw of buying an SUV / Crossover. And especially being one with a three-pointed badge certainly does have its appeal.
But on another note, there are its practicalities, and all stemming from its added ride height. The GLA does make things easier if you are part of a young family. There are ISOFIX rear seats, which are the standard mounts for your child seats. And bending a little less does certainly help, be it installation of the seats, or when picking up or strapping your child into them. Older folk will also benefit from the ease of getting in and out, as they too would not need to crouch.
On a separate note, there is the similarly priced and classed MINI Cooper Countryman which could be a good alternative.
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