2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG TESTDRIVENOW.COM VIDEO REVIEW

2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG VIDEO REVIEW

Mercedes refers to their latest creation as an SUV and frankly, I’m not sure how to label it. But that question aside, it’s not every day you get to drive a first ever Mercedes model much less its high-performance AMG variant. Small, uniquely styled and of course fast – this is the 2015 GLA45 AMG.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think of the Mazda3 5-door as an SUV. I think of it, as I do with this GLA45, as a small wagon or a hatchback. Dimensionally speaking, they’re very similar but I suppose categorizing this Mercedes as an SUV is far sexier and no doubt better for the bottom line.

With a starting price of under $35,000, the GLA250 is now the entry point into Mercedes’ SUV realm. Give it the AMG treatment and witness the standard 2.0-liter’s 208 horsepower explode to 355 and torque catapult from 258 pound-feet to 332. With fortified engine components and a maximum charge pressure of 26 psi, welcome to the joys of twin-scroll turbocharging. These technologies also help keep the GLA45 running efficiently, with a fuel economy rating of 25mpg combined. An ECO start/stop function also contributes. Other than the CLA45 from which it is based, no other 4-wheel drive vehicle generating this kind of prodigious power even comes close.

Like all AMG models, Mercedes crafted the GLA45 for the driver who yearns for more than just the status quo. Its ground clearance has been significantly reduced from the base GLA, establishing its stance as less SUV and more sports wagon. Thus step-in is low and requires some flexibility to clear the high side bolstering of the optional AMG Performance Seats. Once situated and the key turned – yes, a key – the $650 Keyless-Go option has been inexplicably left off this car – the spunky blat of the exhaust reminds you that you’re in a new breed of AMG. The stubby shifter for the 7-speed dual clutch transmission toggles you into gear, where some typical DCT hesitation occurs before the gears mesh. The optional AMG steering wheel is a suede-covered controller, sized right and eager to direct the meaty front tires. The interminable winter didn’t relent any this week and thankfully my tester arrived wearing its snow boots…a set of 20” Pirelli Sottozeros to facilitate the 4-wheel-drive action, which works from front to back with the added benefit of torque vectoring at the rear. A 3-stage stability program further fine tunes the amount of electronic intervention when cornering. As you can see, this was not the week to push it, but in my occasional meetings with clear pavement the GLA45 held on tenaciously with no sense of body roll as the car bobbed on its specially tuned AMG McPherson strut front and 4-link rear suspension. There is an optional performance suspension with even higher spring and damping rates but in my opinion, the firmness displayed here is as far as I’d want to take it and still keep it everyday friendly. And while my stopping ability was usually predicated on how much snow was on the ground, the brakes have been upsized and fitted here with optional red-painted calipers for immediate speed termination with excellent pedal feel.

Having already spent a week with the CLA45 last summer, I kind of knew what to expect of the driving experience here. That car really won me over both in its aggressive styling and spirited drivability and though making a logical case for the GLA45 is tiny by small crossover standards, if it’s a personalized, urban-friendly, smile-inducing little buggy you’re looking for, this vehicle will not disappoint. And just listen to this AMG exhaust…

A $450 extra, the snorts and pressurized pops this thing lets out are amusing. It’s designed to pipe down when the driving is leisurely but some low RPM drone still permeates the cabin. With a race-start enabled 0-to-60mph time achieved in under 5-seconds, the shifts come as quickly as the speed builds either through the sport program or manually via the metallic paddles. Torque steer is not present but a bit of punchy turbo spool-up is adding to the GLA45’s rambunctious personality.

To my surprise, the upright, low-positioned rear seats provide more leg and headroom than I ever would have thought with ample clearances all around, though with a sightline that points your eyes right into the front seat headrests. And its low lift-over with power hatch makes getting stuff in an easy job, able to carry 47 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. For some perspective, that’s the same as the subcompact Chevy Sonic 5-door.

My car comes with most though not all available options, taking its sticker price from about $45,000 to $65,000. There are certainly more practical small SUVs that can get the job done with far more room for far less money. But I love this little thing. It’d be great fun to drive in any season and backed with this level of performance and unique style, a cool ride to have in the arsenal.

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