The GLA45 doesn't seem that fast. When you look down on the road from your slightly elevated perch, braced by a deep Recaro seat, you don't ever feel like you're pushing your luck. It takes a second glance at the speedometer to realize that Mercedes-Benz's new compact hatchback is going to win a lot of friends in law enforcement.
The GLA shares its front-drive bones with the CLA sedan. While Mercedes boasts of the car's off-road prowess, at just under three inches taller than its sibling, the GLA is more all-wheel-drive hot hatch than trucklet. And the GLA45 is a kinder, gentler AMG than we're accustomed to. There's no furious V-8 goading you on to heroics, no gullwing-door legacy to live up to. The car is an enabler, not a pusher. The thrust unleashed by the boosted-to-the-moon 2.0-liter turbo four isn't effortless or quiet, but it's not brash either, and you're left with the odd sensation of not being aware of how much you're misbehaving. It's a quality shared with other people movers with high costs of entry, like the Porsche Cayenne, and perhaps the new Porsche Macan.
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For cobblestones and commuting, the GLA45 is a little stiff, but that suits us fine. Stout springs, stern dampers, and a meaty anti-roll bar keep the car stuck to the tarmac without a significant penalty in ride quality, and that stiffness earns its keep when the roads narrow and disappear into drizzly switchbacks. In typical small-Mercedes fashion, the electrically assisted steering is quick, firm, and rewarding.
The GLA45's optional leather-and-Alcantara steering wheel is thick and has a trendy flat bottom. The manly, console-mounted shifter is the same one found in the SL63 AMG, and it's a nice upgrade over the base GLA, which you shift via a stalk on the steering column. The rest of the interior follows that pattern, with small changes that make a difference in feel.
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So many of the GLA45's traits are shared with the CLA45 AMG. The chassis and engine are more or less the same, and that's a good thing. But the GLA45 is a more engaging, more interesting car. It's shorter, with eight fewer inches of overhang. It's more handsome, with lines that will age better. The rear seat, sacrificed to styling gods on the CLA, is here a perfectly reasonable place for an adult. The GLA is small enough to park in the city, it feels expensive, and with all-wheel drive, it'll keep up the pretense of feasible (if unlikely) kayaking and bicycling vacations, at least ones that don't require enough room for your Labradors.
With the good comes some bad. Like the transmission: The CLA45's slow-witted, seven-speed, dry-dual-clutch unit also lives here. Tuck into a tight corner and clip the apex, it's the complete sports-car experience, right until the exit. Spool up that twin-scroll turbo to rocket out of the corner, and the transmission will be out to lunch. It's a shame. With tons of traction, great power, and decent looks, the GLA doesn't deserve to be saddled with anything that'll slow it down.
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2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG
- Price (est): $48,000
- Powertrain: 2.0-liter I-4, 355 hp, 332 lb-ft
- Drivetrain: AWD, 7-speed automatic
- Weight (est): 3500 lb
- 0–60 mph (est): 4.8 SEC
- On Sale: Fall
