The facelift Mercedes-Benz GLA will be launched in India tomorrow i.e. 5 July, 2017. The German crossover will carry superficial changes however the mechanicals are expected to be the same as the outgoing model.
The new GLA was unveiled internationally at the Detroit motor show back in January 2017. It takes its styling bits from the Mercedes-Benz family design. The new car wears a tweaked bumper in the front, a restyled grille and the headlamps get the LED treatment as a standard in this model, unlike in the previous generation where it was optional. The side profile carries a similar silhouette, however, the new car gets gloss black touches on the B-pillar and the wing mirrors. The 2017 GLA sits on newly designed alloy wheels. The rear of the car gets a restyled bumper and a refresh wrap around tail lamp design.
Inside the cabin, the new car houses a restyled instrument cluster. However, the steering wheel is a carryover from the previous model with tweaks in the steering mounted controls. Like its predecessor, the 2017 GLA carries the same eight-inch infotainment system and the dashboard gets an aluminium finish with the iconic Jet-Turbine ducts right below the screen.
The updated GLA will be sourcing its power from same engines as the pre-facelift model – the 2.1-litre turbocharged diesel and a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel. The former produces 136bhp and the latter produces 183bhp. The pre-facelift GLA gets the German manufacturer’s ‘4matic’ all-wheel drive layout in the variant dubbed as the ‘Activity-Edition’. However, the ‘4matic’ is expected to be on offer in the top trims in the 2017 GLA. The new car from Mercedes sits 30mm higher and offers more ground clearance than the pre-facelift model.
The AMG treated GLA 45 which is on offer in the Indian market right now is also expected to receive these fresh styling bits, although the GLA 45 AMG may be unveiled sometime later.
We believe the prices will range from Rs. 31 lakhs to Rs. 35 lakhs and after its launch tomorrow, the German crossover will continue to compete with the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and the Mini Clubman.
