In India, small SUVs will sell like crazy if they have an upmarket badge. Unlike luxury hatchbacks (Mini, A Class, 1-Series) which haven’t sold as well as their makers hoped, Audi’s Q3 and BMW’s X1 sold in inexplicably huge numbers. They both had a point, though. And entry point into their respective brands for those afraid of Indian roads.
What surprises me is how long Mercedes took to join this party. It stands to reason then, that they’ve had plenty of time to study the competitor and, therefore, shouldn’t get this wrong.
It’s called the GLA and it is striking. It’s got all the small SUV bases covered on the looks front. It’s imposing, it has got big wheels and fat tyres, some plastic body protection and most importantly, it’s not cute. There’s plenty of detailing in the rather intricate headlamps and the rest of the body to warrant second looks as well. I’d even go so far as to call it handsome.
There are two trim levels you can choose from for the interior. The Style trim (diesel only) has a clean, all-black interior. This is my kind of cabin because I like simplicity. The one you’ll buy, however, is the Sport trim with has both petrol and diesel to choose from. This cabin has a lot more beige and gives the distinct impression of being much more luxurious. This means that, for a change, you can choose how your cabin feels — simple and sporty or lap of luxury. So far so good.
The next big concern with all SUV buyers is 4x4. If an SUV doesn’t have it, then it’s not an SUV, right? So when was the last time you went off-roading? Yes, you with the Range Rover. And let’s face it; even if you go up to your farmhouse or coffee estate every once in a while, the GLA’s got your back. A 4x2 SUV is not a good idea for me because I do a lot of off-roading for your reading displeasure. But I doubt if you’d care.
It never feels particularly sporty to drive, so I’d stick with the smooth diesel which makes 134bhp and 300Nm of torque. The result of this is surprising. It feels like any other Merc in the city; silent and never flustered. But out on a twisting mountain road, it keeps strong pace with is power delivery and the prompt shifts from the 7-speed double-clutch gearbox.
The box itself comes with three settings — Eco, Sport and Manual. Eco works best in the city. It shifts seamlessly. Sport works well when you want some performance. Even though it has paddles, I wouldn’t bother with Manual because you can always feel the lag between the instruction and result.
Prices (ex-Delhi) start at '32.75 lakh for the GLA200 CDI Style diesel. The Sports come in at '36 lakh for the GLA200 petrol and Rs 90k more for the diesel. Whichever way you look at, that’s spanking good value. If you’re not convinced, you need to speak to the 600 people who booked the car in 18 days even before it was launched.
