China-made Mercedes-Benz GLA spied

Two years after making its world debut as a concept at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show, the Mercedes-Benz GLA has returned to China, this time in its production avatar. Spy shots of the China-made GLA have appeared on the internet, ahead of the car’s local launch, sometime in May this year.

The GLA is being manufactured in China by the Beijing-Benz joint venture which also manufactures long wheelbase versions of the E-Class and the C-Class besides the GLK SUV. The luxury crossover will be available with a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with either 122bhp or the 156bhp and a 211bhp 2-litre turbo.

At present, the GLA is fully imported into China, making it a very expensive buy thanks to the country’s high import taxes. With the cheaper locally made version, Mercedes will be able to compete better with rivals brands including BMW and Audi. According to the report, prices for the locally made GLA will start at around 220.000 yuan (Rs 21.84 lakh), going up all the way till 450.000 yuan (RS 44.68 lakh), depending on the variants.

Source: CarNewsChina