Most affordable crossover from Mercedes-Benz - the GLA- coming this festive season

Mercedes-Benz is preparing to launch the GLA crossover this festive season in India. According to sources, the automaker has finalised the dates of the launch and the GLA might be launched this October in  an expected price range of Rs 28 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.

The GLA was spotted with testing equipment in our country, last month, hinting that the car is already here for homologation purposes. The car is based on the GLA concept that premiered at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2013. However, the looks of the production version of the GLA have been toned down. While the fascia sports automatic bi-xenon headlights with LED DRLs, the car comes loaded with features like front and rear parking sensors, active parking assist, nine airbags, navigation system, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera and a six-speaker audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming.

The Mercedes-Benz GLA is underpinned by the company’s MFA (Modular/Mercedes Front Architecture) platform, similar to the A- and B-Class which are built on the same platform. The GLA will be the fourth MFA-based model and will come with a number of fuel-saving features like automatic stop-start and radiator grille shutters seen on such cars.

The GLA is expected to be offered in both petrol and diesel variants. The petrol variant will be powered by a four-cylinder 1.6-litre engine that produces 156bhp of power and 250Nm of torque. Currently it is badged as GLA 200 in other global markets. The diesel variants will be powered by the 2.2-litre diesel unit which churns out 135bhp and 300Nm of torque. Both the engines will come mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Bookings of the GLA had begun in the last week of May along with that of the S-Class S 350 CDI. Deliveries are expected to commence as soon as the vehicle is launched. The automaker launched the CLA 45 AMG a couple of days ago and the regular CLA model is also expected to come to India within six months. The GLA might make its debut before the introduction of this sedan. It will then go up against the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 from the compact crossover segment in the Indian market. Mercedes-Benz is going aggressively with its plans of expanding its AMG portfolio in India, so we can expect the carmaker to also introduce the high-performance GLA 45 AMG in our country.