[clementj]

I have never been a fan of the GLA's looks. But as an owner and daily user of the pre facelift 220d 4Matic for almost 2 years now, I find it to be very competent. This is a very sensible upgrade and MBIL seem to have addressed every shortcoming in this version that I sorely miss in my version. The keyless entry, wireless android auto and apple carplay and the 360 degree camera are must have additions. Plus that shiny reflective aluminium dashboard strip in the pre-facelift was on the passenger s face at times and the matte carbon fibre finish in the new one is a much needed tweak.

[84.monsoon]

GLA Facelift launched, starting from 50.5 lakhs for the petrol GLA200 and going up to 56.9 lakhs for the AMG Line Diesel 4Matic.

It is stunning how prices for the German compact SUVs have sharply increased the last few years. When the current generation was launched inMay 2021, the (real) AMG GLA 35 4MATIC was available for almost the same price (57.2 lakhs ex-showroom) as the regular diesel one is priced now. No idea how expensive the AMG GLA facelift is going to be when it is launched - 75 lakhs ex-showroom??

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by Omkar

The headroom is good despite the sunroof. Overall, the space is comparable to what you would get in a Hyundai Creta’s backseat.

I have personally always understood the GLA as the Creta/Seltos equivalent of the three German Marques. It servers well as a second or third car in the family.

I have liked the exterior looks of all GLAs available in India. But only because we prefer road presence over other aspects, it sells less than what it deserves. Even the outgoing GLA looks very small as a car from a distance and hence spending 50L becomes hard for a regular customer. But if you wish to have finer things in life, and don't care about road presence, this has always been a very good option when compared to a Q3 or X1 of respective generations.

[LionX]

Originally Posted by buzzy_boy

No rear center armrest in what's expected to be a ~70 lakh rupees car? I'm sorry, but that's cheap! Come on Mercedes!!!

Exactly, Ventilated seats are also missing from the feature list.

[harikrishnansp]

Originally Posted by siren373

Are they still using the puny 1.3 litre engine for the petrol? Got a GLA back in 2017 when it came with a 2 litre petrol for around 37 lakhs (on road). Unbelievable to see how the cost has shot up since then while the heart of the car has shrunk along with the power figures. I'm hoping this will help me a little with the resale value as I'm looking to replace the car with the 2024 Ioniq (If that ever gets launched here).

People should stop buying cars to put some sense into these manufacturers I think. No amount of inflation would justify this much increase in price. Holding on to your present ride till it falls apart or buying a pre worshipped one seems like the best bet nowadays.

[Balance]

Has anyone seen the GLA 200 (petrol) facelift in flesh yet? None of the dealers in two cities I checked seem to have it. Even the online reviews don't cover it.

While it's not an enthusiast's favourite, there is interest within my family for that edition. While I have seen the brochure, I'm keen to get a first-hand perspective on what the feature changes are vis-à-vis the pre-facelift and the diesel facelift.

[Shiwik]

Originally Posted by Balance

Has anyone seen the GLA 200 (petrol) facelift in flesh yet? None of the dealers in two cities I checked seem to have it. Even the online reviews don't cover it.

While it's not an enthusiast's favourite, there is interest within my family for that edition. While I have seen the brochure, I'm keen to get a first-hand perspective on what the feature changes are vis-à-vis the pre-facelift and the diesel facelift.

I have not seen one yet but can take a stab at the differences. I own the 2023 diesel 220d. I also assume the GLA200 would be exactly the same in the feature list. Listing below the changes that i have noticed compared to mine

1. Newer headlights (4 barrel with auto adjusting highs)
2. New update to the head unto software. Has additional display options and most importantly come with wireless AA and AC
3. 19in wheels standard across
4. 360 camera. The 2023 has 360 sensors and only the rear camera
5. I assume there is not 4x2 option anymore and all are 4matic now
6. blind spot indicators

Now in my opinion these are largely cosmetic changes. I feel the 360 sensors do a better job than the 360 (Experiences could be different though). I would have preferred wireless AA and AC but not much of a pain using it wired currently. Headlights i assume are better now given the 2023 model - although they say high power LEDs, there are barely sufficient (especially the lows). Not driven them in the rains yet and i assume it would be worse.

Coming to the positives - The engine is a super silent unit and you barely hear the motor being on. The gear shifts are slick and the vehicle is simply a pleasure to drive. Although it looks small from the outside, it very comfortably accommodates 4 adults with a boot full of luggage.

[B747fan]

Originally Posted by Shiwik

5. I assume there is not 4x2 option anymore and all are 4matic now

The Petrol one is still 4x2 (FWD). The diesel ones have dropped FWD and are only offered with 4MATIC (although in both lines, AMG Line and Progressive Line, earlier only the AMG Line got 4MATIC)

[karan1977]

I own the GLA 200 (Petrol) 2024. Got it this January and have driven it from Mumbai to Delhi and back and then to Pune and back.
After 4000+kms. running here are my observations:

Pros:
1. Refined engine
2. Smooth gear shifts
3. Paddle shifters make the driving fun
4. Beautiful interiors
5. Plenty of storage space in the front, the front centre armrest is super spacious
6. The air conditioning is good (although I am yet to drive it in 40 degree + temperatures)
7. Blind spot assist is a good feature
8. 360 degree camera is really useful
9. Good music system
10. The multimedia interface is smooth and easy to use
11. Auto parking is fun to use although it sometimes does not detect an empty slot
12. Very good suspension, its soft but not too soft making the ride comfortable

Cons:
1. Missing rear window blinds
2. Missing rear centre armrest
3. Missing ventilated seats
4. Opening the tailgate with your foot gesture does not work most of the time, or maybe I am not getting the hang of it
5. ADAS auto braking is scary. I have had the car brake on its own for no reason whatsoever. Somehow it falsely detects something in front and slams the brakes. This has happened twice on Mumbai roads. Fortunately there was no one behind me or else I would have been rear ended. So now I have to disable the Auto Brake Assist feature everytime I start the car.
6. The front seats are not comfortable for long drives. My wife and I drove for 14 hours on the first day and 8 hours on the 2nd day
7. Mercedes Navigation is not as dependable as Google Maps
8. The seat kinetics feature is gimmicky, I don't think it made my long drive more comfortable
9. The rear camera pops out everytime the car slows down or the vehicle behind comes close. And it is noisy! On the first day I thought there is some loose item in the boot. Mercedes should have kept it simple and just provided a fixed camera in the rear
10. The air conditioning automatically changes over to taking in air from the outside every 15 minutes or so. So you have to press the internal air circulation button everytime you smell smoke or stink

Before I give the mileage figures I would like to point out that my wife and I drive the car sedately. We don't rev the engine high and prefer smooth and gentle acceleration. And we keep the air conditioning on all the time.

Mileage:
1. Mumbai rush hour traffic - 4 kmpl
2. Mumbai non rush hour traffic, avg speed 40 kmph - 10 kmpl
3. Mumbai Delhi Expressway (NE 4), constant speed 120 kmph, RPM 2000 - 16.5 KMPL
4. National Highways, average speed 60 kmph - 18 kmpl
5. Mumbai Delhi Expressway (NE 4), constant speed 90 kmph, RPM 1400 - 20 kmpl

Mumbai Delhi Expressway observations
1. Incomplete. Starts from Sohna near Gurgaon and goes till Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. There after you need to take the state and national highways till Bhanpura interchange near Jhalawar in Rajasthan. This goes all the way till MP - Gujarat border. The Gujarat state highway that starts from the Gujarat border is terrible and full of potholes. But after sometime you get on to the national highway and can go all the way till Vadodara. From Vadodara you again get on to NE 4 (Mumbai Delhi Expressway) and travel till Bharuch. Surprisingly this 120 km strech is the only portion of the expressway open in Gujarat.
2. There are very few food malls open on the entire expressway. Most of it is still being constructed
3. I did not see any operational gas stations on the expressway. So please ensure that you have plenty of gas before you get on the expressway
4. I spotted just one electric vehicle charging station (Sohna to Dausa strech)
5. The road is smooth but not level for most of the journey. So you will experience smooth gradual climbs and descents
6. There is hardly any traffic
7. I have seen idiots stop their vehicle in the extreme left lane and walk across to the extreme right lane just to take cuttings of the beautiful bogeanvilla plants!
8. There was an opening in the fence on the left and I saw a farmer bring his buffalos to cross the expressway. This was in Madhya Pradesh if I am not mistaken

While going to Delhi I took the Nashik - Indore highway and short of Indore I turned left and reached Ratlam from where I took the expressway
On my way back I came via Gujarat. Out of the two routes, I liked the Nashik route better because the state highways in Gujarat were terrible and the traffic from Bharuch to Surat was bad. Both being industrial towns, the highways are full of trucks and there is massive air pollution because of the industries.

Final conclusions
I am happy with the car, its beautiful to look at and drive. No regrets about buying it.
Trip from Noida to Mumbai via Gujarat
1. Distance - 1440 kms
2. Home to home mileage - 16.1 kmpl
3. 23 hours travelling time
4. 91 litres of petrol (Rs 9500)
5. One way toll around 1800

[schubeir10]

Can you please let me know more about the park assist function? Does it park by itself?

Thanks
Schubeir

[superutp]

Question to all GLA owners, do you notice higher than normal body flex sounds, specifically from the windows especially when the car is moving through non even surfaces (when all 4 wheels are not on the same level ground).
I have shown this to Mercedes and they say its a normal flex sound of this generation of the platform

[458]

Checked out the GLA at my local dealer, the car was a new, booked vehicle. When the sales guy started the engine, the entire car started vibrating and the engine sounded very rough. He said this was not normal and needed to be looked at. Is this common in mercs?