Mercedes GLA Facelift : Observations after a day of driving

Ample torque of 400 Nm being available from as low as 1,600 rpm is one of the reasons for this quick acceleration.

Driving the Mercedes GLA 2.0L Diesel AT

We got to drive the GLA 220d 4Matic variant which has a 2.0L diesel engine that makes 188 BHP @ 3,800 rpm and 400 Nm @ 1,600-2,600 rpm:

Having a powerful diesel engine and all-wheel drive option gives the Mercedes GLA an edge against the competition. The Audi Q3 is available only with a petrol engine and the diesel engine on the BMW X1 makes just 148 BHP and doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Start the engine by pressing the start/stop button with your foot on the brake pedal and you’ll immediately notice the impressive refinement. Even if the engine is quite audible on the outside, inside the cabin, the diesel engine is barely audible.

Take your foot off the brake pedal and the GLA creeps off the line smoothly. With light to medium throttle inputs, the car is pretty effortless to drive. On city roads, keeping up with traffic is an easy affair. The diesel engine doesn’t lug at low speeds and it has enough poke to close in those gaps and make those quick overtakes. The 8-speed dual clutch also responds quickly to throttle inputs and keeps you in the right power band at all times. With almost instant power delivery, the GLA is a quick and smooth car to drive around in the city.

Hit the highways and you can really stretch the legs of the GLA. From a standstill Mercedes claims that the GLA 220d 4Matic can do 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds which is almost 1.4 seconds faster than the BMW X1 and is just 0.2 seconds slower than the acceleration time of the Audi Q3 turbo petrol! Ample torque of 400 Nm being available from as low as 1,600 rpm is one of the reasons for this quick acceleration. Overtaking on the highways is an easy affair and you will never find yourself stuck in the wrong gear. You can always downshift using the paddle shifters or switch to Sport mode, but for 95% of driving conditions, you can manage overtakes by just flexing your right foot in the Normal mode.

The 8-speed dual-clutch transmission does a very good job on the GLA. It’s smooth with its shifts and you never feel the upshifts/downshifts while driving in the city. It also doesn’t get confused at low speeds and manages to stay in the right gear. Even the kickdown response is good and paddle shifters have been provided for those who want to shift manually.

Apart from the default Comfort mode, there are 3 drive modes: Eco, Sport and Individual. These 3 modes alter the throttle response.

The Comfort mode is the default mode which is in between the middle of Eco and Power modes. It works well in town and on the highway and offers a good balance between efficiency and performance.

In Eco mode, the throttle response is lazier and the gearbox shifts up earlier to maximise fuel efficiency. This mode provides the smoothest ride and honestly, with the power and torque that the engine produces, it is good enough to be used in the city as well as on the highway.

In Power mode, it's the opposite. Even with a light dab of the throttle, the engine responds. On undivided highways, this is the mode to use to pull off quick overtakes. The transmission holds a gear for a longer time and the steering firms up too. However, using this mode in the city is not advisable as power delivery can get spiky.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

As mentioned earlier, the engine noise is very well controlled inside the cabin. There is barely any noise or vibration experienced as the engine cranks or on idling. At the same time, if you stand outside the cabin, the engine is loud and that's a testament to the sound insulation of the cabin. Even while driving around, the engine is hardly heard in the cabin. It's only when you put the engine in Sport mode and get aggressive with the throttle that some engine noise is audible in the cabin. The good news is that the engine sounds sporty at high revs and would be appreciated by enthusiasts.

Wind noise and road noise are well controlled at 100-120 km/h.

Mileage & Fuel Economy

The GLA 220d 4Matic is known for its fuel efficiency numbers. ARAI-certified fuel efficiency is 18.91 km/l and after our long drive, the MID reflected ~ 15 km/l which is impressive. The car has an idling start-stop system and the Eco mode helps increase the fuel efficiency as well.

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The GLA gets MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link suspension at the rear. As you would expect from a European car, the setup is on the stiffer side and you do feel a lot of the road. A big contributor to this is the 19-inch wheel size of the AMG Line accompanied by 235/50 section tyres. That’s not a very tall profile to provide a cushy ride. While the suspension can handle small bumps and potholes you can feel them sharply in the cabin. The car can handle large potholes as well, but we’d recommend handling them carefully.

Handling & Dynamics

As expected from a German car, the straight-line stability is excellent and occupants won't even know that the car is cruising at triple-digit speeds. Expansion joints on the highway do not unsettle it. Vertical movement is well-controlled as well.

On long curves, the car holds its line well. When you push it on twisty roads, the stiff suspension shows its benefits. There is very little body roll and the car changes direction without fuss. The turn-in is sharp thanks to the heavy front end and that allows you to carry a lot more speed into the corners. The 4Matic would also help you if you’re driving the car on the limit. Our test car came with 235/50 R19 Continental PremiumContact 6 tyres, which provided enough grip for the power on tap.

Steering

The GLA gets an electric power steering, which is very user-friendly. It's light in the city and most owners will appreciate that. The light steering and automatic transmission make the car very easy to drive in the city. At higher speeds, the steering weighs up well. There's no nervous feeling or twitchiness at all while cruising on the highways. The feel is consistent and the steering is very predictable. On the twisty roads, it relays a good amount of feedback. Enthusiasts would’ve wished for a bit more weight though.

Braking

The GLA is equipped with disc brakes at the front and rear. The braking performance is strong and the car comes to a halt without any drama. Under hard braking too, the car doesn't lose its composure. Mercedes has equipped the GLA with Active Brake Assist.

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