The second generation Mercedes-Benz GLA is a major improvement over the last generation but it is the MBUX system that should be spoken about
Mercedes-Benz was slow off the gate when it came to the rush of smaller pumped-up hatchbacks that double as Sports-Utility Vehicles. The first-generation GLA actually looked and felt more like a hatchback than its competitors. It was a good car, but most buyers eschewed it in favour of the Audi Q3 in particular because the latter looked the part. The second-generation GLA looks the part even though weirdly it is a tiny bit shorter than the old one, but crucially, it is approximately 10 centimetres taller. And this one aspect, more than anything else, makes the new GLA ‘fit in’. While I will not get into the dynamic differences between the GLA and the BMW X1 or Volvo XC40, on the design front it does stand as an equal.
The improved wheelbase compared to the previous generation helps rear legroom and while luggage space isn’t all that great, it is unlikely that you’d be buying a car of this class from any manufacturer for ‘luggage space’, but it does have more than enough space for a weekend getaway for a young family. The physical changes to this generation of the GLA make the biggest difference to the car in terms of its appeal.
I drove the GLA 220d with a 190PS diesel motor, there is also the GLA 200, with the less powerful but cheaper petrol option and a specially tuned GLA 35AMG, and I hope to be driving the latter alongside the A-Class AMG35 sedan soon. This is the same diesel motor that serves in many other cars that wear the three-pointed star and is reliable as well as economical. Additionally, there is always more than enough power on tap to overtake on the highway or have some fun. Although be warned that Mercedes-Benz India has hard-coded the new speed alarm into their audio system, so it plays above the music and is annoyingly loud. I can write an entire column about the needless speed alarm, given that roads — such as the excellent Eastern and Western Peripheral Highways around Delhi — have speed limits of 120 kmph, so the alarm at that speed is a bit irritating because you can’t even set the cruise control at 120 kmph.
Truth be told, most buyers of the GLA — while being younger than the typical Mercedes-Benz India customer — will rarely push it. I believe, they will be far more impressed by the MBUX system than anything else. I have written about the MBUX system in the past, and in 2019 during the launch drive of the updated GLC, we experienced the new MBUX in Bengaluru. However, the single most impressive thing about it is that it is made for the world out of Whitefield, Bengaluru.
Yes, every Mercedes-Benz sold in the world today has a bit of India inside. And that brings me to ‘Make In India’ which we tend to conflate with industrial manufacturing. While there is no doubt that manufacturing is important and I would love nothing better than Mercedes-Benz or their German rivals actually stamping steel panels in India rather than training a generation of glorified screwdriver operators, but products like MBUX show India in a good light. After all, it uses India’s core competency, software development, and honestly, what a brilliant bit of software. Yes, I might be slightly more partial to BMW’s excellent iDrive system, if only because of BMW’s better integration with the Apple iPhone and wireless Apple CarPlay, but MBUX isn’t far behind.
Indeed, I actually used my iPhone via Bluetooth on MBUX. This brings me to one slight negative of the GLA today — the fact that all connector points are USB-C, which is a good pointer to the future, but slightly irritating when most devices are still sold with USB-A today. The MBUX system is very pleasant to look at. With the GLA, you get the whole experience of MBUX just like you do on bigger Mercedes’ cars like the E-Class. The same two-screen fully digital display and after playing around with it on various Mercedes-Benz vehicles, I must admit that it is super easy to use. I actually spent a bit of time stationery trying to go through the systems and learn more. Given the times we live in, pre-drive product briefings are a thing of the past, but you can play around with MBUX for hours on end. Heck, the GLA also has Mercedes-Benz dancing interior ambient lighting.
Yes, there is a class of luxury car buyers who just buys the badge and wants a discount. But there is also a class of owner who likes techy things like me, and MBUX on the GLA is fabulous. Mercedes-Benz while charging top-dollar for the GLA compared to its rivals does not offer a stripped-down variant, this is the whole shebang. And yes, it is a good car to drive but I genuinely think that the full MBUX experience is the GLA’s greatest selling point. It even tingles my nationalistic bone.
