Mercedes Fires Back At BMW X1 And iX1 With The New GLA

Audi isn’t the only luxury car company taking aim at BMW this week. Mere hours after the Q9 debuted to challenge Munich’s brawny X7, Mercedes is targeting your favorite brand’s smallest SUV. The X1-rivaling Mercedes GLA enters its third generation, complete with a fully electric version to take on the iX1 and replace the nearly forgotten EQA.

It’s a clean-sheet redesign with a much larger grille and the three-pointed star motif embedded into the headlights and taillights. In the name of efficiency, increasingly criticized flush door handles replace the conventional setup, unlocking extra miles of range for the EV. The new GLA has a more imposing stance after Mercedes extended the wheelbase by 61 mm and widened the rear axle by 31 mm.

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Even the base model gets 18-inch wheels, while higher trims ride on 20-inch alloys. Compared to its predecessor, the next-generation model sits 20 mm lower to the ground. You can easily tell this is an all-new vehicle by recurring design elements such as the illuminated grille and full-width rear light bar. To Mercedes’ credit, it has put more effort into making the GLA look less like an oversized hatchback.

The New Mercedes GLA Is Packed With Screens

Much like the star-pattern headlights have become a signature of Mercedes’ latest models, the dashboard is now a veritable screen fest. The infotainment display and optional passenger screen each measure 14 inches, while the driver’s instrument cluster is slightly smaller at 10.25 inches. All three sit behind a single glass panel, and thankfully, buyers can skip the extra passenger display.

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The interior’s party piece may not be the triple-screen setup, however. An optional panoramic glass roof features seven individually dimmable segments, allowing occupants to switch from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button. Mercedes also couldn’t resist adding more stars, integrating a starry sky with 172 illuminated stars directly into the glass.

As for practicality, the GLA can swallow 410 liters of cargo with the rear seats in place, a substantial 70-liter increase over its predecessor. Fold the 40:20:40-split rear bench, and cargo capacity expands to 1,400 liters. The fully electric version swaps the combustion engine for a 107-liter front trunk. If you’d rather have a gasoline engine, a turbocharged 1.5-liter mild-hybrid unit sits under the hood. It will be available from early 2027 in two output levels and with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive.

Long Range, Fast Charging, Multiple Battery Options

Meanwhile, Mercedes is launching the next generation of its compact luxury crossover with electric drivetrains. It offers up to 408 miles (657 kilometers) of WLTP range, and if you’re in a hurry, a 10-minute charge at up to 320 kW adds enough energy for 168 miles (270 kilometers).

The base GLA 200 delivers 221 horsepower and uses a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a net energy content of 58 kWh. Step up to the GLA 250+, and output rises to 268 hp while the battery changes to a nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) pack with 85 kWh. This larger battery also powers the GLA 350 4Matic, where dual motors produce a combined 349 hp. With more power and all-wheel drive, the range-topping model needs just 5.4 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h).

A fourth electric GLA variant will follow at the beginning of next year when Mercedes begins offering a 71-kWh NMC battery. Although not yet confirmed, a hotter AMG 45 model isn’t out of the question, considering the mechanically related CLA recently gained a high-performance version.

For now, the three electric GLA models will reach the market in November, with the hybrid arriving shortly afterward. Prices in Germany, where the order books open July 30, start at €48,599 for the GLA 200, followed by the GLA 250+ at €54,978, and the GLA 350 4Matic at €58,107.