There’s a performance facility in Affalterbach, Germany, that’s quite possibly the hardest working factory tuning arm on the planet. Mercedes-Benz’s AMG portfolio currently includes no less than four saloons, four coupés, three roadsters, four SUVs, two station wagons, a shooting brake, and of course, four iterations of the SLS AMG supercar.
That makes 22 different models, and that’s not counting the upcoming A-Class-based A45 AMG, CLA AMG, and B45 AMG taking the tally up to 25. Make that 26 though, because spies in Germany have just spotted a heavily disguised GLA 45 AMG, which is a crossover based on the new A-Class.
You can think of it in simplistic terms as an A45 AMG with a raised ride height, featuring four-wheel drive and a 350 horsepower 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. The AMG version of this upcoming crossover will get vastly bigger air intakes incorporated in the front bumper, larger wheels and tyres, vented brake discs, and twin pipes at the back.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLAClass is expected to be revealed next year at November’s Los Angeles auto show, as the car is heavily marketed for the US.
