It’s almost the end of the year and that usually means most of the new cars for 2020 have been revealed – but on December 11 Mercedes-Benz will pull the covers off of the revised GLA and to whet our appetite it has released a shadowy teaser image of the second-generation subcompact crossover…
There’s not much to see from the dark image but we assume that it’ll boast sharper creases, more modern-looking headlights and taillights and sport more aggressive styling overall (as is the norm these days…), however, the three-pointed star brand has shared some preliminary specifications about the newbie.
It will be 100mm taller than the outgoing model (which was 1,494mm tall) meaning it should offer a higher seating position that’s more akin to an SUV (some felt that the current GLA was more of a hatchback than a crossover) and of course the extra head room will be much appreciated for taller passengers. However, it will be 15mm shorter than the predecessor but Mercedes promises it will have generous legroom thanks to stretched wheelbase and reduced front and rear overhangs.
As for the cabin, the GLA could share much of the layout with other sub-compact models from Mercedes and that includes the dual-screen setup powered by the MBUX infotainment system. It will be packed with safety and assistance systems (its Driving Assistance package will be extended to boast cornering and emergency lane functions, as well as Active Brake Assist, and an exit warning function warning the driver about approaching vehicles or cyclists).
Power should be supplied by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder which will be mated to a seven-speed automatic producing around 220 horsepower.
