This, says Mercedes-Benz, is the optimum combination of practicality with off-road ability for today's downsized, sanitised, cleaned-and-greened family motoring market - the GLA.
Stuttgart's first compact SUV - officially revealed this morning ahead of its public debut at next month's Frankfurt motor show and due for South African release in 2014 - is small enough to be manoeuvrable around town at 4417mm long, 1804mm wide and only 1494, high millimetres, powerful, with mid-range torque for country roads and long legs for motorway cruising.
It's also the first Mercedes-Benz SUV to be available with a new-generation 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive system, featuring fully variable torque distribution.
Perhaps defining the term crossover, the GLA occupies two niches in the Mercedes portfolio; it slots in at the bottom of the SUV range as the smallest of four model series (GLA, ML, GL and G) and it's also the fourth in a series of five new compact models from the House of the Three-Pointed Star.
But mostly it's intended as comfortable and versatile family transport, with rear-seat backrests that can not only fold down completely to boost cargo-bay volume from 421 to 836 litres, but are also adjustable for comfort on long holiday drives.
MOTORVATION
It will be offered at launch in Europe with 1.6 and two-litre petrol engines ranging from 115kW in the GLA 200 to 155kW in the GLA 250. The GLA 250 4Matic sprints from zero to 100km/h in a claimed 6.5 seconds and tops out at 232km/h, on an average fuel-consumption of 7.16 litres per 100km, while emitting 151g of CO2 per kilometre.
There will also be a 2.2-litre turbodiesel option in a choice of two levels of tune: the GLA 200 CDI with 100kW and 300Nm - and a claimed fuel consumption of 4.35 litres per 100km, at a cost of only 114g of CO2 per kilometre - and the GLA 220 CDI with 125kW and 350Nm.
Each engine has an idle-stop function and either a six-speed manual gearbox or the 7G-DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission (standard on GLA 250, GLA 220 CDI and 4Matic models).
Suspension is by MacPherson front struts and an independent multilink rear set-up with three control arms and one trailing arm per wheel, while the electromechanical power steering is hooked into the electronic stability programme to make possible automatic countersteering when the vehicle oversteers and steering corrections when braking on surfaces with different levels of grip, reduce torque steer and compensate for cross-winds and road camber.
DRIVING ON ALL FOUR
The optional new-generation 4Matic all-wheel drive system uses a power take-off built into the 7G-DCT dual-clutch transmission and electrohydraulically controlled multi-disc clutch in the rear differential to provide fully variable distribution of the drive torque between front and rear axles.
All-wheel drive GLA-Class Mercs also come with downhill speed regulation and an off-road transmission mode as standard. Descent control is activated by a button in the centre console, and maintains a slow, manually selected speed (within physical limits!) using the engine and transmission control systems, and by automatic braking.
When the off-road transmission mode is selected using the transmission mode switch, the gearshift points and accelerator characteristics are modified so suit driving on light off-road terrain and particularly loose surfaces.
LUXURY ACCOMMODATION
All the trim surfaces in the GLA-Class cabin are galvanised in silver-shadow to make them cool to the touch, rather than the warm, tacky feel of vacuum-plated plastic, with the emphasis on horizontal lines.
A two-piece dashboard moulding allows matt and glossy graining for a distinctly different light effect, underlined by a three-dimensional silver-shadow trim section and five round air vents - which are optionally available with rugged bezels that echo the underride guard and side member claddings.
The large, free-standing centre-stack display is finished in glossy piano black with a flush-fitting surround in silver-shadow, to match the three-spoked steering wheel with 12 function keys and galvanised chrome clasp.
SMART SAFETY
Standard driver aids include attention assist drowsiness detection and radar-based collision prevention with adaptive brake assist. Combined with the optional distronic plus, it adds an extra function: when a danger of collision persists and the driver fails to respond, it will brake automatically at up to 200km/h to reduce the severity of collisions with slower vehicles, and prevent rear-end collisions at up to 20km/h.
More optional flutes and clangers include a lane tracking package with blind spot and lane-keeping assist, adaptive high beams and active parking assist that'll dock the GLA automatically in either parallel or end-on parking spaces.
SERIOUSLY CONNECTED
The multimedia infotainment system comes with new functions, additional apps and a modified graphic colour scheme, while the digital drive style and drive kit plus have been extended to seamlessly integrate an iPhone.
Highlights include Siri voice control and Glympse real-time location sharing, Facebook, Twitter, internet radio, Aupe personal radio and an advanced navigation system from Garmin with internet-based real-time traffic information, an online point-of-interest search function, Street View and a 3D map display.
The Comand Online multimedia system has also been extended, with a photo-realistic map display, an extra Bluetooth profile for access from, image display in either .bmp or .png format and the real-time traffic data from Live Traffic.
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