Now moving into in its mid-life cycle, the facelifted GLA is available in three variants and is priced from RM239,888.
The latest iteration starts with the GLA 200 (RM239,888, on-the-road with GST, without insurance), followed by the GLA 250 4MATIC (RM269,888) and the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC (RM408,888).
The entry-level front-wheel driven GLA 200 is powered by a 1.6-litre (1,595cc) turbocharged engine, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), producing 156hp at 5.300rpm and 250Nm of torque from 1,250 to 4,000rpm.
While rolling on 19-inch five-spoke light weight wheels in matt-black and a high-sheen finish, the GLA 200 will sprint from 0-100kph in 8.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 215kph.
The exterior is fitted with the Urban Line, Night Package, aluminium roof rails in high-gloss black, LED headlights, adaptive highbeam assist and powered folding external mirrors.
Standard equipment includes off-road comfort suspension, Dynamic Select, Eco-Start-Stop function, Pre-safe System, Active Brake Assist, Adaptive brake lights, tyre-pressure monitoring system, run flat tyres and five airbags.
Inside, the seats are upholstered in Artico man-made leather and black Maringa fabric, while the rood liner is in black.
There are light aluminium trim with longitudinal grain and a multi-function three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Convenience features include keyless-entry, hands-free tail-gate operation, automatic climate controls, cruise control, attention assist, reverse camera, active parking assist, automatic dimming interior and exterior mirrors and powered front seats with four-way lumbar support and memory.
For entertainment, there's an Audio 20 CD with Garmin MPA PILOT pre-installed, 8.0-inch media display screen, Apply CarPlay and Android Auto.
As for the GLA 250 4MATIC, it now uses a 2.0-litre (1,991cc) turbocharged engine with the same seven-speed DCT, only the engine now provides 211hp at 5,500rpm and 350Nm of torque from 1,200 to 4,000rpm for the all-wheel drive system.
This means its 0-100kph time is cut to 6.6 seconds (-1.5 seconds) and top speed increases to 230kph (+15kph).
Externally, it loses the Urban Line for the more sportier AMG Line, while rolling on 19-inch five-spoke lightweight wheels instead.
Inside, it also gets the AMG Line of fittings with the seats are now in Artico man-made leather and black Dinamica microfibre, illuminated AMG door-sill panels, AMG floor mats and an off-road media display for the Audio 20 CD entertainment unit.
The most powerful of the lot, the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC, tunes up the GLA 250's engine to produce 381hp at 6,000rpm and 475Nm of torque from 2,250 to 5,000rpm.
While fitted with larger 20-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels, the GLA 45 is able to shaves the 0-100kph sprint time down to 4.4 seconds and its top speed now jumps to an electronically-limited 250kph.
It also gets an uprated AGM speedshift seven-speed DCT, AMG Ride Control sports suspension, AMG Dynamic Select and an AMG performance exhaust system.
Externally, it is fitted with the AMG Night Package and AMG aerodynamics package.
The inside gets an AMG exclusive interior package, AMG leather performance sports seats with black and red contrasting stitches, upper-dashboard in Artico man-made leather, Panoramic sliding sunroof, red seat belts, carbin fibre inserts and an AMG performance steering wheel wrapped with Nappa leather.
Added convenience now includes the addition of COMAND Online, a DVD-changer and a Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system.
"The new GLA is ... suited for an active lifestyle," said Mercedes-Benz Malaysia vice president of sales & marketing (Passenger Cars) Mark Raine.
The GLA is still in its first generation while the second generation is currently undergoing testing and is scheduled to be released in 2019.
Mercedes-Benz GLA 200
Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4MATIC
Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC
