Base GLA 250 4dr All-Wheel Drive 4MATIC
2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250

The Mercedes-Benz GLA has straddled the line between hatchback and crossover since it debuted. It was a stubby, squat and lifted question mark that only got weirder after the AMG division laid hands on it. Despite the confusion, the vehicle’s purpose in Mercedes’ lineup has always been clear.  Previously, if you liked Mercedes and wanted a cheap and attainable crossover, the GLA was your answer. For the totally redesigned 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250, it’s not as simple. That can largely be attributed to the presence of the new GLB, a larger and far more utilitarian crossover that only costs $370 more than the new GLA. Instead of differentiating the two in price, Mercedes has chosen to separate the two by use case. The GLA is meant to be the sportier, sleek, personal crossover. And the GLB is for folks who might be at a different stage in their life with kids and all the cargo that comes with. Despite the GLA being marketed as the sportier of the two, it’s more “crossover” than ever in this new generation. Mercedes made it taller, wider and more spacious inside. The seating position is higher and more upright than before, and cargo capacity has even seen a small increase. Those are all welcome changes. Rear legroom in the first-gen GLA was especially egregious, but there’s 4.5 inches more space this year. Riding in the rear seats is now entirely tolerable for adults, even if rear headroom has decreased by a nominal amount. Thank the new MFA2 platform (modular front-wheel-drive architecture) for the utility gains. It’s now riding on the same front-drive-based underpinnings as the GLB, CLA and A-Class. Wheelbase went up, but overall length went down fractionally. Your powertrain options are similar to those other models we just mentioned, too. Our first taste of this new model is in the GLA 250, which is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 221 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. That’s up 13 horsepower, but it makes the same torque as before. You can get it in front-wheel-drive form or with 4Matic all-wheel-drive for $2,000 more. The front-driver goes from 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds, and the 4Matic model does the sprint in 6.6 seconds. Top speed is 130 mph. It’s plenty quick for the entry-level powertrain. An AMG GLA 35 and an AMG GLA 45 will be offered eventually, but they’re not here yet. The GLA 35 bumps output to 302 horsepower, and the GLA 45 has a prodigious 382 horsepower from its hand-build four-cylinder engine. We know Mercedes also plans a GLB 35 and a GLB 45, but the GLA versions of these AMG cars will likely have a small edge in sportiness — the base GLA is about 250 pounds lighter than a base GLB. Stay tuned on drives for those upcoming models. Similar to its platform mates, the new GLA adopts a wall of screens facing the driver and passenger. A pair of seven-inch displays are standard, but those can …
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