STUTTGART, GERMANY - Mercedes-Benz has given us an even closer look at its new GLA compact SUV ahead of its official reveal at 3pm on Wednesday, December 11.
The new rear-three-quarter sketch shows that Mercedes has made more effort to distinguish the GLA from its A-Class sibling than in the previous generation, the high-rider now sporting a third side window that makes it appear bigger and more upmarket.
As previously reported, the new GLA will be over 10cm taller than its predecessor, resulting in a more commanding driving position and increased headroom. The new GLA will also be half a centimetre shorter than before, although Mercedes says that despite this the rear legroom will be “much more generous”.
Buyers can expect a long list of available driver assistance features, including the Driving Assistance Package with extended functions that include Active Brake Assist, the cornering function, emergency lane function, as well as an exit warning system that alerts the driver to approaching cyclists or vehicles and another warning that sounds when pedestrians are detected near zebra crossings.
It goes without saying that the new GLA will inherit the MBUX infotainment system from the rest of the latest-generation A-Class family, which features intelligent voice control that uses machine learning.
The GLA will also upgrade to the latest-generation engines, with the company’s Alliance-sourced 1.3-litre, four-cylinder turbopetrol motor likely to form the mainstay of the line-up, while 2-litre turbopetrol and turbodiesel options are also likely to be offered. Once again, it is assumed that the GLA will be offered in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations.
For the first time ever, Mercedes-Benz will stage a fully-digital unveiling of the car, and you can watch it
on December 11.