Driven to Perform
The Mercedes-amg GLA 45 4MATIC serves well as a small family SUV, but its masculine aesthetics and sporty nature will probably see dad reach for the car more often than mom, writes Tien Chew
Turn heads in the sporty Mercedes-amg GLA 45 4MATIC as you take it for a ride
On my way to greet my new ride for the next three days, I envisioned what angle I wanted to approach MercedesBenz’s incredibly sporty, subcompact SUV when it came to writing this review. With keys to the top-of-the-line Mercedes-amg GLA 45 4MATIC in hand, I thought that I could simply take the easy route and spend my time with the car revelling in its undoubtedly powerful performance. But no, that would be too one-dimensional, wouldn’t it? So instead, I decided to review it as a family car. Could a highly modified speed demon also serve as a comfortable ride for my wife and child? Let’s find out.
DAY 1
My experience with the vehicle began with taking my family for a leisurely lunch and
some light grocery shopping. Sounded easy enough. Although, I got a cautionary glance from both my wife and seven-year-old when I started the car and the GLA roared to life with an incredible roar—no doubt thanks to its beastly turbocharged AMG 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine—our journey to the go-to local neighbourhood restaurant was pretty much safe and smooth. With our family favourite playlist playing on the car’s awesome Harman Kardon surround sound system, and an overall relaxing vibe, we felt comfortable all throughout the drive. After lunch, it was another easy 15-minute drive to the supermarket where we stocked up on some knick-knacks in the boot. To my surprise, when I opened the boot to store my groceries, I was greeted with fairly generous room (a spacious 480 litres to be exact), more than enough to fit two big suitcases and perhaps another small one. While my time thus far with the GLA has been fairly tame, I knew just from driving around the neighbourhood that I was sitting under a powerful keg, ready to explode with speed and velocity on the highway. Unfortunately, my chance to test the car’s performance had to wait until the next day, as we decided to drive to Putrajaya to visit the botanical gardens. With that being said, it was turning out to be a solid family car, with front racing seats plush enough to feel snug and also child-approved.
DAY 2
At last, I would get to test the GLA on the open highway, as I made my way to Putrajaya. Or, so I thought. With my family’s permission to go faster than the day before, I hit the highway with enthusiasm and switched the drive mode to Sport+—which I would like to note is one step down from the more serious sounding Race mode. Over in Sport+
life was pretty good. The car’s performance was significantly boosted, with punchier acceleration, better grip and overall driving pleasure levels going up a notch or two— especially when it came to taking bends. I couldn’t say the same for my family however, as after only a minute or so of speedy satisfaction, my son told me to slow down because it was dangerous. He’s a smart kid, so I couldn’t argue with that logic. But, with all my years driving on Malaysian roads, I knew I was able to drive safely at higher speeds due to the GLA’S solid build, which really helps instil confidence in a driver, providing certainty instead of being questionable. The exterior of the car is incredibly sleek, with an overall design language that leaned more towards pleasing testosterone rather than oestrogen. The GLA 45 4MATIC came kitted with an aerodynamics package, 20-inch multi-spoke wheels and a sliding sunroof that really brightened up the interior during the day. On the inside, there were the aforementioned AMG performance seats, quality leather upholstery that speaks of the car’s luxurious background, and more detailing in red and black that added racing flair to the overall package.
DAY 3
After two days of driving the car with my family, I can say that the GLA manages to fit a dual role of being a competent vehicle for small families as well as an exceptionally thrilling ride for those who love to drive. On the former, my son seemed to be taking part in the driving experience more so than with our usual family crossover SUV, due to the car’s capability to excite. He got to have fun with the panoramic sunroof, enjoy the crisp audio played by the car’s speakers and
have enough space to put his juice and toys without any help necessary. That’s a mark of an easy-to-use design. My wife on the other hand, was also equally satisfied and had next to no complaints about the car for the duration we had it. Throughout the times I drove at higher speeds, she felt relatively confident knowing the car was built to perform. We travelled mostly around the city and found the vehicle performed great in an urban environment. Although it was a 4MATIC, which means that the car has off- road capabilities, this was sadly never tested, due to the nature of the review. With positive reviews from my family members, it was left to me to throw my two cents into the ring. Of my time with the car, the one thing I really appreciated is actually relatively simple. Did the car actually serve the needs of my young family throughout the three days we used it to travel and get about town? Sure. Was I thrilled and wowed by the car’s insanely fun driving experience? You bet. But what’s more important was that driving this car allowed each of us to have fun in our own little ways. For me, the car’s unnecessarily high performance would have negatively impacted its use and perception as a family car, but surprisingly, it turned out to have the opposite effect—thus succeeding in pleasing both driver and passengers alike.
The GLA is a competent vehicle for small families as well as an exceptionally thrilling ride for drivers