All will be revealed in a few weeks.
If you’re in the market for one of Mercedes’ crossovers, you have no shortage of options. From the flagship GLS, you can work your way back through the model range, including the GLE, GLC, the upcoming GLB and this smallest model, the GLA-Class. While the company recently updated the rest of the model range, the GLA has been in desperate need of a refresh. Finally it’s going to get one, with the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA officially debuting on December 11.
Before that actually happens, the company seemed keen to show us most of what it has up its sleeve to build some buzz. To that end, it sports more aggressive styling to suit its larger cousins like the GLE. There’s a more upright grille for a bit of presence, while the front and rear light clusters are thinner, but more aggressively styled than before. This generation is about four inches taller than the previous GLA, making it more SUV-like than before. While it is taller in height, it’s also about half an inch shorter in length, which may affect cargo space a bit. At the moment, Mercedes did not provide any more technical details.
Under the hood, it’s likely the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA will continue on with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. However, this time around we’re in for much more power, as the latest AMG-tuned engine is capable of up to 416 horsepower. Beyond that, newer models will see a mild-hybrid system, if not a plug-in hybrid variant as well.
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA will debut on December 11 at 2 PM CET. That means an 8 AM debut on the East Coast, or an early 5 AM Pacific time. It’s been a long time coming, as the aging GLA competes against a widening field. The brand’s small crossover competes against the new Audi Q3, BMW X1 and X2, and the Volvo XC40.
