I was driving the Mercedes Benz GLA 220 D 4MATIC for the past few days and I filmed the car as well. You can watch the video at the end of this story even though it’s in Malayalam.

GLA is the baby SUV from Mercedes stable and apart from the AMG trim there are three variants, the base one with the 1.3 petrol and the diesel 220d and this one with the 4MATIC.

This particular model costs almost 61 lakhs on road Kochi, which is a good deal for a Luxury SUV since the Citroen C5 costs almost 45 lakhs, So in comparison, you are getting a Luxury SUV with all-wheel drive which C5 can dream as of now.

I took the Citroen C5 as an example and if you look at the segment where Citroen C5 belongs, every other SUVs are overpriced and because of that, the GLA seems a good deal to me.

There is not much features if you compare the GLA with the cars which costs much lesser than this baby SUV, for example there is no request sensors on the door handle or there is no 360 camera and no ventilated seats either.

This SUV looks big and attractive. The bigger bonnet and the bumper makes this car a bit matured if you compare to the previous generation GLA.

LED headlamps are nice to look at it and it’s very bright too, so if you wonder why there is no foglamps, the answer is its not needed actually. The headlamps do the job well.

There is diamonds on the grill (pun intended!) like the previous A Class and the three pointed star is situated at the middle and a proper Mercedes logo is there on the bonnet too.

This car is equipped with radar based brake assist system which can be adjusted in the infotainment screen.

Since this is an SUV, there is body cladding all around and the at the rear bumper there is fake exhaust tips and a few fins to make the car looks sporty, if you look underneath you can find an exhaust tip which is pointed to the bottom.

Rear view camera is tucked away and only comes out if you put the reverse gear or open it through the Infotainment system.

There is a few bits of aluminum at the side profile, window border line for example and the side cladding worn some chrome too.

There is a quarter glass as well and 4 windows get auto up and down function like any other Mercedes in India.

Tailgate is powered and the action is smooth, there is no fancy stuff like foot wave or anything and if you press a button it’s closes automatically. You can choose one with in three. One on key fob and one on the door pad or the tailgate opener button itself.

If you open the boot, you can a see a space saver tyre placed on the floor and not below the pad as usual and the below compartment filled with the tools and a warning triangle. This space saver eats up a lot of space in the boot so, the practicality. And you can fold the three seats individually, no powered mechanism here. Simple and not tricky, if you fold the seats there is a plenty of space to carry your stuffs.

There is a pneumatic strut for the heavy bonnet, and if you open the hood, you can see the 2 liter 4 cylinder diesel engine, this engine produces 190 HP power and 400NM torque and its mated with a 8 speed DCT and 4Matic system.

And before driving the car, lets look into the interior, there is a lot to talk about especially the MBUX infotainment system with the cluster display.

This MBUX system is very responsive and this is one of the best system ever in the entire car industry. I am not going to mention each and every function on the system as if I do, since that much options are there, navigation, ambient, lighting, dynamic drive modes are a few.

Cluster is also customizable, you can make your own configuration at the dials MID or the entire screen.

Flat bottom steering wheel looks nice and feel good to hold. There are buttons and touch pad both sides. At the left you can use the controls for the infotainment and the at the right you can adjust the cluster and cruise control with the button and the touch pad.

Seats are comfortable, both seats are electrically adjustable and these seats have memory function too but there is no provision to adjust the passenger seat from the driver side.

Switches for climate control and the hazard light looks classy and the toggle function is satisfying. There is a wireless charging pad and c type USB ports and a cigarette lighter socket for your devises to charge.

There is an off-road mode (4MAIC), and dynamic modes such as eco comfort and sports and an individual mode

Each DYNAMIC SELECT® drive mode will adapt throttle response, transmission shift points and handling to match your desired driving style.

At the rear the seats can be moved and reclined to a little. Two can sit comfortably as there is a prominent middle hump which can make the 3rd person unwelcome.

With this 2 litter engine, driving the GLA 220D is fun, this SUV is fast 7.3 second to 100 and driving dynamics are well sorted, comfort mode is more than enough for the normal use and the gear box hold to higher RPM for a long time in the sport mode.

Shifts are quick and smooth, this 8 speed DCT is nice and with the 4matic system, its not easy to get a wheelspin even if you switch of the ESP, this car got phenomenal grip.

And to conclude, if you are looking for an SUV and wanted to step into the luxury segment. This GLA 220 D 4matic is the best choice. Its fast dynamically sorted, efficient and looks exactly like a new era Mercedes.

Welcome to the club!

Here is the video..