2015 Mercedes-AMG GLA45 to Bow at 2014 Detroit Auto Show

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff

Aimed at the same younger audience the CLA was designed to attract, Mercedes-AMG will debut their GLA45 at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.

Under the hood of the compact SUV is Affenbach’s twin-scroll turbocharged 2-liter four-pot driving 355 horsepower and 332 lb-ft torque through a dual-clutch seven-speed transmission to all four wheels. The power plant is capable of pushing the GLA45 from nil to 60 in 4.8 seconds, topping out at an electronically limited 155 mph.

Regarding the transmission, drivers can select from four modes of power management, ranging from full control in Manual and Sport modes (similar to the SLS AMG GT), to Momentary M Mode (found in the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series) and Controlled Efficiency, the latter for those times when fuel efficiency and comfort are a greater need than all-out speed. Stop-start function is also available in Controlled Efficiency mode.

Though biased toward the front pair of wheels, the GLA45’s performance-oriented 4MATIC system can send more power to the back when driving in anger, especially upon launch through the fully integrated power take-off unit. Meanwhile, the SUV’s electronic stability program now includes a Curve Dynamic Assist so as to prevent understeer while diving into a switchback.

The GLA45 will arrive in showrooms later this year.



TTAC Staff
TTAC Staff

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  • Nrd515 Nrd515 on Jan 09, 2014

    I actually like this thing. I haven't liked an MB car in a long time. Still, it's got too much grill.

  • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on Jan 10, 2014

    It shouldn't be called the 45 unless it has a 4.5L V8. Which it clearly cannot. I might also note this is NOT a good looking car. AMG used to mean something special had been done to the car, it wasn't essentially a trim package! A M G, Any Machine Granted. But whatever, women in their 20s will lease them and then return em, and some dudes who think an STI is too normal will grab them up of the used lot.

  • Redapple2 Love the wheels
  • Redapple2 Good luck to them. They used to make great cars. 510. 240Z, Sentra SE-R. Maxima. Frontier.
  • Joe65688619 Under Ghosn they went through the same short-term bottom-line thinking that GM did in the 80s/90s, and they have not recovered say, to their heyday in the 50s and 60s in terms of market share and innovation. Poor design decisions (a CVT in their front-wheel drive "4-Door Sports Car", model overlap in a poorly performing segment (they never needed the Altima AND the Maxima...what they needed was one vehicle with different drivetrain, including hybrid, to compete with the Accord/Camry, and decontenting their vehicles: My 2012 QX56 (I know, not a Nissan, but the same holds for the Armada) had power rear windows in the cargo area that could vent, a glass hatch on the back door that could be opened separate from the whole liftgate (in such a tall vehicle, kinda essential if you have it in a garage and want to load the trunk without having to open the garage door to make room for the lift gate), a nice driver's side folding armrest, and a few other quality-of-life details absent from my 2018 QX80. In a competitive market this attention to detai is can be the differentiator that sell cars. Now they are caught in the middle of the market, competing more with Hyundai and Kia and selling discounted vehicles near the same price points, but losing money on them. They invested also invested a lot in niche platforms. The Leaf was one of the first full EVs, but never really evolved. They misjudged the market - luxury EVs are selling, small budget models not so much. Variable compression engines offering little in terms of real-world power or tech, let a lot of complexity that is leading to higher failure rates. Aside from the Z and GT-R (low volume models), not much forced induction (whether your a fan or not, look at what Honda did with the CR-V and Acura RDX - same chassis, slap a turbo on it, make it nicer inside, and now you can sell it as a semi-premium brand with higher markup). That said, I do believe they retain the technical and engineering capability to do far better. About time management realized they need to make smarter investments and understand their markets better.
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Off-road fluff on vehicles that should not be off road needs to die.
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Saw this posted on social media; “Just bought a 2023 Tundra with the 14" screen. Let my son borrow it for the afternoon, he connected his phone to listen to his iTunes.The next day my insurance company raised my rates and added my son to my policy. The email said that a private company showed that my son drove the vehicle. He already had his own vehicle that he was insuring.My insurance company demanded he give all his insurance info and some private info for proof. He declined for privacy reasons and my insurance cancelled my policy.These new vehicles with their tech are on condition that we give up our privacy to enter their world. It's not worth it people.”
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