NAIAS 2014: Mercedes GLA45 AMG Misses SEMA, Debuts In Detroit

by Phillip Thomas

Updated: February 5th, 2014 Published: January 13th, 2014

naias 2014 mercedes gla45 amg misses sema debuts in detroit

Tacky graphics, redline wheels, ~~hotglued~~ industrial adhesive attached spoiler and painted red calipers. I know this is an AMG, but can we tone down the try-hard looks? There’s a reason successful young Mercedes-Benz buyers don’t shop at Autozone for “accent pieces”, and it is not because they want the junk factory-installed.

In production form, it’s a neat and tidy take on the small cross-over segment. It rides on the same platform as the CLA45 AMG, and shares the drivetrain. What it packs is a 2L turbo four with 355 horse power and a stout 332 ft lb of torque at around 2,000 RPM (thanks to a twin-scroll, variable vane turbo). Through a 7 speed dual clutch transmission, this translates into 4.8 second 0-to-60 times. The rest of the car is standard AMG affair with larger cross-drilled brakes, your choice of 19-inch or 20-inch wheels with 235mm wide tires, and unique suspension tuning. You can look at the CLA45 AMG to see how well this equipment all works out.

That said, it will still probably sell to house wives who wanted the top-trim GLA hatch.

#NAIAS2014

Phillip Thomas

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3 of 11 comments

Ryoku75 on Jan 13, 2014

Another 4-door 4 cylinder turbo crossover with Mazinger 7 styling, why would I buy this over a cheaper HondaYota model?

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Mad_science on Jan 13, 2014

There must be like zero room in the hatch/trunk area. If you're going to make a crossover version of something, at least give it the room to carry some stuff.

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- Maymar on Jan 13, 2014
  
  I keep hoping they'll announce a B45 AMG (since all the pieces are there), but I doubt they'll ever ship the B over to the US, so I'm not holding my breath for Canada to get anything greater than the cheapass special.
  
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