Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a completely new version of its GLA compact SUV, and it serves both as the third generation of the gasoline GLA and a fully electric replacement to the EQA.
While the latter has up until now been a separate model, the consolidation of electric and internal combustion models allows buyers to choose between electric and gasoline power without diverging sizes, styling or practicality.
European order books for the new GLA opened on July 30, with the first three electric models due to reach customers in November. Mild hybrid gasoline models will follow at the beginning of 2027. U.S. orders and deliveries are planned to begin in 2027, according to Mercedes-Benz spokesperson Tom Steller.
The new single-model approach mirrors what the company did earlier this year with the third-generation CLA and second-generation GLB. It’s been made possible by the adoption of Mercedes-Benz's new Modular Mercedes Architecture platform, which replaces the previous GLA and EQA’s Modular Front Architecture platform.
EVs shed the EQ
In the process, as Mercedes continues to retire its EQ sub-brand for EVs, the EQA badge disappears after just one generation.
Although instantly recognizable as a GLA, the new model adopts cleaner exterior surfacing, a more upright front end and stronger proportions than its predecessor. It sits an inch lower than before while riding on a wheelbase stretched by 2.4 inches — amounting to an overall length of about 180 inches.
Mercedes-Benz claims meaningful gains in passenger accommodation and cargo space. The battery-electric models also gain a 3.8-cubic-foot front cargo compartment beneath the hood in addition to a 14.5-cubic-foot rear trunk.
At launch, the new GLA will be offered exclusively with three electric drivetrains. The entry-level GLA 200 electric uses a rear-mounted motor producing 221 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque, powered by a 58-kWh lithium iron phosphate battery operating on a 400-volt electric system. Mercedes-Benz quotes a European-cycle WLTP driving range of up to 278 miles.
Above it sits the rear-wheel-drive GLA 250+ electric, developing 268 hp and 247 lb-ft and sporting a larger 85-kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery and a claimed WLTP range of up to 408 miles. The flagship GLA 350 4MATIC electric adds a second motor to provide all-wheel drive, increasing output to 349 hp and 380 lb-ft. Mercedes-Benz claims a 0-62 mph time of 5.4 seconds and a driving range of up to 400 miles.
The larger battery’s 800-volt electrical architecture supports DC charging at up to 320 kW, allowing up to 168 miles of additional driving range to be recovered in 10 minutes under ideal conditions, according to Mercedes-Benz. The smaller battery can charge at up to 200 kW.
Gasoline models yet to come will use the company's new turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine together with a 30-hp electric motor integrated into a newly developed 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. The 48-volt system is capable of powering the new GLA for short distances on electric power alone in urban driving, allowing it to coast with the engine switched off at higher speeds and recuperate energy through all eight gears. Front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive variants have both been confirmed.
Promised to be quicker and smoother
Mercedes has adopted a new suspension geometry to help reduce road noise and vibration. Depending on the model, buyers will be able to choose between standard dampers or an adaptive damping system that continuously varies damping forces according to road conditions and driving mode. The steering has also been recalibrated, with what the German automaker describes as “quicker responses around the straight-ahead position and greater weighting through faster corners.”
Although the electric and internal combustion engine models share the same steel body, Mercedes-Benz has provided subtle visual differentiation. Electric versions receive a closed-panel grille incorporating up to 608 illuminated star elements, while the ICE models adopt a more conventional louvered grille featuring 150 star elements together with a full-width LED light bar. Both versions share new lighting signatures, with Mercedes-Benz's latest star-shaped treatment.
Inside, the horizontal layout is centered around Mercedes-Benz's latest MBUX Superscreen, combining a 10.25-in. digital instrument display with a 14.0-in. central touchscreen and an optional 14.0-in. passenger display. The latest MB.OS operating system also debuts on the GLA with a trio of AI agents — ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Bing — to answer more complex questions and conduct conversations.
The new GLA also receives Mercedes-Benz's latest driver assistance systems, including an upgraded Level 2 assistance package with automated lane changing, parking assistance and a new 360-degree camera system featuring transparent vehicle views during low-speed maneuvers.
