The sneaky photogs over at AutoEvolution caught a glmpse of what is Mercedes’ plan to launch a crossover based on the same MFA modular architecture as the A-Class and B-Class, called the GLA. It will sit at the bottom of the Mercedes’ offroad range, all of which start with the letters ‘GL’. The “A” indicates that it is the smallest of the group.
The GLA became official recently, when at the start of production of the new A-class at Mercedes’ plant in Rastatt, Germany, the automaker said the factory would also be making a crossover.
The Mercedes GLA will be in direct competition with the BMW X1, which is currenlty Europe’s best selling luxury crossover.
According to Autoevolution, the full production versions will come with a body that’s only 110 mm longer than the standard A-Class. The engine options will most likely also be pulled from the A-Class, meaning a choice of small displacements turbocharged four-cylinder units with up to about 200 hp. An AMG version is also possible for the GLA, as its brother the A-Class will get a go-fast version.
