2014 Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 AMG (X156) 2.0L 4MATIC 7AT (360 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Mercedes-AMG introduced in 2014 a beefed-up version of Mercedes-Benz’s crossover GLA one year after the unveiling of the GLA 45 AMG concept car revealed at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show.

After the world financial crisis ended, customers started to look again for high-performance vehicles. This time, though, they didn’t have to limit their searches only to impractical two-seat vehicles. They could also choose a compact crossover such as the AMG GLA 45, a vehicle that could eat not-so-old supercars for breakfast while also being able to transport a family of four in comfort and with the safety of an all-wheel drive system.

AMG took the basic shell of a GLA and worked on it to make it look better. The car had to show its high-performance capabilities even when it was parked in front of a pub. For that, the front fascia received a new grille adorned with a double horizontal slat that supported the three-pointed-star badge in the middle. The bumper was redesigned and received the A-shaped lower grille specific for any AMG vehicle, while a pair of side scoops were added to cool the front brakes. In addition, a lower shield protected the bumper and the underbody. At the back, the GLA 45 featured a wider roof spoiler that incorporated the third stop-light as well.

Inside, AMG dropped the regular bucket seats from the options list and added high-bolstered ones. As an option, though, the German manufacturer included a set of sports seats with contrasting stitching. On the dashboard, the infotainment screen adorned the upper side of the center stack, while the center console hosted the gear stick, a couple of cup-holders, and a storage compartment.

The real magic performed by AMG was under the hood. There was an inline-four, two-liter engine helped by a twin-scroll turbocharger. At the time of launch, it was the most powerful unit.