Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 perfect for ‘boy racers’

By Lee Pang Seng

EXCITING performance cars are always a dream for the younger set who relishes spinning the driven tyres in taking off and hitting ridiculous speeds to enjoy the thrill of the drive. While the less well off have little options but cheaper dressed-up model variants to live their dreams, the better off are not short of options to whet their appetite.

Mercedes-Benz might be seen as the successful man car in Malaysia over the years but the need to pander the younger executive with a penchant for fast driving is not overlooked. That is where its AMG range comes in to fulfil this pent-up desire for performance-oriented cars with full-bodied  muscles and heady spirit to boot.

Among the latest to make its entry here is the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S, the so-called entry-level model to the SUV (sport utility vehicle) range. Yes, even those who drive SUVs want a vehicle that they could tear along the road at a breathtaking pace. In that respect, the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S 4MATIC+ would not disappoint.

It does the 0-100km/h sprint in 4.3 seconds and we enjoyed our brief ‘boy racer’ moments doing that in taking off from the traffic lights. When doing that, we were mindful to note that the road ahead was clear and we quickly eased off when other vehicles joined the main traffic stream. Its impressive acceleration would match quite a few low-slung sports cars on initial to mid way of the take-offs.

Other than a handful who tried to keep up, the main traffic pool was simply left standing. It’s a heady experience that demonstrates what power is all about, albeit in performance vehicles. The Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S provides the mojo with a 2.0-litre (1991cc) turbocharged engine that delivers 310kW (421hp) at 6750rpm and 500Nm that peaks between 5000 and 5250rpm.

It has a top speed of 270km/h with the AMG Driver’s Package that is pretty academic. Should the existing speed cameras be programmed to record your speed between cameras, like what they do in the UK, you might think twice about slowing down only when you approach a speed camera. This is because it is how fast you covered the distance between the two cameras that are programmed that would determine the speed you are driving at.

Back to the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S, the power and torque goes to the driving wheels via the eight-speed AMG Speedshift DCT 8G. It has a fully variable all-wheel drive system that is part of the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ with AMG Torque Control. Mercedes says ‘the rear axle gearbox features two electronically controlled multi-plate clutches, each of which is connected to a drive shaft on the rear axle. This design means that the engine power is not only distributed variably between the front and rear axles, but also selectively between the left and right rear wheels’.

The Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S is independently sprung all round with MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link rear. With the AMG Ride Control, there is a choice of Comfort, Sport and Sport+ for the electronically controlled adaptive suspension damper system to choose for your respective driving needs. We chose Sport most of the time and Comfort briefly to see how well it would take to the bumpy roads we often cover.

This took into consideration that the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S comes with 21-inch AMG multi-spoke light alloy wheels fitted with 255/35 ZR 21 Yokohama Advan Sport tyres. Visually, you could see that the distance between wheel and road surface is barely 50mm and ride came across as jolting, even in Comfort mode, as expected. We just decided to drive slower over the many bumps, potholes and speedbumps to ‘suffer’ less of the hard impacts.

Instead of switching in between modes, we chose Sport damping as it gave us the confidence to take our favourite corners at good speeds.

The understeer we expected from an all-wheel drive system was not so obvious and we revelled in taking to all our favourites curves with some abandon. The body lean was hardly felt as we carried a fast pace along our winding road route, enjoying the good dynamics of the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S despite its taller stature over cars. For sure, this is an SUV that we would like to own in our younger days!

For the highway drives, the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S might not be as quiet as perhaps the Mercedes-Benz E 350 e that we drove recently. The low-profile tyres tend to pick up more noise over the different road surfaces and this got through a fair bit to the passenger cabin. However, with the quieter breaks in between road surfaces, we could enjoy the music from the Burmester surround sound system. This comprises 12 speakers and a system output of 710 watts.

There is also another sound aspect that you might like to check out in the AMG Real Performance system for a more emotional drive. You could select how you want the turbocharged engine to sound in the interior – sporty, subtle (balanced) or motorsporty and emotional (loud). We left it at subtle as we weren’t too much into exciting auditory sensations.

Mercedes says the AMG GLA 45 S is capable of 10L/100km (10km per litre) in average drive mode. During normal driving in urban centres where we had fewer opportunities to ‘open up’, the fuel consumption was pretty good. This took a dive the moment we hit the pedal hard for some quick getaways or fast overtaking. Then again, this is after all an SUV for sporty driving.

With the passenger cabin benefiting from the reasonably long wheelbase of 2729mm, there is good room for four people on board, and five with a slight squeeze at the rear. The luggage space is ample with 435 litres and the 40:20:40 split rear seatrests could be easily folded away should you require space for long or bulky items.

From the driver’s perspective, there are two 10.25-inch displays in front – one for the multi-info display on the centre dashboard and the other serving as the operational info unit for the driver, which Mercedes calls the AMG-specific screen design. Road speed is given in a digital format while engine revolutions is presented in a kind of expanding coloured wavelength from a centre point. Novel though not entirely practical.

Our favourite item is the head-up display that presents the road speed in digital format, among other information, at almost eye level. This is one item that we wish could be presented in all passenger vehicles as a safety measure as your eyes are focused more on the road and prevailing traffic.

One of the warning items was the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and this came immediately to our notice when we picked up the SUV from Mercedes Malaysia. The left rear tyre was 40kPa lower than the one on the right at 205kPa. To avoid the uneven tyre pressure affecting the vehicle dynamics when we wanted to push it through winding stretches, we headed to the nearest petrol kiosk to bring the tyre pressure up.

The Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S also comes with red trimmings in the seatbelts and front seats that brought out the aggro befitting its sporty status. A sunroof also comes standard but other than for picture taking, we left it unused to avoid being ‘fried’ by the strong and bright sunlight.

Of course, the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S has body styling updates to register a contemporary standing in the market. We particularly like the AMG crest on the bonnet that complements the newly shaped front apron. The new lamp signature for the Multibeam LED (light emitting diode) headlamps and LED rear lamps offer a fresh perspective, along with other fresh design goodies.

As an imported SUV, the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S 4MATIC+ garners an exclusive status based on its price – RM539,888 on the road without insurance. For sure, you have to be a loaded ‘boy racer’ to go about leaving almost everyone standing still at the traffic lights.