Mercedes-Benz GLA Review 2026

The Mercedes-Benz GLA takes everything we like about the contemporary Mercedes A-Class and adds some extra practicality and that oh-so-desirable SUV image. It takes on cars such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque. Is it one of the best small-but-posh SUVs on sale? Read our full Mercedes-Benz GLA review to find out.

Mercedes-Benz's SUV range follows the same Russian doll philosophy as its saloons: they look nearly identical (military-spec G Wagon notwithstanding) but every model is slightly bigger than the last. 

That’s a good thing for the GLA - the entry-point into Merc's range of SUVs - because one repeated criticism of the old model was that it looked too much like an A-Class on raised-up suspension, a major problem when your target audience is crying out for a chunkily styled SUV. Thankfully, the blunt front-end and boxier profile of the latest GLA means that it isn’t going to be mistaken for a hatchback. 

The looks changed again in 2023 due to a facelift, but it was so minor that you'd struggle to tell the difference. The facelift brought new bumpers, a refreshed radiator grille and body-coloured wheel arch extensions (replacing the rugged black cladding found on earlier models), but it was all very subtle.

The infotainment was improved in 2023 as well. The 10.25-inch central touchscreen display is slicker to operate than before, while a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is now standard across the range, where previously, a smaller 7.0-inch unit was fitted on more affordable models. Generally, we really like the GLA's interior: it's practical and largely well-finished, although it doesn't feel quite as rock-solid as you might expect from a Mercedes.

Over the several years that the GLA has been on sale, there have been numerous changes to the trim levels offered, and the amount of equipment supplied with each. Many luxury items are standard, but even today, features like adaptive cruise control cost you extra on most models.

The engine line-up has seen some change, too. There's still a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid power, while as of the 2023 facelift, mild-hybrid electric assistance became standard on most of the petrol and diesel models. At the same time, the battery in the plug-in hybrid Mercedes GLA 250e model was been revised to increase the electric-only range from 39 miles up to 48 miles. Mercedes-AMG models with fire-breathing performance are available, too.

Whichever engine you choose, the Mercedes GLA is a comfortable and relaxing car to drive, if not as sporty as the BMW X1. An automatic gearbox is standard (changing gears yourself is hardly the premium experience Mercedes is going for), while the GLA's light steering takes the pain out of tight manoeuvring.

The Mercedes GLA remains an easy-to-recommend car for those wanting a stylish SUV without the high running costs of a bigger model.

Given that the GLA is based on the A-Class but is taller, you won’t need a degree in quantum physics to work out that it drives like, well, a tall A-Class.  

It handles safely and predictably. Yes, there’s some lean in bends, but you wouldn’t describe the GLA as having anything other than neat and tidy road manners. Importantly, it keeps life pretty comfortable, with only the worst lumps and bumps catching out the suspension. 

Fun? Er, no. That’s mostly because the steering is so numb it’s like the rack has been peppered by a machine gun firing tranquiliser darts. If you want a small SUV that feels positive in corners, you'd best go try a BMW X1 or Cupra Formentor. 

The GLA’s decent in the city. Its raised ride height gives you a good view out at the front, which is matched by the large rear window at the back. A left-foot-saving automatic gearbox is standard - seven speeds in the GLA 180 and GLA 200, eight gears for the others - and you also get a reversing camera with a crystal clear display that helps you take aim at parking spaces. 

Choose the 250e plug-in hybrid, which runs on electric power whenever battery level and driving circumstances allow, and you also get a car that is eerily quiet all the way up to motorway speeds.

There's an extensive range of engines offered in the Mercedes GLA, and what's more, there's been quite a bit of change with that extensive engine range over the time that the car has been on sale.

The mainstream petrol cars have a 1.3-litre turbocharged unit. This has 136PS in the GLA 180 and 163PS in the GLA 200. As of 2023, these both gained a 48-volt mild hybrid system for a smidgen of electrical assistance: and we do mean a smidgen, because neither will run purely on electricity. Neither will set the world alight with performance, either, with 0-62mph sprint times of 10.0 seconds and 8.9 seconds, respectively, but to be fair, neither feels particularly ponderous in everyday driving, either, so will suffice for many drivers.

The Mercedes GLA 250e plug-in hybrid also has the same 1.3-litre petrol engine, but it's backed up by an electric motor and lithium-ion battery that ups the output to a total of 218PS. Initially, it had an official electric-only range of 39 miles on a full charge, but in 2023, it was given a bigger 13kWh battery that allows a range of up to 48 miles. That should be enough for many people's office-and-back commute. If you want to travel further than that on electric power, maybe consider the all-electric EQA, which is essentially an EV version of the GLA.

At various other times, a pair of other petrol engines, both 2.0-litre units, were also offered. The GLA 200 had 190PS and the GLA 250 had 224PS, but we never got to try either.

Diesel might be rapidly going out of fashion but, if you cover a lot of miles out of town, the frugal Mercedes GLA 200d or 220d ought to be on your shortlist. Both use the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, tuned to produce 150PS and 190PS, respectively (a 116PS version of this same engine was used briefly in the GLA 180d, but it was only offered very briefly). The more powerful engine comes as standard with Mercedes-Benz's 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, which might be worth the extra outlay if you live in a rural area. Both feel brawny and muscular in everyday use.

The super-sporty Mercedes-AMG models also come with four-wheel drive and turbocharged 2.0-litre engines, although this time powered by petrol. The GLA 35 4Matic develops 306PS for a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds, while the GLA 45 S 4Matic+ develops a scarcely believable 421PS, propelling the car from 0 to 62mph in just 4.3 seconds. The former feels effortlessly rapid, where the latter, predictably, feels borderline bonkers.

Euro NCAP has awarded the GLA a five-star score, with high marks for adult- and child occupant safety.

The GLA comes with a variety of airbags in the front (there's no coverage in the rear, though), and gets lane assist that keeps the car in the centre of its lane on a straight road, and attention assist that can warn you when you should probably take a break. Automatic emergency brakes are standard and it has a bonnet that pops up to protect pedestrians from the hard internals below in a collision. 

Adaptive cruise control comes only as part of the Driving Assistance Package. Strangely, this comes as standard on higher-end versions of the GLA 220d, but on all other versions, it's an optional extra costing somewhere in the region of £1,500.

The Mercedes GLA is ideal if you’re looking for a relatively small tow car. They can all two up to 750kg unbraked. The 180 has a maximum braked trailer capacity of 1600kg, while that's upped to 1800kg in the 200, which is the same as the 200d and 250e. The 220d 4Matic can handle up to 2000kg, meanwhile. Things are slightly worse in the powerful Mercedes-AMG cars, the 35 managing to pull 1800kg and the 45 S managing 1500kg.

Mercedes offers an optional Towing Package, which comes with an electrically folding tow bar, trailer assist technology, and LED warning light in the boot to let you know when the tow ball is unhitched.

The advantage of going for the GLA over its siblings is that you get a much more practical interior than in the A-Class, but without having to settle for the slightly odd looks of the B-Class.

In the front, its seats seem to have almost endless runners – something that used to be the preserve of Mercedes saloons – so even if you're a towering metal-mouthed baddie from a Bond movie, you should have plenty of room. More the vertically challenged type with a penchant for taking people's heads off with your bowler? Worry not: the plentiful seat height adjustment means that you're catered for, too. Factor in the near-infinite steering wheel height and reach adjustment, and you really can't go wrong.

There's more good news when you check out the back seats, because even if you're tall, there will be enough head- and legroom for you to get comfortable behind a driver of the same size. Large footwells mean there's room for three people's feet, although the hard middle seat won't be particularly comfortable over any kind of distance, and limited shoulder space means that three people will feel rather pinched when travelling in the back.

The GLA doesn't offer seven-seats (that small SUV niche is reserved for the GLB, in case you're wondering why it exists) but it does get a big and practical boot. The GLA 200's 495-litre capacity ( you get a slightly reduced 485 litres in the 200d and 220d 4Matic, or 445 litres if you go for the 250e hybrid) will swallow a set of suitcases without trouble. With the rear seats folded away, capacity swells to 1430 litres for the 200, but is 10 litres smaller in the 200d and 220d 4Matic, while the 250e makes do with 1385 litres. The seats don't fold completely flat and there's a short load lip, but the huge opening means you still shouldn't struggle to get things in.

Features aren't in short supply, either. You get a couple of smaller cubbies on either side of the load bay, and a 12V socket, which is useful for handheld vacuums and the like. All models also get an electrically operated boot lid, which you'll be thankful for when you have hands full of shopping.

How nice your GLA is to sit in is intrinsically linked to how high you're willing to climb up the model line-up. That said, all GLAs have soft-touch plastics in most of the places you look at often, and harder materials in the places you don’t. Plastic quality in a BMW X1 is more consistently good. 

Moving up the model range buys you nicer finishes, though. So while the Sport Executive model only get fabric seats with Artico (Mercedes-Benz speak for fake leather) bolsters and shiny black plastic cabin trims, AMG Line Executive cars get carbon-fibre-look trims and seats finished in Artico and Dinamica (that's fake suede) fabric with red stitching. 

For standard leather that's the real deal, you'll need to pay the premium for the Mercedes-AMG performance models, as real hide is not an option for the standard GLA versions.

The twin-screen media display in the Mercedes GLA really gives its cabin a dose of the 'wow factor'. These days, you get two 10.25-inch displays side-by-side, made up of the central infotainment screen and a customisable digital instrument cluster. Earlier on on the car's life, the central screen was the same size, but the digital instrument screen measured 7.0 inches unless you paid extra.

Either way, the system is easy to operate, either via the touchscreen or using pads on the steering wheel. There's also a 'Hey Mercedes' voice-activated personal assistant, which works a bit like Amazon's Alexa, although it makes you feel a little silly if you have passengers in the car.

The Mercedes-Benz augmented-reality navigation is worth a shout-out, too. This overlays images of the road ahead on the navigation screen with arrows pointing in the direction you need to go. It's a pretty cool feature and very handy at complicated junctions or roundabouts. It was once standard on GLA AMG Line Premium models and above, but you now only get it on the sporty Mercedes-AMG models without having to pay extra.

If you're looking to buy a Mercedes GLA brand new, then prices currently start at around the £36,000 for the GLA 180 in Sport Edition trim, but upgrading either your engine or trim level will quickly elevate the price of your car. Only a couple of the numerous engine-and trim combinations sit below the £40,000 mark, and the rest bust it by either a little or a lot, depending on how carried away you get with the spec of your car. The priciest mainstream version, the GLA 220d 4Matic in AMG Line Premium Plus guise, sets you back around £54,000. If you want the PHEV version, that'll cost you between £46,000 and £51,000.

The sporty Mercedes-AMG models, meanwhile, will be even pricier. The 35 costs between £55,000 and £59,000 depending on trim, while the 45 S costs a whopping £74,000.

Alternatively, you could turn to the used car market to bag yourself a GLA for much less. We've seen these second-generation GLAs on sale from around £17,000, but bear in mind that these will be low-spec examples wearing fairly hefty miles. A little more - around £22,000 - should get you a 2021 PHEV example with around 35,000 miles on the clock, and that's a very interesting car for a very tempting price.

As we've said, there's been lots of change with the GLA's engine range over the years, what with different engine options coming and going over the years, and mild hybrid tech being added halfway through the car's life. As a result, there's also been lots of change with the car's efficiency, albeit that the differences are fairly small.

Whatever the case, the most modest petrol engines have official WLTP fuel returns in the low-40s for MPG, while the slightly pokier versions sit in the high-30s. The sportier Mercedes-AMG versions are much juicier, though, with the 35 falling to a mid-30s return, and the 45 S unable to beat 30mpg.

Go for any of the diesels, and the official figures suggest that you can expect an MPG return in the low-50s.

Mind you, those same official figures reckon you can get somewhere in the region of 250mpg from the 250e plug-in hybrid, which is about as likely as you giving Elvis a lift. The official tests are unrealistically flattering to PHEVs, and the MPG you end up getting in the real world will depend entirely on how you use the car. If you plug in regularly and keep your regular journeys sufficiently short that they can be done on EV power alone, and the car has the potential to be very cheap to run. The post-facelift 250e will give you the best chance of doing that, as its electric range was improved from 39 miles to 48 miles. As soon as the petrol engine fires up, though, we reckon you'll struggle to better 40mpg.

Cars of all fuel types are now liable for the same flat rate of VED road tax, currently charged at £195 per year. However, all GLAs bar but a handful of entry-level models cost more than £40,000 when brand new, and so these will be subject to the 'luxury car surcharge' for VED. This will add another £425 to your annual tax bill between years two and six of your car's life.

Mainstream versions of the GLA have diverse insurance ratings, ranging from group 22 and the bottom of the spectrum, right up to group 37 at the top. For the sporty Mercedes-AMG versions, you're looking at classifications of between 38 and 42.

We've already mentioned that the trim levels on offer in the Mercedes GLA range have changed around several times over the many years its been on sale, and the amount of equipment that comes with each trims has changed a lot. too, with some items being added to some trims along the way, and some items being taken away. If buying a used Mercedes GLA, our advice is to judge every example you encounter on its own merits, and decide for yourself whether it has enough in the way of luxury kit for you.

These days, the trim levels on offer include Sport Edition, Sport Executive, AMG Line Executive, AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus.

The entry-level Mercedes GLA Sport Edition is only available with the most modest engine choice, and comes with kit including:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• chrome exterior details
• power adjustable and heated door mirrors
• LED headlights with automatic high beam
• powered tailgate
• 10.25-inch twin-screen infotainment system
• parking sensors
• reversing camera
• single-zone climate control
• keyless  go
• heated front seats
• part-man-made-leather upholstery

The Mercedes GLA Sport Executive has a wee bit more choice on engine, but these still sit at the more modest end of the scale, and additional standard kit includes:

• a different design of 18-inch alloys
• revised interior trim
• blind spot assist

The engine choice gets much broader for Mercedes GLA AMG Line Executive trim, and equipment includes:

• 19-inch alloys
• AMG bodystyling
• lowered suspension
• privacy glass
• revised grille treatment
• sports seats
• sports pedals
• 64-colour ambient lighting
• wireless phone charging

Getting towards the top of the range, Mercedes GLA AMG Line Premium trim provides:

• 20-inch alloys
• sportier styling pack
• power-adjustable front seats
• heated steering wheel
• stereo speaker upgrade

At the pinnacle of the mainstream range sits the Mercedes GLA AMG Line Premium Plus, which gives you:

• panoramic glass sunroof
• Multibeam LED headlamps
• head-up display
• 360-degree cameras
• traffic sign assist

The sporty, high-performance Mercedes-AMG models come in their own set of standalone high-spec trim levels.