Mercedes-Benz GLA Review 2023

The Mercedes-Benz GLA takes everything we like about the latest Mercedes A-Class and adds some extra practicality and oh-so-desirable SUV image. It's just been updated, too, which means it's now even more competitive against 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 this new GLA because if there was a criticism of the old model it would have been that it looked too much like an A-Class on raised suspension – a major problem when your target audience is crying out for a chunkily styled SUV. Thankfully, its blunt front-end and boxier profile means this GLA isn’t going to be mistaken for a hatchback. 

You'll struggle to notice the difference between the latest Mercedes GLA and the pre-facelift model, though. In 2023, the Mercedes GLA was updated with some very minor exterior revisions including new bumpers, a refreshed radiator grille and body-coloured wheel arch extensions (replacing the rugged black cladding found on earlier models).

The engine line-up remains the same as before, including a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid power. Mild-hybrid electric assistance is now standard on the petrol and diesel models, providing a small boost in power as well as the ability to turn the engine off as the car coasts to a stop. The battery in the plug-in hybrid Mercedes GLA 250e, meanwhile, has been revised to provide a longer electric-only range of up to 48 miles.

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.

We like the GLA's interior - it's practical and generally well-finished, although it doesn't feel quite as rock solid as you might expect for a Mercedes. The infotainment was improved in 2023 - the 10.25-inch central display is slicker to operate than before, while a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is now standard across the range. Previously, a smaller seven-inch unit was fitted on more affordable models.

The Mercedes GLA remains an easy-to-recommend car for those wanting a stylish SUV without the high running costs of a bigger model. The latest updates don't exactly change the game but they do help it remain competitive in a very cut-throat market.

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 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 seat because even if you're tall, there will be room behind for someone the same size to sit comfortably. Large footwells mean there's room for three people's feet, although the hard-packed middle seat won't be particularly comfortable over any kind of distance.

The GLA doesn't offer seven-seats (that small SUV niche is reserved for 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 (485 litres for the 200d and 220d 4Matic, 445 litres if you go for the 250e hybrid) will swallow a set of suitcases without blinking. 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 won'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 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 trims, AMG Line Executive cars get carbon-fibre look trims and seats finished in Artico and (fake suede) Dinamica 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'. You get two 10.25-inch displays side-by-side, made up of the central infotainment screen and a customisable digital instrument cluster. The main system is easy to operate, either via touch 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 look a little silly if you have passengers in the car.

The Mercedes-Benz augmented-reality navigation is worth a shout-out, too. It's now standard on GLA AMG Line Premium models and above, overlaying 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.

For a small SUV, the Mercedes GLA packs a serious price tag. The only GLA with a retail price below £40,000 is the Sport Executive model, available as the mild-hybrid GLA 200 or the diesel GLA 200d.

Looking for a plug-in hybrid Mercedes GLA? You'll need to budget upwards of £45,000, while the most desirable Mercedes GLA models are now more than £50,000.

If you're on a budget, we'd suggest looking at mainstream competitors such as the Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage. Alternatively, a secondhand Mercedes GLA could be a good purchase - the latest updates are so inconsequential that few people won't be able to tell the difference. A two-year-old example can be picked up for a far more reasonable £27,000.

While it might be an SUV with a three-pointed star on the bonnet, a Mercedes GLA isn't going to cost a fortune to run. The Mercedes GLA 200 returns up to 42.2mpg under WLTP test conditions, while the diesels are even more frugal - expect to see up to 52.3mpg.

The plug-in hybrid Mercedes GLA 250e impresses on paper, where it manages up to 256.8mpg. It won't return anywhere near that with a flat battery - but keep it topped up, and you can now travel up to 48 miles under electric power alone. The pre-facelift Mercedes GLA 250e had a slightly less efficient battery and, therefore, a slightly smaller electric range of up to 39 miles.

One thing to be mindful of is the cost of taxing a Mercedes GLA. As most models have a retail price of more than £40,000, they're stung by the government's premium car tax. This means you'll pay up to £570/year in tax (£560 for alternatively-fuelled vehicles including hybrids) for five years.

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 – a tall A-Class.  

It handles safely and predictably, and yeah there’s some lean in bends but you wouldn’t describe the GLA as having anything other than good road manners. 

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 tranquilizer darts. It filters out road noise so it’s more relaxing on a run, but if you want a small SUV that feels positive in corners, you 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 the front which is matched by the large rear windscreen at the back. A left-foot-saving automatic gearbox is standard – seven speeds in the GLA200, 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 at slow speeds, and you also get a car that is eerily quiet all the way up to motorway speeds.

There's quite an extensive range of engines offered in the new Mercedes GLA. As ever, it's worth seriously thinking about which will be the most suitable for the kind of driving you cover.

The entry-level Mercedes GLA is the GLA 200 petrol, which now features a small amount of mild-hybrid electrical assistance. This 1.3-litre engine won't set the world alight, nor will it run purely on electricity, but it won't feel particularly ponderous, either - 0-62mph acceleration takes around 8.9 seconds.

If you want to mooch about town under electric power, you might want to look at the pure-electric Mercedes EQA instead. But the Mercedes GLA 250e plug-in hybrid isn't a bad shout, either. As of 2023, this is fitted with a larger battery, meaning it can now travel up to 48 miles before the petrol engine kicks in. That's ideal for the average commute. Earlier models have a still-very-handy range of up to 39 miles.

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 diesel engine, tuned to produce 150 and 190PS respectively. 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.

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

The GLA comes with airbags in every conceivable area of the cabin, 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. 

The Mercedes GLA is ideal if you’re looking for a relatively small tow car. They can all two up to 750kg unbraked, except the 200 model that is limited to 740kg. The 200 has a maximum braked trailer capacity of 1800kg, which is the same as the 200d and 250e, while the 220d 4Matic can handle up to 2000kg.

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 Mercedes GLA Sport Executive kicks off the range, with standard equipment (as of 2023) including 18-inch alloy wheels, chrome exterior highlights, an electric boot opening, LED headlights, aluminium roof rails, selectable drive modes, automatic climate control, keyless start, heated front seats, a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch touchscreen media display, navigation, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a 100w Mercedes sound system. The seats are finished in black Artico man-made leather.

Mercedes GLA AMG Line Executive models add AMG exterior bodystyling, 19-inch AMG alloy wheels, privacy glass and a bespoke radiator grille. Inside, the AMG Line Executive features AMG floor mats, AMG sports pedals, 64-colour ambient lighting, sports seats (finished in black Artico man-made leather and microfibre with red stitching) and a sports steering in nappa leather.

The Mercedes GLA AMG Line Premium features automatic climate control, illuminated door sills with 'Mercedes-Benz' lettering, blind spot assist with exit warning function, MBUX augmented reality navigation, Mercedes-Benz advanced sound system and aluminium interior trim.

The Mercedes GLA AMG Line Premium Plus builds on this with 20-inch alloy wheels, multibeam LED headlights (with adaptive highbeam), a panoramic sunroof, electrically-adjustable front memory seats with lumbar support, the Driving Assistance package (on the GLA 220d 4Matic only), 360-degree camera, and Traffic Sign assist.

Highlights of the Mercedes GLA Exclusive Launch Edition include a 12-speaker Burmester surround sound system, illuminated start pattern trim on the dash, black roof rails, Night package, 20-inch black AMG alloy wheels and high-gloss black exterior highlights.