Peel back the skin of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-class, and you’ll reveal bones virtually identical to those of the CLA sedan. The two models are based on Mercedes’ FWD/AWD compact-car platform, which also serves as the basis for the maker’s A- and B-class vehicles. The GLA’s powertrains are cloned from those in the CLA, as well: the transverse-mounted 208-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four from the CLA250 sedan and the robust, highly massaged 355-hp version of the same four-holer from the CLA45 AMG. As with the CLA, the GLA250 will come in front- and all-wheel-drive versions, but the breathed-on GLA45 AMG will be available only in the latter.
If you’re curious just how many vehicles Mercedes-Benz can launch off this platform before it’s retired, consider that Jörg Prigl, vice-president of Mercedes’ compact-car product group, tells us the FWD/AWD compact-car platform was conceived from the outset with virtually every conceivable body style and powertrain in mind, from three-door hatchbacks to SUVs and from diesel to pure electric. The trick, he says, “is to know what is coming in consumer trends and trust that you develop them in the right sequence.” In theory, the platform sharing gives an economy of scale that can provide a lower price of entry for consumers. We’ll wager that when the GLA’s official pricing is announced later this year, the numbers will land somewhere slightly north of the CLA’s.
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