Review
2015 Mercedes GLA 45 AMG 4MATIC
Following the A 45 AMG and the CLA 45 AMG, AMG now offers a new model aimed at a young and hip audience: the GLA 45 AMG. With 360 hp, this is the most powerful four-cylinder in the world. We entered the arena with this powerhouse from Affalterbach.
Melodic AMG Sound
Let’s get straight to the point: what a great and unique sound this car has! As soon as you wake the beast, the melodious engine wakes up enthusiastically with the necessary pops and bangs. Once you start revving up, you can enjoy a distinctly sporty sound. If you put the GLA 45 AMG in sport mode and you accelerate smoothly, you will be treated to a kind of sporty hard fart from the exhaust every time you upshift at the highest revs. When downshifting, a drum roll of pops and bangs is heard again. You almost feel like you’re on a circuit.
Additional recording noise from the exhaust:
Most powerful four-cylinder in the world
Under the hood of this self-proclaimed compact SUV we find a 1991cc twin-scroll turbo petrol engine with 4 cylinders. Not just a generic four-cylinder with a lot of horsepower, but the most powerful four-cylinder in the world. A title to actually be proud of. This world star produces a power of no less than 360 hp and has a torque of 450 Nm. It’s amazing what AMG can do with this 2 liter. In just 4.8 seconds the 360 horses sprint from 0 to 100 km and reach their top speed of 250 km/h, of course electronically limited.
Completely in line with AMG’s “one man, one engine” philosophy, the engine is assembled by hand by one person.
Transmission and drive
In terms of transmission, this GLA uses an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT automatic sports transmission with 7 gears. Thanks to the double clutch, the automatic transmission shifts quickly between the 7 gears. You can set the car to be sportier via the “M” (Manual) and “S” (Sport) mode or opt for efficient consumption and comfort via the “C” (Controlled Efficiency) mode. START/STOP also applies in the latter mode. You can drive fully automatically or take the initiative to switch gears via the paddles on the steering wheel.
This sporty boy is equipped with variable AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive as standard. During normal driving, the car is driven on the front wheels for maximum efficiency. When the driving situation requires it, the power can be distributed up to 50/50 between the front and rear axles.
Design
In our opinion, the design of the GLA is more like a muscular hot hatch than a compact SUV. In any case, the AMG version looks much more muscular than the regular GLA. At the front, the AMG-distinctive radiator grille with 2 slats and the letters “AMG” is immediately noticeable. The front is further finished with a splitter at the bottom. The rear is dominated by a diffuser and a dual exhaust on both the left and right sides. You can personalize it even further with, among other things, an optional spoiler (€ 1,815) on the trunk lid.
In the interior of the test car we found sports seats, which kept us in an iron grip during our drive, as should be the case in a sports car. We were also impressed by the dashboard with aluminum decorative elements. The GLA 45 AMG can be yours from €56,265.
Conclusion
The GLA 45 AMG turns every drive into a true experience. Not only because the car is powered by the most powerful four-cylinder in the world, but also because of the unique sound that this car can produce. Add to that the fact that this is a real Mercedes, “best in class” on most points compared to its competitors and you have an affordable sports car that is worth putting in your driveway.
Johan De Haes
Test driver
