When you look up and down,AMG“These days, it’s hard not to consider the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 as the absolute bottom of the ladder, alongside the GLB 35. That’s because it is, but no hard feelings, because even the most basic AMGs are fun to drive. Of course, just because the car is legitimately capable doesn’t mean I don’t feel a little stupid driving a subcompact intersection with 302 hp and a huge wing hanging from the rear.
However, there is more to experience here than just pure performance, because Mercedes has updated its small GLA this year with plenty of nice upgrades (along with a few questionable ones). The styling has been massaged; the powertrain adds a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, and the interior is the same… but slightly worse than before. Let’s dive in.
1. You should know that this thing costs $73,460
I was a little taken aback when I first looked at the sticker for this GLA 35. How could such a small SUV cost so much, and how could it only be the 35? Keep in mind that there was an AMG 45 version which ramped up the performance to downright hilarious levels, but it lacks in action after the refresh. That said, the base price of this little GLA 35 is just $56,450, so if you don’t want to pay an absurd amount of money for it, you don’t have to.
2. On the other hand, you do have to pay some money for these chairs
The $3,250 AMG Performance Seats PLUS package gets you seats that put most seats in serious seats sports cars to shame. Combined with the $1,450 “Classic Red” leather, these seats will make anyone’s jaw drop when they first open the door. It just doesn’t match the rest of the car. They’re more than comfortable for a long highway drive, yet they hold you in with impressive grip when you start to get some g-forces on your shoulders. Plus, they’re heated, cooled, have adjustable bolsters, and are fully electric. This level of aggressiveness in a GLA 35 is admittedly ridiculous, but I can’t help but love these bucket seats.
3. It’s kind of a mini-riot to drive
The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired with the super-close-ratio eight-speed dual-clutch automatic is a devilish combination. It shifts so quickly that I almost always find myself driving in manual mode, because you’re busy with the paddles. Third gear is needed to hit 60 (in 5.1 seconds, according to Mercedes), and every upshift is greeted with a solid thud. Brush off the throttle and you get a load of turbo spool and intake hilarity. The exhaust isn’t nearly as throaty as the 45’s, but I hardly care. This little four-cylinder is one of the most characterful 2.0-liter turbos you can buy, and this DCT is the most perfect way to experience everything it has to offer.
4. The mild hybrid system works like a charm
Mercedes claims you’ll get a 13bhp boost “under certain driving conditions”, though I’m most impressed with the GLA’s seamless stop-start system. Smaller, less refined cars like the GLA often have a harsh and sometimes ungainly stop-start system, but not here. You can simply cruise around town in Comfort mode and drive in complete serenity. It even rides decently, thanks to the AMG Ride Control adaptive dampers that come as standard.
5. You just have to trust it in the corners
The amount of body roll in Comfort mode is a little off-putting for an AMG model, but turn the dial up to Sport Plus and the GLA 35 flattens out, sticks to the road and boogies. It comes equipped with Continental SportContact summer rubber grips the road beautifully, making this little crossover (3,653 pounds) more composed and unruffled through corners than you might have imagined. There’s a lack of feedback from the steering, forcing you to trust the car and the tires, but it soon starts to feel like a slightly bloated, taller hot hatch. I went into my handling test lap expecting mediocrity, but I left with a smile, having exceeded expectations.
6. No more touchpad for infotainment control
Look at this big, empty, useless space in the main center console. You might be wondering, what the heck is that? This big rubber pad is what Mercedes has chosen to put down since it removed the touchpad for infotainment controls. It was a touchscreen before this refresh, but now it’s exclusively touchscreen.
I just can’t help but see this as a major downgrade in both usability and aesthetics. The redundant touchpad controls make perfect sense with this style of screen-playing MBUX, as there’s so much scrolling and swiping involved. The latest “Zero Layer” MBUX system works fine as a touch-only, but this can’t be sold as anything other than a downgrade. Also, the large rubber pad in place of the instruments is essentially useless, as anything you put there will fly through the cabin as soon as you accelerate or take a turn.
7. Is it weird that I like the way it looks?
The $1,550 AMG Aerodynamics Package pulls a lot of weight here, but I can’t help but be charmed by this little egg of a hot hatch. Its big wing, front splitter, flics and diffuser are all undeniably a little childish. That said, I could tell this car attracted more looks than any GLA 35 has any right to. Maybe they were looks of surprise at how silly I look, but whatever. This aero package paired with these 20-inch wheels is a combination that’s meant to turn heads. The only thing that could help it is a coat of paint colour more exciting than this Mountain Gray Metallic. May I suggest Patagonia Red Metallic Production?
8. I’m struggling to find the niche for this car
Who buys a mildly hot hatch with only mediocre luxury and good (but not great) performance for over $70,000? It’s the GLA, so buyers looking for practicality would be better off taking advantage of the box shaped capAnd if you really want a nice, “cheap” AMG, I would suggest the CLA 35 I’ll talk about this one in a heartbeat. Maybe it’s a great car for wealthy parents to send their car-enthusiast kid to college in. You can drive it to snowy climes with all-wheel drive, fold the seats down (no kids yet!) for sturdy storage, and have a blast shifting up and down the gears as you leave campus. That’s just one weird example, though, and I’m sure the real buyers will end up with a 35 because they were interested in a small Mercedes crossover and had some extra cash to foot the bill for the AMG version. Fortunately, this AMG-lite is still characterful enough to wear the Affalterbach badge and not make a fool of itself.