Mercedes-Benz GLA
Compact luxury SUV · 2015–present (U.S. model years). 19,079 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
Daimler AG developed it in Germany under Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler's board and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. Andreas Renschler, the board member for manufacturing and procurement, and Stefan Abraham, head of the Rastatt plant, also led its production start. Mercedes-Benz does not name the designer or chief engineer in the pages consulted.
It was created in Germany, and the first GLA rolled off the line at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt, which had received about 1.2 billion euros since 2009 for its new compact models. The second generation is also built in Rastatt, and production of the third began there in September 2026.
It was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in September 2013, and production began in Rastatt in December 2013. Its U.S. debut came at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, and it reached U.S. dealers in October 2014 as a 2015 model.
Mercedes-Benz SUV names begin with the letters GL, a nod to the famous G-Class. The third letter shows the family: the GLA is the "GL A-Class." When the brand reorganized its names for 2015, the GLA already followed the rule and kept its name, while the GLK became the GLC, the ML became the GLE and the GL became the GLS.
Customers were asking for two things at once: SUVs and compact cars. Mercedes-Benz decided to combine them in a single vehicle to bring new buyers to the brand, as part of its Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy. It was the fourth of five new compact models and shares up to 70% of its parts with them, so it is built on the same flexible line. In the U.S. it launched as the entry point to the brand's luxury SUVs.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12015–2020 · X156
The first SUV in Mercedes-Benz’s compact-car family
Photo: HJUdall · CC0 What changed. It was an all-new model: the brand's smallest SUV, built on the base of its compact cars. In the U.S. it arrived with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder rated at 208 hp and 258 lb-ft, 0 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds and 24/32/27 mpg (city/highway/combined). At first it was sold only with 4MATIC all-wheel drive; the front-wheel-drive version came later. The 2018 model-year update brought new bumpers, optional LED headlamps, and a standard rearview camera and 8-inch display.
The innovation. The GLA45 AMG used a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with 355 hp and 332 lb-ft, which Mercedes-Benz presented as the most powerful series-production four-cylinder engine in the world: 178 hp per liter. It ran 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Output rose to 375 hp for the 2016 model year, before the 2018 facelift.
If you buy one usedCheck on NHTSA that these recalls were done. 2015 models built July 17 to August 31, 2015: camshaft welds that could fail and damage the engine (15V662). 2015–2018: the driver air bag could deploy without a crash (17V627). 2017–2018: the steering shaft universal-joint bearing could separate (21V229). 2018–2019: the sunroof bonding could let water in (18V912), and rear seat and seatbelt parts needed fixes (19V132, 19V585). 2019: the engine fusebox could come loose (20V672), and the transmission could shift into neutral if power to its control unit was cut (21V033). - Gen. 22021–present · H247
Taller, more SUV and with MBUX
Photo: HJUdall · CC0 What changed. It was revealed on December 11, 2019. It is about 10 cm taller and slightly shorter than before, with higher front seats, a more SUV-like driving position and considerably more rear legroom. It shares its base with the A-Class, CLA and GLB. The GLA 250 has 221 hp and an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, with front-wheel drive or 4MATIC; the AMG GLA 35 makes 302 hp and the AMG GLA 45, 382 hp. The 2024 model-year update added a 48-volt mild-hybrid system worth an extra 13 hp, two standard 10.25-inch screens and wireless phone connectivity.
The innovation. At this generation’s launch, the MBUX system with artificial intelligence: it understands natural language when you say "Hey Mercedes," learns your preferences and is controlled by touchscreen, touchpad or touch buttons on the steering wheel. The GLA 250 4MATIC also gets a standard off-road package with an Off-Road mode and Downhill Speed Regulation.
If you buy one usedCheck these recalls on NHTSA. 2021: the front passenger air bag ground connection could be mounted incorrectly (21V102); rear brake caliper fasteners could be loose (22V125); and the rear brake pad wear gauge could be missing (23V732). 2022 and 2024: headlights incorrectly aimed or missing aim markings (23V662, 25V511). On certain 2021–2025 GLAs and 2020–2026 GLBs: the driver's door lock micro-switch can corrode and keep the automatic parking brake from engaging, with a rollaway risk (26V481); the campaign is phased and published an expected September 18, 2026 notification date. Letters dated that day include both remedy-available and interim parts-unavailable notices; confirm your VIN’s current status.
From model history to your own vehicle
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