2020 Mercedes GLA previewed by official sketch

A design sketch of the redesigned 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLA has been released overnight ahead of the BMW X1 rival's global unveiling on December 11.

Giving our best indication yet of how the replacement for the car-maker's smallest SUV will look, the new image reveals the GLA will be far more than a jacked-up version of the car-maker's small hatch.

That said, the GLA does look like it will pinch its tail-lights from the latest A-Class hatch but feature curvier, less bulbous styling than its bigger brother, the GLB.

Inside, it's a different story, as evidenced by a previous official teaser that suggested the GLA will be spookily similar to its bigger, more expensive brother.

The single picture showed the second GLA would share its door cards, steering wheel and dash with the GLB, hinting the smallest SUV is about to get a big uplift in quality.

From an even earlier tease of the GLA’s exterior, it's clear the baby Benz SUV has shorter front and rear overhangs and is around 15mm shorter overall than the model it replaces.

That said, by standing 100mm taller, the second instalment of the GLA is claimed to offer both significantly more head room and legroom.

Thanks to the higher roofline, both the driver and passenger get a raised driving position to provide a more commanding view of the road ahead.

Based on the same MFA platform as the latest A-Class hatch and A-Class sedan, as well as the CLA four-door ‘coupe’ and Shooting Brake wagon, plus the B-Class people-mover, the new GLA will benefit from a raft of new tech previously unavailable.

This includes driving assist technology comprising not only semi-autonomous cruise control but active emergency braking that detects pedestrians.

Under the bonnet the Audi Q2 rival will feature the same turbocharged 1.33-litre and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engines as the A-Class. A small 1.5-litre diesel will also be available in some markets.

Later on, the frenetic Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 with at least 310kW of power is expected, along with a new GLA 35 AMG variant that will push out 225kW. Both will offer all-wheel drive.

A plug-in hybrid version is also likely to be in the pipeline after the new GLA goes on sale in Europe early next year.

It’s not yet clear where the new GLA will be positioned relative to the current model (priced from $44,700), but it could undercut the A-Class ($42,900) to make room for the upcoming GLB. Currently the smallest SUVs from rival German brands start at $41,950 (Q2) and $44,500 (X1).

Australians will have to wait until later next year for the 2020 GLA, which will be revealed on December 11.