GLA to plug Mercedes SUV gap

Mercedes-Benz has no trouble selling SUVs in Australia - its new third-generation M-Class is a sell-out success here - but the hallowed German brand has no direct competitors for compact SUVs such as the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.

Rectifying that in 2014 will be the all-new GLA-Class, which is expected to look something like this computer-generated Carparazzi image, while a successor for the left-hand drive-only GLK will finally also give Mercedes a rival for top-selling mid-size luxury SUVs in Australia, including the Audi Q5 and BMW X3.

Likely to make its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and based on the MFA platform that also underpins the current B-Class and upcoming A-Class small car, the GLA will be a shoe-in for the Australian market as the local importer seeks to plug the gaping holes in its sub-M-Class SUV line-up.

Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific Managing Director, Horst von Sanden, says the GLA is high on his agenda and will be a definite starter in right-hand drive markets like Australia.

“Yes absolutely [we want the small SUV],” he told motoring.com.au on the weekend in New Zealand. “I'm sure there would be customer demand. The compact SUV segment has probably the biggest growth for the future.

“GLA would be right-hand drive - from now on most technologies will be offered in right-hand drive. It's built on our compact platform and… from that perspective it's not such a huge thing to build the GLA - or whatever it's eventually called - in right-hand drive.”

Mr von Sanden explained that development of the new model is still ongoing and that it could hit the road as early as 2014. By then the new M-Class will be joined here by the facelifted G-Class and new GL-Class, with a redesigned GLK due soon after.

“I don't have the exact time of when this vehicle (GLA) will be available, but if I look at the whole development of the compact platform, it is in that 2014 or 2015 region,” he said.

The sooner the better for Mercedes, because the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 have found more than 1000 buyers between them to the end of July this year. In the first seven months of 2012 the Q3 notched up 532 sales to the X1’s 847.

Meantime, the Q5 was outsold only by the Range Rover Evoque to be Australia’s top-selling luxury SUV, but with more than 1600 sales the Q5 combined with 1400 X3s to find more than 3000 customers and Mercedes is well aware that it is difficult to be the nation’s top luxury marquee without a full range of SUVs.

“If you look at it realistically, we don't even compete in every segment where BMW is selling cars. It's almost unrealistic to strive for number one because a whole segment is missing.

“We will do the best we can, be as competitive as we can be. If that takes us to number one it's probably more luck than anything, if it doesn't we won't be ashamed.”

As Mercedes-Benz bides its time ahead of a flurry of new SUVs, which includes the aforementioned GLA compact SUV and the next-generation the GLK medium SUV, the company is selling a lot of M-Class large SUVs.

“ML we can't get enough,” explained Mr von Sanden explains. “We are happy that ML fulfills our expectations, and in our first year with M ... we have more demand than supply.”

The entry-level ML250 has been a big success for the company and despite the restricted supply, interest in the M-Class has been strong. Last month sales of the M-Class were only 13 vehicles behind that of the segment-leading BMW X5 - 174 versus 161 – but Mr von Sanden says the M-Class stock shortage would continue for at least another six months.

“I think [the M-Class supply shortage] will probably run into 2013. It's a normal thing for successful models in the first year. Obviously they have a certain level of scarcity until the factory gets its full run rate.”

However, the local Mercedes chief said he wasn’t unhappy with the shortage of new M-Class models available in Australia.

“I think it's a healthy level. If you flood the market that's also not good, and we don't have the huge wait times of 10 or 12 months.”

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site…