Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4MATIC 2014 Review

In specifying the GLA 250 with Mercedes’ Off-Road Engineering Package as standard on Australian-delivered examples, to go with the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system, its position – and key point of difference, beyond the bespoke body – becomes clearer.

This program offers a switchable off-road mode, accessed via a button on the centre console. A second button activates the Descent Speed Control. Operated via the cruise control, and working with the gearbox and braking systems, the descent control works at speeds ranging from 2km/h to 18km/h.

The lighting system also works differently when off-road, increasing beam output and spreading it wider so more terrain is revealed.

Priced at $57,900 (plus on-road costs) the GLA 250 4MATIC is around $10,000 dearer than the GLA 200 CDI that arrived here in April, but gains the aforementioned all-wheel drive, more kit and a 155kW/350Nm turbocharged petrol engine for a 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 7.1sec, with combined fuel consumption of 7.0L/100km.

It also receives fully electric, heated front seats with memory function, 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic electric sunroof, intelligent light system with bi-xenons and LED DRLs, a passenger mirror that moves to assist reverse parking and a comprehensive alarm system which includes interior monitoring and tow-away protection.

Inside, the GLA does a passable impression of any other A-Class-based product, with solid fit, finish and quality. The panoramic sunroof can impinge on driver headroom, and the one-piece, sporty front seats need longer bases for optimal comfort. But otherwise it’s a nice place to be.

Rear passengers are also catered for with surprisingly good headroom and separate ventilation. Knee room is impinged, however, by the front seat-backs.

On the road, the GLA 250 4MATIC does a more-than-passable impression of being an accomplished tourer. It rides impeccably, even if the 19-inch wheels and 45-Series tyres generate some road noise on coarser surfaces.

What’s even more startling is how planted the GLA feels when cornering, with none of that ‘cornering on stilts’ response you sometimes find in other SUVs.

The GLA 250 corners assuredly flat, soaking up mid-corner bumps without straying off-line. Back on the power, the all-wheel drive system, which can send up to 50 per cent of drive to the rear axle in only 100 milliseconds, quickly calculates where traction is most needed, pulling you through to the next straight on a wave of linear, turbocharged torque.

This impressive dynamism is unfortunately tempered by the dual-clutch transmission sometimes being caught between gears, even in manual mode, either refusing a downshift, only to add it in a couple of seconds too late, or obtrusively kicking-down when the engine’s torque reserves are enough to pull a higher gear.

Sport auto mode also feels unintuitive, basically holding low gears and high revs even in coasting situations. On bitumen, the tested fuel consumption climbed to 14.0L/100km on a twisty section of New Zealand’s finest tarmac, but settled back to 11.4L/100km after 100 extra kilometres of highway driving.

Using a farm track for off-road assessment reveals an assured depth of ability in light-to-medium off-roading situations, the descent control working hard to rein in speed on slippery downhill sections with quite noticeable stability control intervention over slippery bumps. Traction uphill and through muddy sections is strong and the off-road package’s interior screen display assists with information on steering, incline, transverse and longitudinal angles.

Indeed, it’s only the relative lack of ground clearance and maximum wheel articulation that limit the GLA’s capability – and let’s be honest, the amount of time a vehicle such as this will spend off-road doesn’t warrant anything more extreme; especially if it reduces the GLA’s impressive on-road manners.