Mercedes GLA to be diesel-only at first

Mercedes-Benz’s funky new GLA compact SUV will launch in Australia from April 2014 with a single turbo-diesel engine and the choice of both front-wheel drive and 4MATIC all-wheel drive configurations.

Turbo-petrol variants of the GLA will arrive later, as well as the hot GLA 45 AMG, but Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific bosses are convinced whatever variants it gets there won’t be enough of them to satisfy demand.

Revealed publicly for the first time at the Frankfurt motor show, the GLA is the fourth of five models to be sired by Benz’s modular front/all-wheel drive MFA architecture following the A-Class hatch, B-class people-mover and upcoming CLA-Class sedan. An in-depth examination of its fundamental specifications can be found here.

“We start with the two-wheel drive base model diesel and we are looking at variations of that,” confirmed MBA/P National Sales Manager Richard Emery at the Frankfurt show.

“There will be a 4MATIC to start with as well. Then we will see what availability is, because availability is going to be a challenge as to what else we can lay our hands on.”

Added MBA/P Managing Director Horst von Sanden: “It’s a challenge to get the volumes right and get the supply we need. The frustration of every sales team is not to have sufficient supply in a period when you could gain plenty of new customers.”

Pricing is yet to be finalised, but clearly Benz has a plan to pitch the GLA sharply compared to rivals such as the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, both of which have variants starting just below $45,000.

“We don’t have a combined pricing department with our competition... we do our own calculations,” said von Sanden.

”We believe we have got it pretty right in the last few years and our customers confirm that. We will continue to try and put the right price on every car regardless of what the competition does.

“I can promise you we will offer a very attractive price to the marketplace.”

There are 100kW and 125kW variants of the 2.1-litre turbo-diesel engine and Benz will decide which one will come to Australia in the next six to eight weeks.

Emery said the Australian specification and equipment level for the GLA would follow other MFA-based models, increasing as engine capacity grows.

“That formula has worked really well for us with A- and B-class and CLA is launching now, so we are not going to stray too far from that.”

There’s no doubt that despite the limited supply, MBA/P is licking its lips while it waits for the GLA, which will lob into the buoyant small SUV segment. So far in 2013 the sub-$40,000 segment has grown 16.5 per cent and the $40,000-plus component by more than 80 per cent, reflecting the arrival of the Q3.

“The SUV segment is still growing in Australia, more so than passenger cars, and it’s been frustrating to sit and watch it from the outside,” admitted Emery.

“We still think there is some growth beyond where it is at the moment and I think us coming into that segment may well heat it up that little bit more.”

Von Sanden predicted the GLA would bring new customers to Benz, just as the other MFA models had, but stopped short of predicting it would become the most popular of them.

“We will see... we have three very attractive models in the CLA, GLA and the A-class and I wouldn’t take bets at the moment on which one will be the winner.”

Previously, MBA/P has talked up the impact the arrival of the GLA will deliver, along with the larger second-generation GLK due in 2015.

Check out the 2013 Frankfurt motor show photo gallery

Here's the full run down on the latest news from Frankfurt motor show

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

Don't forget to register to comment on this article.