Equipped with one of the world’s most powerful four-cylinder production engine, the Mercedes GLA 45 AMG is a little pocket-rocket. But is it enticing enough for India? We find out.
Story: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
When I gently pressed the throttle of this car, which features the world’s most powerful four-cylinder production engine, my ears were treated to a soul-stirring burble mixed with thundering crackles and pulse-raising pops. Such is the aural drama of this little monster from Swabia. Mercedes’ standard GLA is a crossover/compact SUV fundamentally meant for the ‘me-too’ kind. However, the addition of the AMG badge transforms this humble crossover into a roaring beast, which somehow endows you with devilish powers that are far beyond the understanding of ‘me-too’ mortals.
It combines the standard GLA’s styling with the aggressiveness of AMG which is reflected perfectly in the sportier bumpers and the font grille. There are AMG badges all around and also a ‘4matic’ tag on the rump, announcing the four-wheel-drive system. Inside, it is a typical AMG car with black as the dominant theme. Everything is presented in a very neat manner, but the carbon trim on the dashboard has been replaced by a silver finish which robs it of that quintessential sporty feel. Nevertheless, the interior is just as rich as in any other Mercedes and the fit-and-finish is top-notch. The only minus point is space. Being a so-called SUV, one expects it to have better room, especially at the rear, but the GLA 45 AMG lacks proper knee- and head-room, even for a person of average height like myself. Furthermore, a space-saver spare tyre takes up a lot of boot volume, thus leaving very little room for anything else.
But this latest weapon from Affalterbach is targeted at mortals with a lot of money and a different car for practicality. After all, it’s an AMG; so sportiness is its priority. Anyway, it goes from Bruce Banner to the Hulk in no time. And just like Mr Banner, it remains calm and composed most of the time, but when you floor the pedal, it turns into the Hulk.
And bringing forth this mutant persona is the 1,991-cc, turbo-charged, four-pot motor. It’s a sweet little powerhouse that breathes fire just like its elder brethren from Affalterbach. Turn the key, and the AMG dials light up like Christmas decoration. Turn it one notch further and this beast is awake with a rich aural drama before calming down to a growl-rich idle. With just a turn of the key, 360 wild horses rise up from their slumber and this mix turns even more dramatic with 450 Nm of turning force, which arrives at 2,250 RPM and stays on till 5,000. To transfer the massive amount of power and torque from this 2.0-litre turbo-charged four-pot motor, Mercedes have mated it to the slick AMG SpeedShift 7G-DCT or seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission which is smooth and precise. It also comes with fancy metal flappy paddles that allow you to work the gearbox. However, your best option is to leave it in the ‘Sport’ mode, which is better.
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