2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA facelift debuts in Detroit

After a brief teaser, the Mercedes-Benz GLA facelift officially makes its debut at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, with the compact SUV gaining some styling tweaks, a new engine option and additional features, as part of its mid-cycle refresh.

On the exterior, the front end gets a newly designed grille with rectangular elements within the slats, while LED High Performance headlamps are now available. The GLA also gains a new bumper, which omit the faux side intakes in favour of fog lamps this time, although the AMG Line package reintroduces them for those who are interested.

The redesigned lower section also features the same rectangular theme as seen on the grille of certain models, while others get a more pronounced skid plate instead. Down the sides, everything remains as before until you reach the SUV’s rear, where the changes aren’t as many as the front.

There is a new bumper here that no longer gets the diamond-pattern mesh as before, but gains a new diffuser trim in gloss black, which now better integrates the exhausts within them. Elsewhere, the taillights receive different graphics, there are additional wheel options to choose from, and in the future, a Night package can be tagged on as well.

According to Mercedes, the new styling helps improve the drag coefficient from 0.29 to 0.28. Additionally, the more rugged-looking of the two GLAs you see here is finished in a new exterior colour – canyon beige – and comes with the optional off-road comfort suspension that raises the car’s body by 30 mm.

As for the interior, updates include new dials and needles in the instrument cluster, chrome finish for the electric seat controls and centre console stowage compartment surround and new seat upholstery and trim options.

The kit list also sees the addition of Android Auto and Apply CarPlay support, a slimmer 8-inch free-standing display (now standard across the range), reverse camera, surround-view camera system.

Powertrains (diesel and petrol) remain the same as before, although a new GLA 220 has been added to the petrol range, which offers 184 hp and 300 Nm. The GLA 220 comes with a 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic and is available with the 4Matic four-wheel drive system, and is positioned above the GLA 180 (120 hp/200 Nm) and GLA 200 (154 hp/200), but below GLA 250 (208 hp/350). Diesel options meanwhile, include the 180d (108 hp/260 Nm), 200d (134 hp/300 Nm) and 220d (168 hp/350 Nm).

Need more power? Well, there’s also the AMG-fied GLA 45 that now comes with a bump in power, now providing 381 hp and 475 Nm from its 2.0 litre turbo mill. The new GLA is expected to arrive in Malaysia by the middle of this year, according to Mark Raine, vice president of sales and marketing at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, during the company’s Q32016 results presentation.

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA 220d

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 with AMG Line package

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