Mercedes-Benz GLA facelift coming to M’sia mid-2017

Spy-Shots of Cars
This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K

At the presentation of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s third quarter sales results, vice president of sales and marketing Mark Raine let slip that the facelifted Mercedes-Benz GLA will arrive in Malaysia in mid-2017. Surprising news, given that the car has yet to have even been unveiled globally.

So, what kind of updates should we expect for Stuttgart’s smallest SUV? Recent spyshots have shown the car with the same sort of revisions gained by the A-Class and CLA, including LED headlights, redesigned front and rear bumpers and new LED tail lights; new alloy wheel options should also feature.

The interior should see fewer revisions, limited to a new steering wheel derived from the C-Class, flatter audio fascia buttons, some chrome-trimmed switchgear and a revised instrument cluster for improved legibility. Also expected is the Dynamic Select system, which offers Comfort, Sport, Eco, Individual and Off-Road driving modes – this was already included in a running update last year.

Spy-Shots of Cars
This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K

Also introduced in said update is the updated M 270 DE 20 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine in the GLA 250 – power has risen from 211 hp to 218 hp, while torque remains at 350 Nm. Meanwhile, the AMG GLA 45 has also been given a power boost as seen on its latest A 45 and CLA 45 siblings, jumping from 360 hp and 450 Nm to 381 hp and 475 Nm.

On the top-dog performance model, the seven-speed AMG Speedshift DCT (dual-clutch transmission) also shifts faster, and gear ratios three to seven have also been made shorter for even quicker acceleration. Other items added are AMG Ride Control dynamic dampers, which provides a softer setting. It’s unclear if the latter will make it to Malaysian-spec facelifted models – our A 45 has it, but not the CLA 45.

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