Mercedes has only just revealed a facelifted version of it’s smallest crossover – the GLA – at this year's Detroit Motor Show, but an all-new version is already in the pipeline.
Our spy photographers have caught the next generation GLA undergoing early development and testing, revealing that a new version of the jacked-up A-Class will form a part of Mercedes’ SUV plans in the coming years.
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The development car is still well hidden underneath zebra print and masking, but when compared to earlier spy shots of the next generation A-Class, also published by Auto Express, it’s clear to see that the GLA mule isn’t wearing its production bodywork underneath its disguise. Instead it dons the bodywork of its hatchback sibling.
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Though the final design of the GLA will be closely related to the next A-Class, much of the car’s underpinnings will also be identical with the hatchback, including the next version of Mercedes’ MFA platform.
The next A-Class is set to get new MFA2 architecture compatible with both front-wheel and all-wheel-drive drivetrains. With the new platform should come an increase in wheelbase length for extra interior space – space that should be passed on from the A-Class to the GLA.
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If the new GLA gets the same engine line-up destined for the next A-Class, Merc’s 2.1-litre diesel should be replaced by a newly developed, more efficient 2.0-litre, alongside a refreshed 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo petrol.
The next GLA will remain the smallest SUV Mercedes makes, but it’ll be joined by an all-new entry in the form of the GLB, bridging the gap between the A-Class themed crossover and the larger GLC. We’ve heard that the GLB could launch in 2019, and it could take on styling cues reminiscent of the legendary G-Class.
Read our review of the Mercedes-Benz GLA here.