GLA45 AMG Spyshots Make It Online
Emmanuel P December 11, 2012
Caught testing are these shots of Mercedes’ upcoming GLA45 AMG crossover. Based on the X156 platform on which other new Mercedes models are based, the GLA45AMG basically has the same powertrain combination that will underpin the A45, B45 and CLA45 AMG models.
What this means to the dear consumer is a vehicle that has all wheel drive, a 7-speed DCT and the type M133 turbo four grunting out 350-plus horsepower. While the more pedestrian GLA is a direct competitor to BMW’s X1, the GLA45 has no production competitor, for now. It would be nice to see how it would fare against the Nissan Juke-R, the one-off based on the GT-R drivetrain.
Right now, the test mule is decidedly ugly, but you can see how the final product will possibly look. From a production standpoint, reclothing an AMG platform to wear different body styles is more efficient. And Mercedes is undoubtedly aware of buying trends toward smaller cars. But with 4 variants based on this powertrain, is there a big enough enthusiast base to justify this many AMG models?
