Zander Drives Cars

The decline of the hot hatchback in the States has been evident for a few years now. Gone are cars like the Fiat 500 Abarth, Ford Focus RS, and the Hyundai Veloster N. So, that’s it. If you want a small car with large power figures, you’re SOL. Well, are you? Because I’d take a gamble and say that the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 (which will be referred to as the GLA 45 for simplicity’s sake) is pretty much a hot hatch. It’s small, powerful, and doesn’t really feel like its non-AMG brother, the 250. So, am I right or am I full of it? Let’s find out.

Instead of focusing on how the GLA 45 looks, which looks fine with the black-on-red spec here, I am going to focus on the size of this compared to a couple of the hot hatches for sale in the US. The GLA 45 is shorter (174.6 in) than the Honda Civic Type-R (180.4 in), Just five inches taller (62.5 in) than the VW GTI (57.6 in), and six inches (79.5 in) wider than the Toyota Corolla GR (73 in). Yes, that does mean the GLA 45 is just a bit bigger dimensionally than these cars, but the basic length and height of the car aren’t much different than non-crossover offerings in the US.

The GLA range is scheduled for a bit of a refresh for 2024. This includes getting the new piano black steering wheel, as well as a few more updated bits and bobs technology-wise. For the outgoing 2023 model, everything here is standard Mercedes. You get the most tasteful screen, great build quality, and decent enough AMG flare for a car not fitted with a “53” or “63” badge on the trunk. Like all Mercedes’ interiors, everything feels tough and solid. There were really no surfaces or areas in the car that felt flimsy or cheap, although some of the blank buttons and switches did make this car feel a bit “base model.” The rear legroom in the GLA was fine, I never felt like I was going to have my rear legs’ circulation cut off, but it wasn’t overly impressive. The good news is that you’ll probably be too busy gawking at the red and black interior color scape.

The GLA, along with most of the rest of Mercedes’ SUV fleet, has what I think is the best screen set up in the parts bin. The simple, yet very large screen mounted in the dash is both easy to control and not overbearing. MBUX (a seemingly disputed name for the system) has recently become a front-runner of the German Infotainment Wars (trademark pending) as there is very little to actually complain about. The software is quick, the screen is responsive, there are minimal menus, and you can control everything from the wheel if you so desire. I guess I could really get on Mercedes’ ass for not providing navigation in a $65,000 car, but it seems that everyone is guilty of this.

Like the center UI, the driver’s screen is also pretty spot on in terms of what it offers. It is very configurable with the option to choose from many different themes and layouts from a normal dual-gauge setup to the option of a jet-like AMG-performance setup. You’re also able to basically show any form of information you want on the screen at any time short of navigation because, again, this car doesn’t have it. However, I have driven enough Benz models with navigation to tell you that the AMG-performance theme with navigation is the way to go.

Mercedes is sometimes known for making you pay a lot extra for goodies that are typically seen as standard equipment in luxury cars, but considering how the 45’s price is jacked up because of its sporting credentials, I wasn’t too mad with the base equipment on it. You did have to pay extra for stuff like the panoramic sunroof and adjustable second-row seats, but aside from that there was nothing too egregiously priced added.

Other stuff you get with the GLA 45 includes heated seats, wireless CarPlay and Auto connectivity, ambient lighting, dual-zone climate controls, rain-sensing wipers, BLIS monitoring, adaptive high beam headlights, an illuminated star (subtle, right), and an AMG Drive Unit.

I was disappointed by the lack of features like lane-keep assist, forward collision warning (which might be what “active break assist is”), or other safety-related knickknacks. For a car edging on $65,000, you do feel like you should expect more in that category.

The Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 is powered by a turbocharged 2-liter 4 cylinder making 382 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed DSG with excellent weighted paddles if I may add. This means that the GLA 45 will sprint all the way to 60 in a flat 4-seconds and go on to the standard 155-mph governed top speed. But, with great power comes great responsibility, and by that, I mean the responsibility to pay for gas more often because the fuel economy in this compared to the X2 M35i is rough. 20 mpg city, 27-hwy, 23 combined compared to the BMW’s 23 mpg combined. Just some food for thought.

Anyway, the GLA 45 is a lifted hatchback. This car drives like it wants to be a basic hot hatchback. The acceleration is mind-blowing in a car this small, and the AMG-tuned suspension does a fantastic job of keeping this car stuck to the road at higher speeds than necessary. With that, the GLA 45 feels tight and composed as it flies through downhill bends and light crests. That being said, the time from kick down to delivery does take a couple seconds to hit, which because it isn’t fitted with a MHEV unit found in other AMG models, means that you do have to wait a tiny bit for the power. But you instantly forget about that when the power does hit and you’re sent away with the sound of one of the best 4-bangers on the market. And that’s without the backfiring noises when you lift off.

Like all AMG models, this car’s ability to switch between being composed and civil and absolutely insane is a trait I have yet to see exist from the propeller and four rings. Say what you will about the potential gaudiness of AMGs, but if you want an everyday performance car, they know how to build one.

Also nice carbon fiber engine cover. Thank you, Adem.

So, the GLA 45: if you’re looking to buy the fastest hot hatchback-crossover thing on the market, this is your car. But, and I know this is a bit contradictory to what I was just saying, if you really want an absolutely insane hot hatch, why not buy a Golf R? It’s about 20 grand less than this and comes with about the same amount of kit. I guess you’d buy this if you A. really wanted a Mercedes, or B. really wanted to be weird at car shows. Either way, while I do think a conventional hot hatch would be slightly more “pure” to drive if you were to pick one of these up you wouldn’t be disappointed.

As always, a big thank you to Oliver and Mercedes-Benz of Owings Mills for letting me come down and disrupt their day. They’re always great people. They have a great selection of new Mercedes models that I both am allowed to, and not allowed to drive. Go check them out here.