What the Facelift Version of the Mercedes GLA Offers Indian Car Buyers
Mercedes Benz India witnessed flat growth in 2016, in comparison to the previous year’s numbers, and managed to sell 13,200 vehicles in the country. The company is now expecting double-digit growth in 2017, as revealed to The Hindu by Michael Jopp, VP Marketing and Sales.[1]
Helping the company achieve this ambitious target could be the July 2017 launch of the facelift Mercedes GLA series of SUVs. Let us explore some of the striking attributes of this new luxury car that can give serious competition to vehicles from BMW and Audi that are vying for the top slot.
Features of the Mercedes GLA
· Impressive Ground Clearance — The 2017 facelift version of the Mercedes GLA has a greater ground clearance of 183 mm, which is the highest in the segment. The chassis is raised by 30mm and the seat position is also comfortably higher.[2]
· A Focus on Safety — Mercedes is known for its focus on safety and the GLA SUVs are no different. In addition to the robust bodyshell structure, the vehicle comes equipped with six airbags as a standard safety feature for the safety of the driver and the other occupants of the vehicle. The Headlamp Assist feature turns on the headlight during low visibility conditions. The SUV also comes with a tyre pressure loss monitoring system that can be quite handy to automatically detect any loss of air pressure in the tyres and prevent accidents.
· Powertrain Engine — The 2143 cc GLA 200 D Style diesel engine is capable of producing 136 horsepower and a peak torque of 300 Nm. The 1991 cc GLA 200 Sport petrol engine, on the other hand, produces 183 horsepower and a torque of 300 Nm. The engines are mated to a 7-gear automatic transmission.[3]
· Revamped Exteriors — A new grille and tweaked bumpers give the SUV a refreshing new look. The front bumper looks sharper and gets bigger air intakes as well. The bi-xenon headlamps have now been replaced with the striking new LED headlamps.[4]
· Rain Sensing Wipers — An intuitive feature that finds its way in the all-new GLA is the rain sensing wipers. The vehicle can automatically detect rain on the windscreen and start the wipers.[5]
The Mercedes GLA facelift was first unveiled at the 2017 Detroit Motor Show and is the seventh product launched by the company in India. This only goes to show how seriously the German automaker is positioning itself in India and constantly offering new products to woo the luxury car buyers, a segment that seems to be growing by the day in the country.
Reference:
[3] http://www.financialexpress.com/auto/new-cars/mercedes-benz/gla/#keyfeatures
[4] https://auto.ndtv.com/mercedes-benz-cars/gla-class
[5] http://www.asianage.com/business/autos/110717/2017-mercedes-benz-gla-variants-explained.html
