Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA 45 Review & Prices

The Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S is like one of those boxes of chocolates from a very high-end chocolatier. Instead of just plain old caramel and nuts, you get complicated, expensive flavours — ginseng and lavender, maybe — and it’s all very impressive, but it costs a lot and you might feel a bit queasy afterwards. 

If the AMG GLA 35, with its 306hp engine, is a tiny bit disappointing then the 45, with its full-fat, max-cream, extra-sugar 421hp is anything but. This four-cylinder turbo develops frankly lunatic power for an engine of its size and type, and can fling to AMG GLA 45 S to 62mph from rest in a mere 4.3secs. The nine-speed automatic gearbox and the standard ‘4MATIC’ four-wheel drive system means that you can do that any time you like, in pretty much any weather. And all with space for the kids, the dogs, and a boot-full of Sainsbury’s. 

Mercedes has updated the AMG GLA 45 S just a little, with subtly re-worked lights front and rear, more body-coloured trim around the edges of the wheel arches, a new pair of front and rear bumpers, and instead of the three-pointed Mercedes star on the edge of the bonnet, a badge featuring the city crest of Affalterbach in Germany, the home of AMG.

Inside, while the cabin looks basically the same, the big, broad MBUX touchscreen infotainment setup (actually two screens, one for the driver and a central infotainment screen) have been updated and given a new processor to make them faster to respond and easier to use. The GLA 45 also gets some gorgeous, high-backed AMG sports seats in the front. 

Buckets of power and useful practicality mean the AMG GLA 45 feels a bit like having your cake and eating it too

In the rear, the GLA 45 S is as roomy and practical as any regular GLA model, and the boot can swallow 495-litres before you have to move the luggage cover out of the way. 

Through the little rotary switches on the steering wheel, you can set the GLA 45’s chassis, engine, and steering to precisely the way you want them (or choose from pre-set modes such as Comfort, Sport, Sport+, or Race) and there’s no denying the sheer muscular thrust of that mighty turbo engine. Performance is astonishing, and the GLA 45 S will actually corner too, even though it’s taller and heavier than the equivalent AMG A45 hatcback or CLA 45 coupe. The problem is that the extra height and weight do actually start to tell against it, and it’s never quite as sharp to drive as its lower-set stablemates, which will be a shame for anyone who’s a true AMG fan. It’s also very noisy when you’re cruising, and the ride quality is pretty firm if you’re driving around town, so there are significant compromises made to achieve the GLA 45’s performance and poise. 

A full review of the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 will come once we've had the chance to thoroughly test the car, but in the meantime you can browse the latest Mercedes deals and used Mercedes cars for sale on Carwow. Don't forget that you can sell your current car through Carwow, too.

Mercedes has wrung almost incredible performance out of the GLA 45 S’ engine and chassis, but there is a price to pay, and it’s basically twice the price of a basic Mercedes GLA 180. That’s a huge amount of money for a mid-size crossover, even one with the legendary AMG badge and all that grunt. Can it be worth it? 

Well, while the true driving enthusiast would certainly be better off in the hatchback A45 or the four-door coupe CLA 45 — both of which are more engaging to drive than the taller, heavier GLA 45 — the fact is that the GLA 45 S sits in something of a class of its own for the moment. Since Audi dropped the RS Q3, no-one else makes a comparably sized and comparably practical crossover with this much performance potential, so unless BMW gets around to making a proper M-version of the X1, the GLA has a corner of the market all to itself — for those who want one car that can do just about everything, and all of it very quickly. 

Standard spec for the GLA 45 S includes 21-inch alloy wheels, ‘boosted sound’ effects for the engine, red brake callipers, adaptive suspension dampers, AMG sports seats and steering wheel, and a Burmester sound system.