2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA250: Higher Profile, Higher Price

When the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class goes on sale in the coming weeks, its starting price will rise by about $2,000. Mercedes announced today that the redesigned SUV, set to hit dealers in “mid-2020,” would start at $37,280 (all prices include $1,050 destination charge) for a front-wheel-drive GLA250, while all-wheel-drive models start at $39,280. Both represent a $2,035 increase over the 2020 GLA250, and they land a stone’s throw from the GLA’s related SUV sibling, the new GLB-Class.

Related: 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class: L’il Fella of the Fam Gets More SUV Swag

The redesign sports styling changes and an overhauled interior that align the GLA with its new or redesigned platform siblings — not just the GLB, but also the A-Class and CLA-Class sedans. The GLA also gains 3.6 inches of badly needed height over the prior generation’s jacked-up-hatchback profile. Inside, twin dashboard screens combine to form a long, horizontal surface.

Standard features on the GLA250 include:

  • A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (221 horsepower, 258 pounds-feet of torque) and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, good for 0-60 mph in a manufacturer-estimated 6.8 seconds (6.6 seconds with AWD)
  • 18-inch wheels
  • Power-adjustable front seats
  • Dual-zone automatic climate control
  • Dual 7-inch dashboard screens 
  • Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
  • Four USB ports
  • Vinyl (leatherette) upholstery
  • Power liftgate
  • Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
  • Blind spot warning system
  • Driver attention monitor
  • Rain-sensing wipers

Options include:

  • 10.25-inch dashboard screens
  • Wireless phone charging and near-field communication pairing
  • Head-up display
  • Burmester premium audio
  • Navigation system with augmented-reality forward view
  • Heated and ventilated front seats
  • Heated steering wheel
  • Leather upholstery
  • Keyless access
  • Adaptive shock absorbers
  • Variable-ratio steering
  • AMG ground effects
  • Panoramic moonroof
  • Sport seats, sport steering wheel
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Lane-centering steering

Mercedes groups many of its options into packages that range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, so it’s easy to envision a factory-loaded GLA250 running well into the $50,000s. Still, the SUV’s starting price is right in the thick of a crowded class that includes the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Cadillac XT4 and Volvo XC40.

Mercedes has yet to reveal pricing for the GLA’s AMG variants, the GLA35 (302 hp, 0-60 mph in an estimated 5.0 seconds) and GLA45 (382 hp, 4.3 seconds); both go on sale later in 2020. Separately, an all-electric version of the GLA-Class, dubbed the EQA, is also coming.

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  • Research the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

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