Mercedes GLA 200 review: Step right up
Leow Ju Len
28/08/2020
Interior and Features
If you want to see where the GLA really resembles its platform sisters, step inside. The centre console and twin widescreen displays are straight out of the A-Class. No bad thing, that. The main controls are as neatly laid out as can be, and the screens are bright and sharp.
Incidentally, you can also control the screens with small touchpads on the steering wheel, which might take some practice. Once you ace it, though, you’ll be good in any Mercedes, so you won’t feel lost if you go from here to, say, an E-Class. Clever, these Germans.
There’s also a small touchpad for the main infotainment (left-hand) screen. It replaces a rotary knob, but using it is more of a head-scratcher. Better to poke at the display with your finger, if you ask me.
You also get the MBUX voice activation system with the GLA, but beyond a brief chat with it for novelty’s sake, it’s unlikely you’ll use it for much. The system struggles to understand all but the simplest commands and needs an upgrade before it becomes usable, let alone useful.
On the plus side, the GLA seems to have a slightly more plush cabin than the other A-Class family members. The shared bits still feel low-rent (the row of toggle switches on the centre consoles, the signal stalks) but some surfaces are covered in more expensive-feeling material. Among all the small Mercedes cars, this one seems to feel the most premium.
As for the features, you get a mixed bag. There are surprising omissions — it’s almost unforgivable for a family car to have no rear air-con vents here — but then the basic stuff like keyless entry and engine start is there. Front powered seats with memory settings are nice to have, as are the wireless phone charging pad and the powered tailgate, which also comes with a handsfree opening feature.
You also get both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is just as well because otherwise you’d have to stump up S$2,300 for a navigation system. The test car’s panoramic glass roof costs S$4,900 and does a lot to make the cabin feel bright and airy, but a more useful option would be the two-zone air-con (S$2,100)
About the Author
Leow Ju Len
CarBuyer Singapore's original originator, Ju-Len in person is exactly how he is on the written word and behind the wheel. Meaning that he darts all over the place and just when you thought he's lost the plot, you realise that it's just you not keeping up with his incredible rate of speed and thought.
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