Mercedes-Benz will soon unveil the facelifted GLA range but before this happens, our spy photographers have snapped the new crossover undergoing testing in flagship GLA 45 guise.
We’ve seen the facelifted GLA testing on a handful of occasions over the past year and the camouflage adorning this one is particularly light, giving us a very good look at the crossover. While it doesn’t look significantly different than the outgoing model, some alterations are clearly visible.
Up front, we can see that this prototype has a new cross-hatch mesh design finished in black, although we suspect this grille is simply being used for testing purposes and that the finished GLA 45 will have a grille with vertical slats. The camouflage at the front of the crossover does a good job of hiding the new headlights but we can see that they have changed shape slightly and appear a little slimmer. Mercedes-Benz has also equipped the GLA 45 with new air intakes.
The side profile of the updated model looks almost identical to the outgoing GLA 45 but that’s certainly no bad thing. Key features of this prototype include the black wheel arches, the silver accents on the skirts, and the chrome window surrounds. Found at the rear end is a reshaped lip spoiler and altered taillights. The customary quad tailpipes are also visible.
Watch: Mercedes-AMG GLA45 Is An Ultra-Hot Hatchback Disguised As A Crossover
Mercedes-Benz is expected to make a handful of upgrades to the interior of the new GLA 45 too. For example, it will rock a new steering wheel, the latest MBUX infotainment system, and will ditch the trackpad currently found on the center console as the new software no longer needs one.
The same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the existing model will be featured. In standard GLA 45 guise, this engine is good for 382 hp but this swells to 415 hp in the GLA 45 S. We suspect some minor horsepower gains could be found but won’t be surprised if these figures remain unchanged. Power will continue to be sent through an eight-speed AMG Speedshift dual-clutch transmission powering all four wheels.
