SPEED DEMON Driving the fierce little GLA45 4Matic

Thomas Bonatz

The Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG 4Matic is a ferocious little demon that will try to kill you if you are not prepared. I initially hated the GLA when it was first introduced in 2015. I saw it as a pseudo-SUV built by increasing the ride height of the European A-Class hatchback. But take that pleasant small five-door hatchback with some additional ride height, let AMG lower it again, and tune the engine until the wizards at AMG headquarters in Affalterbach are calling it “the beast,” and you’ve got a satanic little demon that challenges you to try and tame it.

SPEED DEMON

Driving the fierce little GLA45 4Matic

ARTICLE – Thomas Bonatz

IMAGES – Olivia Timpson, Thomas Bonatz

The Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG 4Matic is a ferocious little demon that will try to kill you if you are not prepared. I initially hated the GLA when it was first introduced in 2015. I saw it as a pseudo-SUV built by increasing the ride height of the European A-Class hatchback. But take that pleasant small five-door hatchback with some additional ride height, let AMG lower it again, and tune the engine until the wizards at Affalterbach are calling it “the beast,” and you’ve got a satanic little demon that challenges you to try and tame it.

My father ordered our test car, one of the first GLA45s to be delivered to the United States, and I couldn’t wait to get the chance to review it for The Star. On our first day out with the GLA45, photographer Olivia Timpson and I hustled the car down a dirt and gravel road where I began to understand its character. Although the fillings in my teeth were nearly jarred out, the GLA45 remained remarkably well balanced and composed like a hard-core rally car, with the traction control keeping it from sliding off the road on the gritty surface.

Things became even more interesting when we turned onto a narrow dirt path littered with rocks and other potholes. To make the turn, we had to go over a very shallow gutter at an angle. With the car’s very stiff suspension and low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport tires on 19x8 wheels, it even see-sawed a bit, like real SUVs do when they’re climbing large rocks. With tall grass, branches and sticks in the way, I was afraid of scratching the wheels or rocker panels, so I asked Olivia to spot me instead of photographing the experience. With the front lip extending closer to the ground behind the wheels, the GLA even scraped bottom as we crested the ruts.

With the car teetering half on the trail and half on the gravel road, I gave it some gas. The tires were utterly out of traction and the wheels did nothing but spin for what seemed like an eternity, but then I could feel the electronic differential shift power to the rear, and away we went. I felt like one of the hardcore Geländewagen guys tackling the Rubicon Trail.

So, even as a terrible off-roader, it was still a lot of fun, though in reality, an average E-Class 4Matic with another inch or two of clearance would most likely have tackled the same terrain in a more competent manner.

The next morning, we headed to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, for a track test. Power-wise, this engine packs a lot of punch. The 2.0-liter engine does suffer from a bit of turbo lag, but with 375 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, the violent wallop of power makes you soon forget about the leadup.

In a series of hot laps on a track with which I’m very familiar, I was impressed. With a well-tuned suspension, good steering feel and plenty of power, this is a driver’s car.

However, “Handles like it’s on rails” is not the cliché I would use to describe the GLA45. Turn-in is surprisingly quick – almost too quick – and when accelerating out of a tight corner, the turbo kicks in violently, overwhelms the Electronic Stability Program for a split second, then the differential engages to shift power to the rear, determined to regain grip. The end result is that if you overdrive the car, you wind up with an insane amount of understeer with bizarre handling characteristics at the limits as the components work to keep you from spinning off the track.

How good is it? At the Barber track during StarFest®, I was coaching the MBCA member who won his AMG GT S in the club raffle; it was his first time on a track. By the afternoon, he was doing rather well and we seemed to be the second fastest on the track, bested only by a GT R.

Then the rain started to pour. Not wanting this to be the car’s last day on a track – or my last day on Earth – I advised him to be 10 times smoother with his steering, brake and acceleration inputs. Fortunately, he listened, remained calm, and we kept lapping quickly despite the wet track. Suddenly out of nowhere, a well-driven GLA45 appeared in our mirrors. All we could do was give it a polite wave-by and watch as it disappeared around the next corner.

The GLA45 comes equipped with a feature called “Race Start,” which is essentially a launch control. This is not a feature to be tried on the street – it’s more of a thrill-ride bonus than a performance attribute – but a long straight stretch on an empty track was the perfect place to try it out.

Following the complicated procedure that I had memorized from a YouTube video the night before, I first made sure the ESP setting was in sport mode. Then I set the dual-clutch transmission to manual. With my left foot planted hard on the brake, I pulled back both gearshift paddles at the same time and released them, and the LED screen on the dash instructed me to pull the right paddle to confirm race start. With both hands on the steering wheel and prepared to be moved very quickly, I simply floored the accelerator pedal – the car held itself around 3,500 rpm – and then let off the brake.

Bam … mic drop. In what seemed like considerably less than the company’s promised 4.7 seconds, I was rocketing past 60 mph and concentrating on keeping the car going in a straight line; a more complicated launch routine than most other brands, but still fun.

The GLA45 is a true performance vehicle, but it is also a straight-up old-school driver’s car. It makes you work for results. It can be a wild, uncontrollable demon. However, if you have the right spell-binding power gained from training and experience, it will reward you with adrenaline-laced performance.

As I handed the keys back to my father, the first thing I told him was that he needed to take a high-performance driving class at the next opportunity; I don’t want to wind up an orphan. My opinion of the GLA45 has changed. The GLA45 is neither a high-performance CLS nor elegant GLE; this is a different kind of Mercedes. The new GLA has a demonic personality that Mercedes is starting to embrace in its AMG vehicles. It has gobs of power, is a challenge to drive well, and wants to kill an unsuspecting driver. I like it.

Although perhaps not an intuitive first choice for serious off-road duty, the irrepressible GLA45 AMG nevertheless remained fearless and responsive throughout a wide range of driving conditions.

With its polished and sporty Mercedes-Benz interior, an entertaining “Race Start” feature, and a tire-shredding 375-horsepower engine, the GLA45 offers owners an engaging hardcore driving experience.

Although perhaps not an intuitive first choice for serious off-road duty, the irrepressible GLA45 AMG nevertheless remained fearless and responsive throughout a wide range of driving conditions.