First ride: 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLA prototype

Despite Mercedes' insistence on showcasing the GLA's off-road ability, though, it will only be offered with standard bodywork. A more rugged variant in the style of the company’s All-Terrain models isn't on the cards, according to Mercedes representative Markus Nast. He says the new model, which goes under the internal codename H247, will be available exclusively with a standard or, in combination with an AMG bodykit, lowered ride height.

The engines for the new GLA mirror those of the other Mercedes compact models. Exclusively four-cylinder, they include 1.3-litre and 2.0-litre petrols delivering 163bhp and 225bhp, plus a 1.5-litre diesel with 114bhp and a pair of 2.0-litre diesels developing 148bhp and 187bhp.

Standard GLA models will retain front wheel drive, while gearboxes are set to be a six-speed manual and a seven-speed automatic Getrag or eight-speed dual-clutch Mercedes unit, depending on the engine. 

A new GLA 250e EQ Power plug-in hybrid will join the new GLA line-up shortly after the beginning of sales in the UK next summer. It uses the same powertrain as the recently introduced A250e EQ Power, with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and gearbox-mounted electric motor developing a combined 215bhp. With a 15.6kWh lithium ion battery mounted underneath the rear seat, it's expected to provide an electric-only range of more than 40 miles on the WLTP test cycle.

Also planned for sale during the second half of 2020 are three 2.0-litre four-cylinder AMG models: the 306bhp GLA 35 4Matic, 387bhp GLA 45 4Matic and 415bhp GLA 45 S 4Matic.

Autocar can also reveal the new compact crossover also forms the basis of the electric Mercedes EQA. Set for launch in 2021, it will challenge the likes of the Volkswagen ID 3 with a range that insiders put at more than 300 miles.

As with the original GLA, the new model will be produced alongside the A-Class and B-Class in Germany, although additional production will take place in Beijing for the Chinese market.  

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