2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA range revealed | Wheels Magazine

The Mercedes-Benz GLA baby SUV is looking all grown up for 2017 with punchier styling, an additional drivetrain option and an audacious new AMG edition.

The 2017 GLA comes with exterior and interior updates based on ‘expressive design’ that matches the different variants.

The showstopper is the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC Yellow Night Edition, which comes dressed in black with yellow trim and provides a striking visual option to the standard GLA 45, which benefits from a range of technical and design enhancements and improved performance.

The most obvious visual difference is up front, which has a sharper look including a new front splitter insert and aerodynamic ‘flics’ in front of each wheel to improve airflow through the newly shaped air-intake grilles.

The rear end sports a new diffuser and roof spoiler while new wheel options include multi-spoke 20-inch light-alloy wheel in matt black with a high-sheen rim flange (yellow for the Night Edition) or titanium grey with a high-gloss finish.

The new -45 models reach 0-100km 0.4 seconds quicker, tripping the beam in just 4.4 seconds. The 280kW/475Nm 2-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine carries over, but software revisions to the launch control system have helped it slash its zero-to-hundred time.

Interior changes include faux leather dashboard covering contrasted in the Yellow Night edition with yellow stitching. If you’re not a fan of yellow, the standard AMG interior comes with red highlights.

The rest of the range also benefits from a front-end facelift mostly via the new bumper and redesigned air-intake grilles, while the previous optional bi-xenon headlamps have made way for soft LED headlamps with daylight hues.

There’s also a new colour, ‘canyon beige’ to highlight the 2017 range, which has a choice of three chassis variants including standard comfort suspension and two lowered suspension grades for those who really want a Mercedes-Benz A-Class but have somehow been convinced that a cross-over is the way to go.

Inside you’ll get new seat covers and trim as well as chromed control panels and new-look switches.

Additional equipment across the range includes 360-degree parking camera with bird’s eye view, keyless entry and optional hands-free tailgate.

There’s also a new petrol AWD variant, the GLA 220 4MATIC powered by a 135kW/300Nm engine 4-cylinder engine. Mercedes-Benz has yet to confirm of this will be heading down under with the rest of the 2017 range in the middle of the year.

Local pricing is also yet to be confirmed, though it’s not expected to differ too much from the current range, which starts at $43,600 for the GLA180.