Let’s talk about compact luxury for a moment. Where once upon a time, every sahib worth his salt had to be hauled around in close to five metres of lavishly trimmed metal, these days, it’s perfectly acceptable for him – or today’s version of him, at least – to be at the wheel of a stylish compact luxury car. The flavour of the season is the compact sedan, what with the excellent Audi A3 launched in 2014, and the swoopy Mercedes-Benz CLA launching later this month, and the luxury hatchback invasion of 2013 before that. But let’s not forget what first introduced India to the idea that a relatively small car could still be a thing of opulence, command a price higher than Rs 20 lakh, and wear a fancy badge on its nose. It was, of course, the compact luxury SUV.
Brought to our roads by a shrewd BMW and its X1 in late 2010, the segment grew into a twosome a year later thanks to Audi and the capable Q3. BMW even updated the X1 in 2013 with more equipment, a new gearbox, new steering, more power and better interiors. Mercedes-Benz, however, missed the boat with nothing to offer in this segment at that time, and the cheapest SUV it sold in India was the Rs 45 lakh-plus M-class. Better late than never, of course, Merc has now joined the party with a bang and the seriously attractive GLA-class, and naturally, we’ve lined the other two up alongside it.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
What makes this comparison all the more interesting is that these three cars, even though they’re after the same kind of buyer, are actually quite different from one another. You can tell by just by looking at them. There’s no doubt that the GLA is a stunner, what with its myriad lines and curves, beautifully complex headlamps and abundance of chrome; particularly the big, metallic ‘mouth’ in the lower front bumper. But it’s hard to get away from the fact that it looks more like a bulked up A-class than a proper SUV. This is somewhat made up for by the chunky 18-inch wheels, which do add a lot of presence compared to the other two and their 17-inchers. The BMW X1 goes to another extreme, looking in profile like a slightly lifted estate car which, given its origins in the 3-series Touring, is more or less what it is. The Q3 is the one that comes closest to looking like an SUV, with its more upright stance and bluff bonnet. And though the vertical-slat grille on this Dynamic trim looks nice, not everyone agrees on the clear-lens LED tail-lamps. The fact is, these are all meant to be luxurious urban runabouts and it shows in the way they look.
Move to the oily bits, and the differences continue. The GLA is front-wheel drive (AWD will be offered later on), the India-spec X1 is rear-wheel drive only, and this top-of-the-line Q3 uses a front-biased Haldex all-wheel-drive system. Correspondingly, the Audi and Mercedes use transversely placed engines, while the BMW slots its motor lengthways. The GLA and Q3 use seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes, while the BMW uses its version of the tried and tested ZF-sourced eight-speed auto ‘box.
There’s also no getting away from the fact that, with monocoque chassis and an average of about 180mm of ground clearance, none of these cars is a serious off-roader. All four cars use independent suspension all round, but the Q3 is the only one to get adjustable dampers. When it’s time to load up your luggage, you’ll find that both the GLA and the Q3 have rather high loading lips for you to heave your bags over. The X1’s lower access point is more convenient, though its 420-litre capacity is closer to the GLA’s 421 litres than the Audi’s 460. The Merc has the added disadvantage of having its spare wheel take up a whole lot of that boot space; the Audi’s is nestled in a compartment under the boot floor. Because the BMW uses run-flat tyres, it doesn’t come with a spare by default, but dealers will sell you one as an option, in which case, it too will take up boot space.
Let’s talk about compact luxury for a moment. Where once upon a time, every sahib worth his salt had to be hauled around in close to five metres of lavishly trimmed metal, these days, it’s perfectly acceptable for him – or today’s version of him, at least – to be at the wheel of a stylish compact luxury car. The flavour of the season is the compact sedan, what with the excellent Audi A3 launched in 2014, and the swoopy Mercedes-Benz CLA launching later this month, and the luxury hatchback invasion of 2013 before that. But let’s not forget what first introduced India to the idea that a relatively small car could still be a thing of opulence, command a price higher than Rs 20 lakh, and wear a fancy badge on its nose. It was, of course, the compact luxury SUV.
Brought to our roads by a shrewd BMW and its X1 in late 2010, the segment grew into a twosome a year later thanks to Audi and the capable Q3. BMW even updated the X1 in 2013 with more equipment, a new gearbox, new steering, more power and better interiors. Mercedes-Benz, however, missed the boat with nothing to offer in this segment at that time, and the cheapest SUV it sold in India was the Rs 45 lakh-plus M-class. Better late than never, of course, Merc has now joined the party with a bang and the seriously attractive GLA-class, and naturally, we’ve lined the other two up alongside it.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
What makes this comparison all the more interesting is that these three cars, even though they’re after the same kind of buyer, are actually quite different from one another. You can tell by just by looking at them. There’s no doubt that the GLA is a stunner, what with its myriad lines and curves, beautifully complex headlamps and abundance of chrome; particularly the big, metallic ‘mouth’ in the lower front bumper. But it’s hard to get away from the fact that it looks more like a bulked up A-class than a proper SUV. This is somewhat made up for by the chunky 18-inch wheels, which do add a lot of presence compared to the other two and their 17-inchers. The BMW X1 goes to another extreme, looking in profile like a slightly lifted estate car which, given its origins in the 3-series Touring, is more or less what it is. The Q3 is the one that comes closest to looking like an SUV, with its more upright stance and bluff bonnet. And though the vertical-slat grille on this Dynamic trim looks nice, not everyone agrees on the clear-lens LED tail-lamps. The fact is, these are all meant to be luxurious urban runabouts and it shows in the way they look.
Move to the oily bits, and the differences continue. The GLA is front-wheel drive (AWD will be offered later on), the India-spec X1 is rear-wheel drive only, and this top-of-the-line Q3 uses a front-biased Haldex all-wheel-drive system. Correspondingly, the Audi and Mercedes use transversely placed engines, while the BMW slots its motor lengthways. The GLA and Q3 use seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes, while the BMW uses its version of the tried and tested ZF-sourced eight-speed auto ‘box.
There’s also no getting away from the fact that, with monocoque chassis and an average of about 180mm of ground clearance, none of these cars is a serious off-roader. All four cars use independent suspension all round, but the Q3 is the only one to get adjustable dampers. When it’s time to load up your luggage, you’ll find that both the GLA and the Q3 have rather high loading lips for you to heave your bags over. The X1’s lower access point is more convenient, though its 420-litre capacity is closer to the GLA’s 421 litres than the Audi’s 460. The Merc has the added disadvantage of having its spare wheel take up a whole lot of that boot space; the Audi’s is nestled in a compartment under the boot floor. Because the BMW uses run-flat tyres, it doesn’t come with a spare by default, but dealers will sell you one as an option, in which case, it too will take up boot space.
Let’s talk about compact luxury for a moment. Where once upon a time, every sahib worth his salt had to be hauled around in close to five metres of lavishly trimmed metal, these days, it’s perfectly acceptable for him – or today’s version of him, at least – to be at the wheel of a stylish compact luxury car. The flavour of the season is the compact sedan, what with the excellent Audi A3 launched in 2014, and the swoopy Mercedes-Benz CLA launching later this month, and the luxury hatchback invasion of 2013 before that. But let’s not forget what first introduced India to the idea that a relatively small car could still be a thing of opulence, command a price higher than Rs 20 lakh, and wear a fancy badge on its nose. It was, of course, the compact luxury SUV.
Brought to our roads by a shrewd BMW and its X1 in late 2010, the segment grew into a twosome a year later thanks to Audi and the capable Q3. BMW even updated the X1 in 2013 with more equipment, a new gearbox, new steering, more power and better interiors. Mercedes-Benz, however, missed the boat with nothing to offer in this segment at that time, and the cheapest SUV it sold in India was the Rs 45 lakh-plus M-class. Better late than never, of course, Merc has now joined the party with a bang and the seriously attractive GLA-class, and naturally, we’ve lined the other two up alongside it.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
What makes this comparison all the more interesting is that these three cars, even though they’re after the same kind of buyer, are actually quite different from one another. You can tell by just by looking at them. There’s no doubt that the GLA is a stunner, what with its myriad lines and curves, beautifully complex headlamps and abundance of chrome; particularly the big, metallic ‘mouth’ in the lower front bumper. But it’s hard to get away from the fact that it looks more like a bulked up A-class than a proper SUV. This is somewhat made up for by the chunky 18-inch wheels, which do add a lot of presence compared to the other two and their 17-inchers. The BMW X1 goes to another extreme, looking in profile like a slightly lifted estate car which, given its origins in the 3-series Touring, is more or less what it is. The Q3 is the one that comes closest to looking like an SUV, with its more upright stance and bluff bonnet. And though the vertical-slat grille on this Dynamic trim looks nice, not everyone agrees on the clear-lens LED tail-lamps. The fact is, these are all meant to be luxurious urban runabouts and it shows in the way they look.
Move to the oily bits, and the differences continue. The GLA is front-wheel drive (AWD will be offered later on), the India-spec X1 is rear-wheel drive only, and this top-of-the-line Q3 uses a front-biased Haldex all-wheel-drive system. Correspondingly, the Audi and Mercedes use transversely placed engines, while the BMW slots its motor lengthways. The GLA and Q3 use seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes, while the BMW uses its version of the tried and tested ZF-sourced eight-speed auto ‘box.
There’s also no getting away from the fact that, with monocoque chassis and an average of about 180mm of ground clearance, none of these cars is a serious off-roader. All four cars use independent suspension all round, but the Q3 is the only one to get adjustable dampers. When it’s time to load up your luggage, you’ll find that both the GLA and the Q3 have rather high loading lips for you to heave your bags over. The X1’s lower access point is more convenient, though its 420-litre capacity is closer to the GLA’s 421 litres than the Audi’s 460. The Merc has the added disadvantage of having its spare wheel take up a whole lot of that boot space; the Audi’s is nestled in a compartment under the boot floor. Because the BMW uses run-flat tyres, it doesn’t come with a spare by default, but dealers will sell you one as an option, in which case, it too will take up boot space.
Let’s talk about compact luxury for a moment. Where once upon a time, every sahib worth his salt had to be hauled around in close to five metres of lavishly trimmed metal, these days, it’s perfectly acceptable for him – or today’s version of him, at least – to be at the wheel of a stylish compact luxury car. The flavour of the season is the compact sedan, what with the excellent Audi A3 launched in 2014, and the swoopy Mercedes-Benz CLA launching later this month, and the luxury hatchback invasion of 2013 before that. But let’s not forget what first introduced India to the idea that a relatively small car could still be a thing of opulence, command a price higher than Rs 20 lakh, and wear a fancy badge on its nose. It was, of course, the compact luxury SUV.
Brought to our roads by a shrewd BMW and its X1 in late 2010, the segment grew into a twosome a year later thanks to Audi and the capable Q3. BMW even updated the X1 in 2013 with more equipment, a new gearbox, new steering, more power and better interiors. Mercedes-Benz, however, missed the boat with nothing to offer in this segment at that time, and the cheapest SUV it sold in India was the Rs 45 lakh-plus M-class. Better late than never, of course, Merc has now joined the party with a bang and the seriously attractive GLA-class, and naturally, we’ve lined the other two up alongside it.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
What makes this comparison all the more interesting is that these three cars, even though they’re after the same kind of buyer, are actually quite different from one another. You can tell by just by looking at them. There’s no doubt that the GLA is a stunner, what with its myriad lines and curves, beautifully complex headlamps and abundance of chrome; particularly the big, metallic ‘mouth’ in the lower front bumper. But it’s hard to get away from the fact that it looks more like a bulked up A-class than a proper SUV. This is somewhat made up for by the chunky 18-inch wheels, which do add a lot of presence compared to the other two and their 17-inchers. The BMW X1 goes to another extreme, looking in profile like a slightly lifted estate car which, given its origins in the 3-series Touring, is more or less what it is. The Q3 is the one that comes closest to looking like an SUV, with its more upright stance and bluff bonnet. And though the vertical-slat grille on this Dynamic trim looks nice, not everyone agrees on the clear-lens LED tail-lamps. The fact is, these are all meant to be luxurious urban runabouts and it shows in the way they look.
Move to the oily bits, and the differences continue. The GLA is front-wheel drive (AWD will be offered later on), the India-spec X1 is rear-wheel drive only, and this top-of-the-line Q3 uses a front-biased Haldex all-wheel-drive system. Correspondingly, the Audi and Mercedes use transversely placed engines, while the BMW slots its motor lengthways. The GLA and Q3 use seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes, while the BMW uses its version of the tried and tested ZF-sourced eight-speed auto ‘box.
There’s also no getting away from the fact that, with monocoque chassis and an average of about 180mm of ground clearance, none of these cars is a serious off-roader. All four cars use independent suspension all round, but the Q3 is the only one to get adjustable dampers. When it’s time to load up your luggage, you’ll find that both the GLA and the Q3 have rather high loading lips for you to heave your bags over. The X1’s lower access point is more convenient, though its 420-litre capacity is closer to the GLA’s 421 litres than the Audi’s 460. The Merc has the added disadvantage of having its spare wheel take up a whole lot of that boot space; the Audi’s is nestled in a compartment under the boot floor. Because the BMW uses run-flat tyres, it doesn’t come with a spare by default, but dealers will sell you one as an option, in which case, it too will take up boot space.
Let’s talk about compact luxury for a moment. Where once upon a time, every sahib worth his salt had to be hauled around in close to five metres of lavishly trimmed metal, these days, it’s perfectly acceptable for him – or today’s version of him, at least – to be at the wheel of a stylish compact luxury car. The flavour of the season is the compact sedan, what with the excellent Audi A3 launched in 2014, and the swoopy Mercedes-Benz CLA launching later this month, and the luxury hatchback invasion of 2013 before that. But let’s not forget what first introduced India to the idea that a relatively small car could still be a thing of opulence, command a price higher than Rs 20 lakh, and wear a fancy badge on its nose. It was, of course, the compact luxury SUV.
Brought to our roads by a shrewd BMW and its X1 in late 2010, the segment grew into a twosome a year later thanks to Audi and the capable Q3. BMW even updated the X1 in 2013 with more equipment, a new gearbox, new steering, more power and better interiors. Mercedes-Benz, however, missed the boat with nothing to offer in this segment at that time, and the cheapest SUV it sold in India was the Rs 45 lakh-plus M-class. Better late than never, of course, Merc has now joined the party with a bang and the seriously attractive GLA-class, and naturally, we’ve lined the other two up alongside it.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
What makes this comparison all the more interesting is that these three cars, even though they’re after the same kind of buyer, are actually quite different from one another. You can tell by just by looking at them. There’s no doubt that the GLA is a stunner, what with its myriad lines and curves, beautifully complex headlamps and abundance of chrome; particularly the big, metallic ‘mouth’ in the lower front bumper. But it’s hard to get away from the fact that it looks more like a bulked up A-class than a proper SUV. This is somewhat made up for by the chunky 18-inch wheels, which do add a lot of presence compared to the other two and their 17-inchers. The BMW X1 goes to another extreme, looking in profile like a slightly lifted estate car which, given its origins in the 3-series Touring, is more or less what it is. The Q3 is the one that comes closest to looking like an SUV, with its more upright stance and bluff bonnet. And though the vertical-slat grille on this Dynamic trim looks nice, not everyone agrees on the clear-lens LED tail-lamps. The fact is, these are all meant to be luxurious urban runabouts and it shows in the way they look.
Move to the oily bits, and the differences continue. The GLA is front-wheel drive (AWD will be offered later on), the India-spec X1 is rear-wheel drive only, and this top-of-the-line Q3 uses a front-biased Haldex all-wheel-drive system. Correspondingly, the Audi and Mercedes use transversely placed engines, while the BMW slots its motor lengthways. The GLA and Q3 use seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes, while the BMW uses its version of the tried and tested ZF-sourced eight-speed auto ‘box.
There’s also no getting away from the fact that, with monocoque chassis and an average of about 180mm of ground clearance, none of these cars is a serious off-roader. All four cars use independent suspension all round, but the Q3 is the only one to get adjustable dampers. When it’s time to load up your luggage, you’ll find that both the GLA and the Q3 have rather high loading lips for you to heave your bags over. The X1’s lower access point is more convenient, though its 420-litre capacity is closer to the GLA’s 421 litres than the Audi’s 460. The Merc has the added disadvantage of having its spare wheel take up a whole lot of that boot space; the Audi’s is nestled in a compartment under the boot floor. Because the BMW uses run-flat tyres, it doesn’t come with a spare by default, but dealers will sell you one as an option, in which case, it too will take up boot space.