Mercedes has beefed up its GLA range in India with the GLA 220d 4Matic all-wheel-drive variant. The GLA 220d 4Matic Activity Edition is priced at Rs 38.51 lakh (Ex-showroom, Pune).
The standard GLA has been on sale in India since 2014 in the base petrol, diesel and the high-performance GLA 45 AMG versions. The GLA 220d comes with a special 'Activity Edition' trim that gets additional equipment as well.
The new GLA 220d gets the same 2.1-litre diesel engine that does duty in the GLA 200d but power is now bumped up by 34hp to 170hp. There’s a 50Nm increase in torque as well, which now peaks at a meaty 350Nm. There are cosmetic upgrades which differentiate the GLA 220d 4Matic too, like the dual-tone alloy wheels and chrome accents on door-side body cladding. Carried over from regular GLA models is the standard off-road package but in addition, the GLA 220d 4Matic gets a dynamic off-road mode option along with the Comfort, Sport and Eco modes.
On the inside, the infotainment system now gets a slightly larger 8.0-inch screen featuring Apple CarPlay. Other extras include a push-button start, an additional 12V socket in the boot area and a power open-close function for the tail-gate. The rear seat gets a new recline position which adds additional space of around 60 litres to the GLA 220d’s boot.
The GLA is Mercedes’ smallest SUV. By adding the 4Matic variant to its line-up, the carmaker hopes to enhance to the GLA’s appeal which is facing stiff competition from rivals like the BMW X1 xDrive and the Audi Q3 Quattro which was recently upgraded with new ‘Dynamic’ trim.
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