This might be the hottest hatchback on the market when it arrives later this year at your local Mercedes dealer.
Sure, the brand calls it an SUV, but beside the CLA45 AMG it looks more like a Little Giant beside a normal step ladder. It’s a little tougher, the ground clearance is better and its useful for more tasks. It has many of the same fundamental pieces: a ridiculously powerful 2.0-liter turbo four that makes 355 hp, 4Matic all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. It sits on Mercedes’ new front-wheel drive MFA platform. It will probably cost more than the CLA45 AMG that has all of those things with less weight and therefore a quicker 0-60 sprint time.
SEE ALSO: 2015 Mercedes GLA45 AMG is the Hottest Hatch
So why should you even acknowledge the GLA45? Two words: back seats. The CLA version technically has them too, but they’re better to look at than to use. Troy Verner will fit comfortably, but there’s a good chance you won’t. On the other hand, the GLA45 will run to 60 mph in a raucous 4.8 seconds – or so says Mercedes – and it can do so while carrying more average-sized adults than its four-door coupe cousin.
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GALLERY: 2015 GLA45 AMG Live Photos
GALLERY: 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG
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