2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 First Test: The Wrong AMG Survives?

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Mercedes-Benz product planners in recent years seemed to operate under the mantra of, “AMG all the things!” Sure, we love performance vehicles as much as the next bloke, but now that it seems everything with a three-pointed star on the hood is a candidate for an AMG makeover, perhaps a bit of the luster has worn off?

Thankfully, we’re beginning to see the tide shift, if slightly. Mercedes is tidying up its lineup with some redundant AMG models being shelved. Unfortunately for fans of the GLA, Mercedes may have made a slight mistake. Although the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 is improved for this year, the more bonkers GLA45 is gone from the roster, leaving us to make do with the lesser of the GLAs.

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Is the GLA35 a Real AMG?

Mercedes-AMG began in 1967 as an independent engineering firm specializing in performance upfits of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. AMG models typically feature more aggressive styling, higher-performance engines, improved handling, and of course more carbon fiber than their standard Mercedes-Benz counterparts. And the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 is no exception.

Despite its diminutive stature and easy-on-the-wallet price tag, the most compact AMG SUV comes packed with a serious list of hardware. The GLA35 features a 305-hp, AMG-enhanced turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that for 2024 now comes fit with a 48-volt hybrid electric starter-generator. This starter-generator can add up to 13 hp for increased engine response. The engine is paired with an AMG SpeedShift eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and performance 4Matic all-wheel drive.

An AMG Ride Control suspension features struts in front and a four-link setup in the rear. This is paired with AMG-developed springs and three-stage variable dampers. Cornering agility is further enhanced by a three-stage electronic stability control system with torque vectoring and dynamic cornering assist. Sadly, the GLA35 doesn’t offer the Race or Master drive modes of other AMG vehicles.

The GLA35’s exterior boasts an aggressively sculpted front air dam, vertical-bar grille, and a deep rear valence. There’s a small spoiler above the rear window, and large dual exhaust tips poke out of either side of the rear diffuser. Standard 19-inch AMG aluminum wheels feature a five dual-spoke design.

Inside, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 is dominated by a pair of 10.25-inch digital displays that make up the MBUX infotainment interface and digital dash. A flat-bottomed AMG steering wheel is festooned with aluminum paddle shifters and more buttons and knobs that you’ll know what to do with. There’s also adjustable interior illumination, brushed aluminum trim, carbon-fiber accents, natural-grain linden wood, and Napa leather throughout. The whole thing feels properly upscale.

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Living With the GLA35 Can Be Rough

Although the added AMG bits make the 2024 GLA35 exciting and sporty to drive, living with the vehicle can sometimes be a downright harsh experience. Whereas the standard-issue GLA250 offers a quiet and comfortable ride, the Mercedes-AMG GLA is quite the opposite. As we noted in our First Test of the GLA35 when it arrived, the car’s stiff springs and sport-tuned dampers do it no favors when traversing worn pavement. Even on the adaptive suspension’s softest setting, Comfort, the ride is just barely tolerable. Turn it up to Sport or Sport+, and even with the base 19-inch wheels, anything but perfect pavement can feel like it’ll bust your kidneys. The only saving grace is the optional ventilated and massaging Multicontour front seats included as part of the $3,250 AMG Performance Seat package.

The GLA35 is also notably loud. The sheer volume of wind and road noise makes it difficult to carry on a normal conversation at times. The issue is only compounded by the AMG sport exhaust system, which features an internal butterfly valve that responds to engine load and throttle position. What starts as a pleasant, throaty growl quickly becomes overpowering as the augmented engine noise also ramps up. Keep the GLA in its Comfort drive mode, and it’s tolerable. Switch over to either Sport mode or accelerate briskly, and the tiny racer unleashes its bark.

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Room for Activities

On the plus side, though small in stature, we found a lot of useful space built into the GLA. We appreciate the number of smart storage compartments located all around the passenger compartment, along with five well-distributed USB-C ports. Thanks to its smart design, even with the front seats in their most rearward position, adults fit comfortably in the back seat with legroom to spare. Child seats are easy to install, and the deep footwells provide extra space for all the superfluous gear that travels along with tiny humans. Cargo space behind the rear seats is plentiful, as well, with more than enough room for a shopping trip to the big-box warehouse club or for transporting that double stroller. Interestingly, there’s a large amount of space under the rear cargo floor, yet Mercedes opted to not fit the GLA35 with a spare tire. 

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Take It to the Track

While the GLA35 is fun to zip around town in, its true colors show at the test track. The GLA’s launch control system offers a fun bit of flare with flashing lights on the instrument panel and pumped-up artificial engine noises. Thankfully, that’s not all it does. Using launch control, we managed to knock off a 5.1-second 0–60-mph run. The car squats hard off the line while the dual-clutch transmission bangs out quick and snappy shifts. Drag racing might not be the GLA35’s strongest ability, but it will do the quarter mile in 13.8 seconds, hitting the line at 98.5 mph.

When it’s time to slow up, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 brings everything to a halt from 60 mph in 111 feet. We expected better from a 3,800-pound AMG product—we found the brake pedal to be softer and offer more travel than we typically find with the larger AMG45 and 63 models. And the standard Yokohama Advan tires don’t offer much in the way of grippy performance. Mercedes offers 20- and 21-inch wheels with performance tires as an option, but there’s a large trade-off in ride quality when moving away from the standard 19s.

Results were mixed, as well, when it came to our figure-eight test. With the vehicle in the Sport+ drive mode with ESC off and Advanced AMG dynamics selected, the GLA35 certainly feels like AMG worked on it. Acceleration was spunky, transmission shifts were intelligent, and the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system did its best to route torque precisely to where it’s needed most. We also found the steering to be precise and well weighted, easily holding a line. That said, the brakes were again only merely sufficient, and we struggled a bit with the non-defeatable traction control system. The outcome was a 25.2-second time with an average of 0.73 g.

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The One That Got Away

Don’t get us wrong, we’re not mad about the performance of the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA35. We’re just disappointed the GLA45 got the chop. While officials from Mercedes-AMG have declined to comment, members of the AMG Private Lounge group have noted that concerns over the GLA45 cannibalizing sales of larger AMG 53 and 63 models may have contributed to its demise.

Mercedes gave the AMG GLA45 a similar turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, but it was hand-built and pumped out a staggering 382 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes claimed it would reach 60 mph in what we believe to be a conservative 4.3 seconds. Further differentiating the pair of AMG GLAs, the GLA45 came fit with the company’s 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system, which not only split engine torque between the front and rear axles but could also split it side-to-side across the rear wheels. All in all, the GLA45 only added about $7,000 to the GLA35’s price tag, which was worth it for the performance gains.

A new GLA45 S has recently been unveiled for the European market, and we can only hope it finds its way stateside soon.

Final Thoughts

All things being equal, it’s tough from the outside to understand the logic behind Mercedes-AMG keeping the GLA35 while it shelved the higher performance GLA45. If you’re going to sacrifice the comfortable and quiet ride of the standard GLA250 for the performance version, you should have the option to get the most performance possible.

That said, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 is generally fun to drive, loaded with smart and useful technology, and provides a decent impression of a hot hatch playing at being an AMG SUV. And you get all the performance hardware, carbon-fiber bits, and prestige that go along with driving an AMG for a more reasonable price.