GLA Concept leaked before Shanghai motor show
The Mercedes-Benz GLA concept official images have just surfaced ahead of its official unveiling during this weekend’s 2013 Shanghai Auto Show.
The leaked shots reveal the entire exterior and interior styling of the GLA crossover concept, and we don’t expect these to change drastically till the arrival of the production model later this year.
The Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class is expected to be the fourth model built on the MFA – Mercedes Front-wheel-drive Architecture, thus joining the A-Class hatch, the B-Class mini MPV and the CLA-Class ‘four-door coupe’.
In tune with its MFA siblings, the GLA will inherit the engines, transmissions as well as other mechanical components from them, which includes the 265kW/450Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder motor for the GLA45 AMG performance flagship.
As far as design elements go, the GLA concept shares some of them with the A-Class, including an upright grille with a prominent three-pointed star badge, as well as rounded headlights, a shallow glasshouse above contoured door panels and smooth LED tail-lights in the tailgate.
What does distinguish the GLA-Class as a more off-road-oriented vehicle is an aggressive lower front air intake, chunky wheel arches, large alloys wrapped in off-road tyres, roof rails, and of course some extra ground clearance.
The interior features a quite unique combination of white, grey and tan materials, with metal highlights and striking air vents. Most likely these will change somewhat for the production version, and expect them to be more in line with the A-Class, as well as a second-row bench which will replace the concept’s individual rear seats.
More images and details about the Mercedes-Benz GLA concept will surely be revealed in the coming days especially now that the images have been leaked.
The Shanghai show starts on April 20.
