Mercedes-AMG GLA45 S Gets Mid-Life Updates, Still More Powerful Than A 911 Carrera

For those who like the idea of the Mercedes-AMG A45 S but want a bit more ride height and headroom than the hot hatch, we’ve good news - its compact SUV relative has been given a nip and tuck. The facelifted Mercedes-AMG GLA45 S is here, although you’d be hard-pressed to spot the differences.

Look close enough, and you’ll spot that although the front bumper features a similar design to before, it’s not quite the same, and the front and rear light clusters sport a new signature. The whole lighting system now uses LED tech, too, and you can have fancy multibeam LED headlights as an option.

While having a look around the front, you might clock that the Mercedes three-pointed star on the bonnet has been replaced with an AMG emblem. A more noticeable change concerns the wheel arch cladding. Rather than being finished black as on the old model, these trim pieces are now painted in the same colour as the body. Filling the arches are 21-inch wheels.

Inside, there’s the newer AMG Performance steering wheel complete with the touch-sensitive buttons we’ve found a bit fiddly in other Mercedes products, and two controls with little screens to tailor how the GLA45 S drives. The right-hand one selects the drive modes, while the left-hand control lets you fiddle with individual elements like the adaptive dampers and the active exhaust.

You also get a fresher version of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, a wireless charging pad, and a better USB offering. The charging ports now put out more power, and there’s an additional USB-C socket.

As far as the engine goes, there are no changes. The 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four was hardly wanting for poke anyway, putting out comfortably more power than a Porsche 911 Carrera. 415bhp, to be precise, making for a 0-62mph time of just 4.3 seconds. There are no chassis changes mentioned either, which is a bit of a shame, as the GLA45 S could do with softening up a touch - it’s never offered the most forgiving of rides.

Pricing hasn’t yet been revealed, but we can expect a fairly punchy figure. Previously, it was £66,725, so that’ll likely get closer to the £70k mark than before. Once again, the UK will only get the S model.