5 New Features That Will Make the New Mercedes-Benz GLA and GLB Facelift More Expensive

Mercedes-Benz has just revealed the new GLA and GLB facelift, together with their AMG variants. It was about time, as the two follow in the footsteps of the A and CLA compact cars. No word on the pricing yet. But we should expect these to be more expensive than they currently are. We’ll tell you why.

The GLA starts at $37,500 in the U.S., while customers start negotiations at $39,800 for the GLB crossover. But that’s all history, because Mercedes has come up with updates that will make the two pricier. And this is why.

• Both the GLA and the GLB facelift got a redesigned front bumper and the radiator grille looks different as well. Gone are the halogen lights as LED headlamps with new design flank it as standard, while there are new taillights at the opposite end, too. Dual power domes show up on the hood, similar to those that only the AMG variants used to have before the facelift. There is a new paintwork available, the Spectral Blue. Customers can also choose one of the four new alloy wheel designs with sizes ranging from 17 to 20 inches.

• The voice assistant gets the Tourguide function, capable of providing relevant information along the route. It will only be available in Germany in the beginning. This was previously available higher in the range, with the S-Class, EQS, C-Class, and EQC. The system responds to the approximately 3,400 brown-colored tourist information signs along German autobahns. When it is activated, the MBUX automatically reads out useful information on places of interest along the way.
• The Trailer Manouvering Assist shows up in the lineup for the first time. The system is specifically designed to help drivers reverse easily, especially when they need to do it in narrow spaces.

• The GLA 250e plug-in hybrid, with no counterpart in the GLB range, gets a slightly more powerful electric motor, but the combined output is the same: 218 PS (215 HP). The 11.5-kWh battery keeps its ground, helping the car drive with zero emissions between 62 and 70 kilometers (39-43 miles), which is more than before.
• The petrol engines get a mild-hybrid 48-volt system that brings along 14 PS (13 HP) for limited periods of time. Mercedes drops the manual transmission from the lineup, with the GLA and the GLB facelift getting either a seven- or an eight-speed automatic transmission. The latter is for the AMG 35 versions with 306 PS (302 PS) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque, coming out of the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The GLA 35 can do the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) run in 5.2 seconds, while the GLB 35 is 0.3 seconds slower.

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