New Mercedes-Benz GLA charges at up to 320 kW and offers 657 km of electric range

A longer wheelbase improves rear-seat space

The new GLA is 20 mm lower than its predecessor, but its wheelbase grows by 61 mm to 2,790 mm. Front occupants gain 7 mm of legroom, while rear passengers get an additional 38 mm. Headroom increases by 23 mm in the front and 24 mm in the rear. Mercedes has also widened the rear track by 31 mm, giving the car a broader, more planted stance.

Rather than chasing size for its own sake, Mercedes has used the longer wheelbase to improve cabin space while lowering the roofline. The electric model has a drag coefficient of 0.27, helping to reduce both energy consumption and wind noise at higher speeds.

The boot grows compared with the EQA, not the outgoing combustion-engined GLA

The new electric GLA offers 410 litres of rear luggage space, rising to 1,400 litres with the rear seats folded. Mercedes also adds a 107-litre front luggage compartment, large enough for charging cables, a cabin suitcase or a sports bag. The rear seatbacks split 40:20:40.

Mercedes describes the 410-litre boot as 70 litres larger than that of the predecessor. That comparison is effectively with the outgoing EQA, which offers 340 litres. The current combustion-engined GLA has an official capacity of 435 litres, so the new electric model’s rear boot is still 25 litres smaller. Its sizeable front compartment nevertheless gives the newcomer a clear advantage in total luggage space.

Three electric versions arrive in November

Mercedes will launch the GLA with three fully electric variants in November. The rear-wheel-drive GLA 200 produces 165 kW and uses a lithium iron phosphate battery with 58 kWh of usable capacity. The GLA 250+ develops 200 kW, while the GLA 350 4MATIC produces 260 kW. The two more powerful versions use an 85 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery.

The all-wheel-drive GLA 350 4MATIC accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. Mercedes has not included acceleration, top-speed or kerb-weight figures for the GLA 200 and GLA 250+ in its main launch announcement. A fourth electric version with a 71 kWh usable-capacity NMC battery will follow in early 2027.

Depending on version and equipment, the preliminary WLTP energy-consumption figures are:

GLA 200: 14.9–17.0 kWh/100 km

GLA 250+: 15.2–17.3 kWh/100 km

GLA 350 4MATIC: 15.5–17.6 kWh/100 km

Those figures place the GLA among the more efficient electric SUVs of its size and power.

The 657 km figure belongs to the long-range GLA

The maximum WLTP range of 657 km applies to the rear-wheel-drive GLA 250+ with the 85 kWh battery.

For comparison, the BMW iX1 eDrive20, updated for 2026, offers up to 514 km from a charge. The all-wheel-drive iX1 xDrive30 reaches a maximum of 466 km. On paper, the longest-range GLA therefore beats its BMW rival by as much as 143 km. The real-world difference will naturally depend on weather, speed, wheel size and equipment.

The 800-volt system enables charging at up to 320 kW

The GLA uses an 800-volt electrical architecture, but the maximum charging rate depends on the battery. The 85 kWh GLA 250+ and GLA 350 4MATIC can accept up to 320 kW at a suitable DC charger, while the 58 kWh GLA 200 is rated at up to 200 kW.

Mercedes says the GLA can add up to 270 km of WLTP range in ten minutes. AC charging is available at up to 22 kW.

There is an important caveat for 400-volt rapid chargers. The GLA requires an optional DC converter to use them. Buyers planning to travel in areas where 800-volt chargers remain scarce should add it when configuring the car.

The BMW iX1 is limited to 130 kW DC charging and takes at least 29 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent. The GLA’s advantage is therefore not merely a headline peak, but a substantially newer electrical architecture.

The hybrid does not drive electrically at motorway speeds

Mercedes will add two 48-volt hybrid power outputs in early 2027. A newly developed 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine works with an eight-speed 8F-eDCT dual-clutch transmission. A 22 kW electric motor is integrated directly into the gearbox and draws energy from a lithium-ion battery with up to 1.3 kWh of capacity. Front- and all-wheel-drive versions will be offered.

At low urban speeds and under light loads, the hybrid can travel short distances using electric power alone. Above 100 km/h, it can switch off the combustion engine and coast with the powertrain disconnected when less than 22 kW is required. This is coasting rather than motorway driving under electric power.

The electric motor can assist the petrol engine in all eight gears and recover up to 25 kW under deceleration. Mercedes has yet to publish the hybrids’ combined system outputs, acceleration figures or WLTP fuel-consumption data.

The third screen costs extra

The MBUX Superscreen combines a 10.25-inch driver display, a 14-inch central touchscreen and a 14-inch front-passenger display behind a single glass surface. The full three-screen arrangement is optional. Without the passenger display, a decorative panel with a star-pattern graphic fills the space.

It is therefore inaccurate to describe every new GLA as a three-screen car. Mercedes naturally shows the most lavishly equipped cabin in its publicity images, while less expensive versions receive a simpler layout.

A physical volume roller and a rocker switch for DISTRONIC and the speed limiter return to the steering wheel. Mercedes retains capacitive touch surfaces for the remaining controls, but at least restores two functions that drivers often need to locate without taking their eyes off the road.

The panoramic roof offers seven individually controlled sections

The GLA comes with a standard one-piece panoramic glass roof. The optional SKY CONTROL version can switch sections of the glass from transparent to opaque in 10–20 milliseconds. It is divided into seven individually controlled segments, allowing occupants to adjust how much light enters different parts of the cabin.

A total of 172 illuminated stars embedded in the glass follow the selected ambient-lighting colour. The feature does nothing for range or practicality, but it gives Mercedes another way to distinguish the GLA from rivals that already offer similarly elaborate screens and driver-assistance systems.

The reversing function assists rather than driving autonomously

European-market GLAs use eight cameras, five radar sensors and 12 ultrasonic sensors. A central water-cooled computer can process up to 254 trillion operations per second, leaving capacity for future functions delivered through over-the-air updates.

MB.DRIVE ASSIST adds steering assistance to the standard DISTRONIC adaptive cruise control, creating an SAE Level 2 driver-assistance system. The driver remains responsible for the vehicle at all times. Optional parking assistance can automatically manoeuvre the GLA out of a space even when the driver parked it manually.

A separate digital reversing function helps the driver retrace part of the route just travelled and displays the planned path on the central screen. Mercedes does not describe it as fully autonomous reversing. A wheel-protection warning adds a kerb-distance display to the top-down camera view.

The electric 4MATIC version can tow two tonnes

The electric GLA 350 4MATIC can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 2,000 kg when fitted with the optional semi-electric tow bar. TERRAIN mode adjusts the powertrain, steering and brakes for loose surfaces such as gravel or sand, while the optional transparent-bonnet function uses the cameras to create a virtual view beneath the front of the car.

A two-tonne towing capacity gives the GLA a practical advantage over many compact electric SUVs. A trailer will, however, increase energy consumption dramatically, so the 657 km WLTP figure says nothing about the car’s range while towing a large caravan.

Dutch prices start at €46,899

Order books open in the Netherlands on July 30, 2026. The GLA 200 Business Solution starts at €46,899, including local VAT and vehicle-preparation costs. The GLA 250+ Business Solution costs from €52,344, while the GLA 350 4MATIC Business Solution starts at €58,394. The three electric versions reach the market in November, with the hybrids following in early 2027.

The new GLA’s most important upgrade is not its third screen or illuminated grille. Mercedes is bringing the EQA and GLA together under one model name and introducing an 800-volt electrical system, charging at up to 320 kW and a maximum WLTP range of 657 km to the compact premium-SUV class.

The BMW iX1 trails clearly on both range and charging performance. Mercedes must now show that the GLA’s impressive laboratory figures hold up in cold weather, at motorway speeds and across a charging network that still includes many 400-volt units. On paper, however, the new GLA is far more than another compact SUV with three screens.