Four reasons why 2015 Mercedes GLA-Class is ideal for winter

Winter is here and the all-new 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class is an ideal vehicle for all-weather driving. It will also be perfect for off-road excursions. The all-new SUV is available for ordering in Europe now and is set to arrive in March. The new premium compact vehicle is already rolling off the assembly line and is the fourth new compact model from Mercedes to hit the global market.

The 2015 GLA-Class will be the first Mercedes to be available with the new-generation all-wheel-drive 4MATIC with fully variable torque distribution. The new system features a power take-off to the rear axle that is integrated into the seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, and the rear-axle gear with integrated, electrohydraulically controlled multi-disc clutch. The new-generation 4MATIC has a lower weight and also allows fully variable distribution of the drive torque between front and rear axles.

The GLA-Class will appeal to young active buyers who will use the premium compact SUV for recreation on the weekends. Most buyers don’t need an SUV that can climb a rock face like a Range Rover. Most will use the GLA for daily urban commutes during the week and for watersports and mountain activities on the weekend. It looks like Mercedes hit the right formula with the new GLA premium SUV.

GLA will be agile enough for daily commutes in the city and robust enough for off-road excursions on the weekend. GLA offers 4MATIC as an option and will come with DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) and an off-road transmission mode as standard. DSR mode is activated by a control button in the centre console, and assists the driver on challenging downhill stretches by maintaining a slow, manually selected vehicle speed.It uses the engine and transmission control systems and specific braking intervention to keep the compact SUV under control.

When the off-road transmission mode is selected, shift points and accelerator characteristics are modified and GLA will handle off-road terrain like loose surfaces extremely well. This will be ideal for sandy beaches and mountain trails. GLA with 4MATIC can also be ordered with a handy COMAND Online (optional), head unit that can be switched to an On & Offroad display on the dash. The steering angle, compass, roll angle in degrees, the gradient in percent and activation of Downhill Speed Regulation DSR are also indicated in the dispaly.

For illuminating the trail at night, the Off-road Light function (in conjunction with Intelligent Light System) helps the driver see any obstacles. As part of this, the GLA bi-xenon headlamps swivel outwards by 6 degrees, a symmetrical light distribution is set and the lighting output is increased.

Look for the all-new 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class to be a big hit with a new generation of consumers around the globe who will use the luxury compact SUV for recreation. It will arrive in U.S. showrooms fall of 2014, and available with the new-generation 4MATIC in the U.S. in early 2015. Stay tuned to Torque News for the latest 2015 GLA-Class news.