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2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA: The smaller SUV (pictures)

Mercedes-Benz calls its new model, which will be unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show, an SUV, but its dimensions suggest wagon.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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Mercedes-Benz will unveil its newest model, the GLA, at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show. Mercedes-Benz calls the car a compact SUV, but its dimensions, especially its under-5-foot height, suggest wagon. The GLA will be Mercedes-Benz's first front-wheel-drive SUV in the U.S., but will also be offered in all-wheel drive. The car will hit showrooms in late 2014 as a 2015 model year.
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The GLA, at 14.5 feet long and less than 5 feet high, has compact dimensions, yet comes out as a premium five-seater with a hatchback. In size, the car is remarkably similar to the BMW X1.
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Mercedes-Benz will import the GLA250, in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, to the U.S. This version uses a turbocharged direct-injection 2-liter engine making 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Mercedes-Benz also fits it with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
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Mercedes-Benz says the GLA will be its first SUV with the latest version of its 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, and suggests the car will handle dirt roads and snow.
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This being a Mercedes-Benz, the cabin will feature premium appointments, such as leather seating. The four spoke air vents are a new Mercedes-Benz design cue that we previously saw in the 2013 GLK.
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Much of the switchgear on dashboard and steering wheel looks standard for Mercedes-Benz. The drive selector is a stalk mounted on the steering column. This photo shows a tachometer with a very low redline, suggesting it is a European-market diesel version.
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Mercedes-Benz sets the LCD up from the dashboard, very similarly to BMW's latest cabin designs. As with other Mercedes-Benz models using the Comand cabin tech interface, there is a dial on the console for selecting onscreen content.
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This panel is similar to those found in other Mercedes-Benz models, keeping the classic numeric keypad. Among the buttons shown here are one that puts the transmission in off-road mode and another that activates hill descent control.

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