Reports have surfaced that Mercedes-Benz’s GLA compact crossover will not be the smallest all-wheel drive model in its fleet.
According to German motoring publication, AutoBild, the upcoming GLA (a crossover based on the A-Class and utilising the hatchback’s chassis) will only cover one side of the company’s compact all-roader roster.
An ultra-compact model based upon the JC1 compact vehicle platform, co-developed with Nissan-Renault, is said to be on the cards and will offer those after a budget-flavoured taste of the G-Class.
The new model, possibly labelled GLG, will measure around 4 metres in length and will play host to a variety of powerplants with outputs ranging from 90 to 157 kW. The mainstay of the GLG offering will be front-wheel driven with the option of all-wheel drive for larger-engined models.
In a bid to further distance itself from the sleek, smooth-skinned GLA, the GLG will wear a more angular, utilitarian design that could possibly borrow from the Ener-G-Force.
The GLG will most likely follow around a year after the GLA’s 2014 introduction.
