2022 Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 Exterior and Dimensions

Mercedes amusingly refers to the AMG GLA 45 as an SUV on its website, but it just isn't. This is a slightly lifted hot hatch. It doesn't look exciting as standard, but you can tell the AMG version apart thanks to the Panamericana grille and quad exhausts. Add the AMG Aerodynamics Package and the AMG Night Package, and it's transformed into a hatch that perfectly communicates its performance potential to the outside world. We reckon most people will go for these packages because who wants a boring-looking AMG? You have to take the good with the bad, however. These packages force you to go for the 21-inch alloys with the tiniest lick of rubber. As standard, the GLA 45 rides on 19-inch wheels and has full exterior LED lighting. A panorama roof is optionally available.

Looking at the GLA's dimensions, you'll see that it fits perfectly into the hatch category. It's 174.6 inches long and 79.5 inches wide including the mirrors. It's the height of the GLA 45 that speaks to its crossover positioning, though. At 62.5 inches in height, it's an inch shorter than the base GLA yet is nearly five inches taller than the latest Golf R. It has the same 107.4-inch wheelbase as the regular GLA, however. The front track is 63.7 inches, while the rear measures 62.8 inches. The relatively low height and broader tracks give the car a squat, purposeful appearance. Curb weight is claimed to be 3,847 pounds, which is on par in the luxury subcompact crossover segment, but quite a lot more than your average hot hatch.