GLA-Class SUV

Segment
SUV

Little by little, Mercedes has been freshening its entry-level range, replacing older cars with newer more competitive variants and introducing all-new models where it sees fit. We've already seen the two new models released, the A-Class, which is already on sale in America and aimed at giving millennial car buyers a cheaper way to get hooked on the Mercedes brand, and the GLB, which attempts to do the same for young buyers who've already gotten started building their families.

And then there's the new CLA, a counterpart to the A-Class that hardly differs from Mercedes' smallest sedan except for the fact that it offers a raked-back roofline in attempts to be the brand's entry-level four-door coupe. It replaces the first generation CLA that was produced between 2013 and 2019, but it's missing something - its counterpart, the GLA SUV that will sit alongside the GLB as the more rugged-looking SUV's "sportier" variant.

While we have to wait until Mercedes decides to release it to know for sure, it's easy to imagine that the GLA will adopt styling that's closer to the CLA and A-Class than the more square-looking GLB. And thanks to the work of rendering artist Nikita Chuiko, we have a good idea of what the upcoming GLA could look like.

By the looks of it, Chuiko took the shape of the current-generation GLA and gave it the face of the A-Class and the rear end of Mercedes' latest SUV lineup. Instead of using the GLB's more squared-off lights, Chuiko borrows the sleeker look of lights from the CLA and A-Class, albeit pointed upward to give it a softer and less aggressive look.

And though the GLA will trade practicality for a more stylish aesthetic, the changes should bode well for the AMG versions of the SUV. The previous AMG GLA 45 featured Mercedes' fantastic M133 engine that made 375 horsepower using only 2.0-liters of engine real estate. The M133's replacement, the M139, instead makes a maximum of 416 horsepower, a number that should be a wicked time to drive in the upcoming GLA.