
A future Mercedes rival for Golf and ID 3 is a crossover
Images of the car testing in camouflage reveal that it will have a more coupé-like silhouette than today's GLA, sporting the new 'Iconic Grille' of the brand.
Evidently the crossover will be bigger than previous GLAs at just over 4500mm in length, for more interior and luggage capacity. The cars it replaces are both shy of 4500mm.
No interior shots are available but it will likely use the same architecture as the new CLA saloon.
So a full-width display, AI-supported infotainment functions and superior materials compared with the outgoing models.
A frunk is likely for the EV, unlike with the outgoing EQA. It will also come with an 800V electrical architecture for rapid charging.
An entry-level model will sport a 59kWh LFP battery pack, while a longer range variant will have an 85kWh NMC battery. The latter should offer range of almost 800km.
Single- or dual-motor powertrains will be available, delivering 200kW and 260kW, respectively.
Further down the line, two AMG performance models with axial flux motors by subsidiary Yasa will launch in 2027.
ICE versions of the GLA will use a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol hybrid offering 100 to 140kW, mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Production will be at the Rastatt plant in Germany where the CLA is made.

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NZ Autocar
16 hours ago
- NZ Autocar
Mercedes CEO worries the European car industry could collapse
Only a few years ago, Mercedes-Benz was going all-in on EVs in Europe. In 2021, it projected that by 2030 it would stop selling ICE cars, at least in some markets. Now, like many others, the situation has changed and the company has done a U-turn. Mercedes boss, Ola Källenius, is now saying that without ICE vehicles, the local automotive industry could 'collapse'. He warned that if the EU's sales ban on ICE cars remains for 2035, Europe's automotive industry may not survive. 'We need a reality check. Of course, we have to decarbonise but it has to be done in a technology-neutral way. We must not lose sight of our economy.' The Mercedes boss is also the president of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). He predicts customers will rush to buy ICE-powered cars ahead of the deadline, which is now less than 10 years away. And that certainly won't help to mitigate climate change. Electric vehicles are nowhere near the 100 percent market share the EU so desires. So far this year, EVs accounted for 18 percent of total sales in EU and UK. ACEA data also shows that plug-in hybrids represented only 8.7 percent of total deliveries. Traditional hybrids made up 35 percent, but that figure includes mild hybrids. And these are simply more fuel efficient ICE powered vehicles. The EU's 2035 ban is not yet hard and fast legislation but is scheduled for review in the coming months. In March the European Commission (EC), the EU's executive arm, reaffirmed its commitment to 0g/km CO₂ emissions for new cars sold from the middle of the next decade. At the time, the EC said it may even impose an earlier date for the ban. While Mercedes is worried for European car makers in general, it has every right to be concerned for its own business. EV sales accounted for 8.4 percent of its global shipments in the first half of this year, down from almost 10 per cent a year ago. Even when including PHEVs, electrified models comprised just one-fifth of its total deliveries in the first six months of the year. Given strong opposition the EU is facing from car makers, there is hope the ban could be eased slightly. A sensible compromise may be to let new plug-in hybrids and possibly full hybrids continue to sell beyond 2034.


NZ Autocar
2 days ago
- NZ Autocar
A future Mercedes rival for Golf and ID 3 is a crossover
The third-generation GLA will become the smallest member of the Mercedes-Benz MMA-based compact car family. And it will be sold in both electric and hybrid forms. It effectively replaces the second-gen ICE powered GLA and also the EQA EV. Expect it to debut in the second half of next year. Images of the car testing in camouflage reveal that it will have a more coupé-like silhouette than today's GLA, sporting the new 'Iconic Grille' of the brand. Evidently the crossover will be bigger than previous GLAs at just over 4500mm in length, for more interior and luggage capacity. The cars it replaces are both shy of 4500mm. No interior shots are available but it will likely use the same architecture as the new CLA saloon. So a full-width display, AI-supported infotainment functions and superior materials compared with the outgoing models. A frunk is likely for the EV, unlike with the outgoing EQA. It will also come with an 800V electrical architecture for rapid charging. An entry-level model will sport a 59kWh LFP battery pack, while a longer range variant will have an 85kWh NMC battery. The latter should offer range of almost 800km. Single- or dual-motor powertrains will be available, delivering 200kW and 260kW, respectively. Further down the line, two AMG performance models with axial flux motors by subsidiary Yasa will launch in 2027. ICE versions of the GLA will use a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol hybrid offering 100 to 140kW, mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Production will be at the Rastatt plant in Germany where the CLA is made.


NZ Herald
03-08-2025
- NZ Herald
Formula 1: Liam Lawson's statement to Red Bull bosses with win in Max Verstappen battle
And with a month off before the season resumes in the Netherlands, Lawson can lap up some due accolades over the coming weeks. Here's what we learned in Hungary. Victory over Verstappen When Lawson took sixth in Austria, as Red Bull's best car, that came off the back of Verstappen being taken out by Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap. This time, the world champion has no excuse. As the lights went out, Lawson got Verstappen off the line and held the position into turn one, even if he lost that place on the second lap. But once Lawson made his one-stop strategy work and grabbed hold of eighth, Verstappen – even with a faster car, fresher tyres and the ability to use his Drag Reduction System (DRS) – couldn't get around the Kiwi. On top of the four points to Racing Bulls' cause, being the best Red Bull car is another huge tick in Lawson's column for where he'll end up in 2026. The Herald understands he'll definitely be on the grid, but suggestions he'll stay at Racing Bulls as a leader might have been premature. Now, he has evidence in the fact that – when things are in his favour – he can go toe to toe with arguably the best to ever do it. What's more, new Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies also had a front-row seat. If things can continue at this rate, Lawson could well be racing Verstappen in the same car, rather than an inferior one. Has Hadjar's balloon burst? As has now been the ongoing narrative of the season, Lawson's promotion hopes have again been boosted by beating his teammate, Isack Hadjar. It's now been five grands prix since Hadjar scored a point – conveniently overlooking his sprint race result in Belgium – having flown out of the blocks in 2025. Since the Monaco Grand Prix, though, Lawson has outscored Hadjar 20-15. But it's not just what Hadjar's doing, or not doing, it's how he's doing it. In England, he ended his own race by crashing into the back of Kimi Antonelli. In Belgium, he complained of a power unit issue, before finishing last on track. Then, in Hungary, he was outqualified by Lawson then got stuck in traffic attempting to undercut him. Form in motorsport can be hard to find and easy to lose. That form, though, is now firmly in Lawson's favour. Make no mistake, Hadjar rightfully leads Lawson in the drivers' championship, given his better results over the course of the first 14 races of the year. However, in a sport where recency bias is so significant, only time will tell who the summer break has come at the right time for. Corner turned There's no doubting it anymore. While Lawson's start to 2025 left a lot to be desired, the results of the past three months show that he's not just back to his best, he's finding new levels. Lawson's junior career successes were built off the back of his aggression, his ability to overtake drivers. Now, if Belgium and Hungary are anything to go by, his defence – being able to keep positions from faster cars behind – has come to the fore. Part of the reason why Red Bull have always rated the Kiwi so highly is because of the similarity he has to Verstappen. And while that didn't eventuate by being able to extract the same performances out of the troublesome RB21, Lawson is showing that there is still a quality driver in there. While Lawson himself has asserted his confidence wasn't hit by being demoted so suddenly by Red Bull, it's only natural that results did suffer. Now, though, it looks as though a serious corner has been turned. One-stop wonder Of the four times Lawson's finished in the points, three of them have come off the back of a one-stop strategy. The exception – Monaco – was only such after the FIA changed the regulations to ensure a second pit stop was required to try to alter what's become the most predictable race on the calendar. One-stop strategies aren't easy for scoring points. A driver will have to get through a long first stint, with ageing tyres, and hold as many positions against rivals pitting and therefore gaining an advantage once they've made their stops. While risky, the flipside is that the driver will gain track position, if they can make it work. That's only half the battle, though. Once a driver has taken their one and only stop, they still have to overtake any drivers who passed them while in the pits – admittedly with the advantage now in their favour. Making that advantage count has become Lawson's bread and butter. In Hungary, Lawson beat not only Verstappen's Red Bull, but Sir Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari and Antonelli's Mercedes – all faster cars than the Racing Bulls. If Racing Bulls are to score points in the second part of the season as convincingly as they did in the first, they've now got as good a blueprint as any to make it happen. Back to where it all began For those of us who stay up to ungodly hours watching these races, the summer break can't come at a better time. And after we've had a good four weeks' rest, the season will resume at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix. Aside from the obvious storyline of McLaren potentially wrapping up the constructors' title on Verstappen's home ground, there's a nice bit of symmetry for Lawson. Zandvoort is where his Formula One career began, when he filled in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo in 2023. On that occasion, Lawson finished a very credible 13th place, with next to no practice time, and qualifying at the back of the grid. Now, nearly two years on, here's hoping his experience in motorsport's pinnacle can see him carry on what we've seen in recent weeks. Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.