Just one day after it began teasing the model on social media, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has now officially launched the new 2024 GLA here in Malaysia. The updated model will be available in a sole GLA 200 guise for the time being, and will be locally assembled in Pekan, Pahang, priced at RM258,888 on-the-road, without insurance – a RM4k hike over the outgoing model.
Unveiled in March last year, the new Mercedes-Benz GLA facelift is highlighted by the new LED lighting on its exterior that take on a minimalist light signature both front and rear, similar to the updated A-Class. As before, the GLA 200 variant here in Malaysia comes with the more pedestrian Progressive Line kit, although it’s been updated here with more chrome trimmings on the bumpers to give it a more upmarket and rugged appearance.
Like the A-Class, the new 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 has also gained new “power domes” on the bonnet. Round the back, the rear bumper has also been redesigned with a faux diffuser element, complementing the slightly-redesigned 18-inch five-twin-spoke wheels in Tremolite Grey to give the compact crossover a sportier touch.
Updates to the interior are fairly minimal, with the only obvious changes on the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 being the new steering wheel with touch-control panels, the removal of the touch control panel on the centre console, as well as the new three-pointed star pattern on the interior trims.
The MBUX infotainment system (NTG 7) on the twin 10.25-inch displays has also been updated to support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, but otherwise, the rest of the interior remains unchanged from before.
Interior equipment highlights include the powered comfort seats wrapped in black Artico man-made leather, 64-colour ambient lighting, single-zone climate control, a wireless charging pad, 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats, as well as a powered hands-free tailgate.
Unlike other markets where the car is on sale, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 in Malaysia will continue to be powered by the same 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as before, without any mild hybrid assistance on-board. Engine outputs remain at 163 hp and 250 Nm, but it now takes 0.2 seconds longer to reach 100 km/h from a standstill at 8.9 seconds, presumably due to heavier weight. Top speed still remains at 210 km/h.
Curiously, the new 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 also now rides on comfort suspension as standard, instead of the “lowered comfort suspension” on the outgoing model.
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Safety kit in the new 2024 model is unchanged from before, with standard equipment including adaptive highbeam assist, Parking Package with reverse camera, Active Parking Assist, blind spot monitor, autonomous emergency braking, Exit Warning Assist, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
As with all Mercedes-Benz Malaysia vehicles, the updated 2024 GLA 200 will be covered by a standard four-year unlimited-mileage warranty. The new Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 is now available on Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s new online Mercedes-Benz Store (linked here), or at its retail showrooms nationwide.
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