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A sensory sensation - close your eyes, open your ears, breathe deeply and smell; press the start button and let German engineering take over your being.

It is an AMG - meaning you’re soaking up the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz automotive creativity and engineering. AMG vehicles are the Mercedes-Benz’s left in the loving hands of impassioned petrol heads. Not that the rest of the Mercedes-Benz range isn’t, but an AMG is given extra attention and dose of playful mischief.  

AMG’s are created for those who love to drive - their drivers need to feel connected to the road. The car they drive is a conduit through which adventures strikes. Quick accelerations that throw you back in the chair are par for the course. Exhilarating cornering that mimics the shape of your smile comes standard with each drive. As quickly as an AMG can dash from point A to point B, more quickly it can stop. The large ventilated disc brakes do a phenomenal job of securely reducing the car’s speed within milliseconds.

An AMG is alive. It breathes. It exhales. Sitting in the seat of an AMG is like being cradled tightly in the hand of a perfected machine. I use the word machine for technical purposes only – you see, AMGs are hardwired with the spirit of their creator – like handcrafted offspring.

All AMG’s make you feel this way, some more so than others. Perhaps a practice version of the brand is its GLA 45. Compact, stylish, sexy, potent and trendy. Not just a series of evocative adjectives – the GLA is arguably the best-looking model in the A-Class range. Recently enhanced with a mid-life make-over, its chunky styling with new colours and updated bumper and rims makes it stand out from the crowd. Perfectly sized for daily use, unless your duty is chauffeuring a quartet of rugby players, albeit accommodations are better than the A-Class hatch. Boot space is good too, and with the rear seats dropped the storage space becomes cavernous. Being a crossover, the GLA has a raised suspension height, but conversely being an AMG, the suspension is set to a sports setting – meaning it has been lowered. This setup revokes the AMGs off-road roaming rights but being a tad higher than the AMG hatch makes it perfectly suited for our potholed and speed bump laden tarmac.

Having the combination of the world’s most powerful production 2.0-liter turbo engine and AMG’s all-wheel-drive system, 4Matic means rain or sunshine, the AMG GLA has a magnetic and symbiotic relationship with the road. The combination of power, agility – through the communicative steering, and a dynamic drivetrain - equals supercar exhilaration driving experience. The real genius behind the AMG GLA is its practicality.

Not perfect – the AMG GLA has a firm ride – obviously, it is a sports car, albeit it is adjustable from Comfort to even a Race mode. This nifty dial allows you to flick between Jekyll and Hyde personas. Being an enhanced GLA means it not cheap. If only money grew on trees, right? For those with a more limited budget, there is the sub-R500K GLA 200. But for those who believe that each drive offers a thrill, then you can’t put a price on these moments of happiness; the AMG GLA 45 is the car. 

PLUS +

• World’s most powerful production 2.0-liter turbocharged engine 280kW.
• Sexy styling.
• Outstanding breaks.
• Exhilarating drive.

MINUS –

• Its lowered ride height makes for a dynamic cornering experience but takes away from its off-road capabilities.
• Designer price tag.

The Competition

Audi RS Q3 specifically when compared to the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45. Other GLA models also compete with the likes of Audi’s Q2, Volvo’s V40 Cross Country, BMS’s X1 and Jeep’s Renegade.

The Pricing

GLA 200 Manual R485 400.

GLA 200 Auto R508 450.

GLA 200d Manual R513 000.

GLA 200d Auto R534 000.

GLA 220d Auto R593 650.

GLA 250 4Matic R658 576.

Mercedes-AMG GLA45 4Matic R862 628.

Mercedes-AMG GLA45 4Matic Yellow Night Edition R969 406.

Service and Warranty

The GLA range comes standard with a 6-year/100 000km service and maintenance plan.

My Choice

If budget is tight - GLA 200 Auto R508 450.

If it isn’t - Mercedes-AMG GLA45 4Matic R862 628.

www.mercedes-benz.co.za