Mercedes Just Renamed Its Smallest EV — and Gave It an 800-Volt Platform to Match
The GLA Electric replaces the EQA nameplate entirely, borrowing the electric CLA's fast-charging architecture and adding a grille with 608 individually lit points.
Mercedes-Benz pulled the wraps off the next-generation GLA on July 29 in a joint Warsaw/Stuttgart reveal, and the badge changed along with the car: the electric version drops the EQA name entirely and becomes simply the GLA Electric, while gasoline and hybrid versions keep the GLA name they've always had. It's built on the same MMA (Mercedes Modular Architecture) platform and 800-volt electrical system introduced on the electric CLA — the first time that architecture has reached Mercedes' smallest, most affordable SUV. "The most expressive GLA ever," is how CEO Ola Källenius put it at the reveal.
Three electric variants launch together. The entry GLA 200 pairs a 58-kWh LFP battery with a 165-kW (221-hp) motor; the GLA 250+ steps up to an 85-kWh NMC pack and a 200-kW (268-hp) motor; and the range-topping GLA 350 4MATIC adds all-wheel drive and a 260-kW (349-hp) setup good for 0-100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. The larger battery is rated for up to 657 km (408 miles) on Europe's WLTP cycle — Mercedes hasn't published an EPA figure yet, but early estimates put the US number closer to 350 miles. All three support DC fast charging up to 320 kW, enough to add 270 km (167 miles) of range in ten minutes.
The new GLA sits 20mm lower and rides on a wheelbase stretched 61mm over the outgoing model, which Mercedes says adds 38mm of rear legroom and roughly an inch of extra headroom front and rear, plus a 410-liter boot (1,400 liters with the seats folded) and a 107-liter front trunk on the electric models. The signature exterior change is an optional illuminated grille — 608 individually lit polycarbonate points driven by 158 micro-LEDs — a design language Mercedes has now rolled out across its EV lineup, paired with a drag coefficient of 0.27.
Inside, the GLA picks up the same MBUX Superscreen treatment as its larger siblings: a 10.25-inch driver display flanked by 14-inch center and passenger touchscreens, running a Google Cloud-powered AI agent and a generative-AI virtual assistant that can handle tasks like finding charging stations. German pricing starts at €40,840 before VAT for the GLA 200 and climbs to €48,830 for the GLA 350 4MATIC. US availability doesn't arrive until the second half of 2027, badged as 2028 models, with an expected starting price around $45,000.
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