Mercedes Unveils 2028 GLA with EV and Hybrid PowerMercedes-Benz AG – Communications & MarketingFor a while there it seemed like electric vehicles would be the future, until they weren't. At least not the entire future. There is still an interest in them among buyers who recycle their cardboard and line-dry their laundry. But most of the market still wants gasoline, or at least hybrids.So Mercedes will offer both EVs and Hybrids in its new GLA. Your choice, and let the market decide.Though it's smallish, the GLA may not deserve the term Baby Benz. Compared with its predecessor, the new GLA is 0.8 inches lower, with a longer wheelbase (+2.4 in), wider rear track (+1.2 in), and what M-B calls muscular shoulders. It rides on your choice of 18- or 20-inch wheels.AdvertisementAdvertisement"The silhouette alone makes it unmistakably clear: the all-new Mercedes-Benz GLA is designed to impress," boasts Benz. "The powerful SUV proportions with upright front end and flat-angle windshield present themselves in a much more dynamic form."Even the grille is illuminated, just like the Maybachs.Mercedes-Benz AG – Communications & MarketingInside you'll benefit from the GLA's longer wheelbase—now up to 109.8 inches in the new model. Front seaters get 0.3 inches more legroom, while rear passengers get 1.5 inches more. Max headroom (ah! the '80s!) is up by almost an inch at an extra 0.9 inches.That massive standard panoramic sunroof above won't cook you alive, either. It's made from heat-insulating laminated safety glass with an infrared-reflective coating and an ultra-thin low-emissivity (LowE) coating that helps reduce cabin temperatures in the summer while the LowE coating reduces interior heat loss by reflecting the interior heat back into the cabin in winter. You can even switch it from transparent to opaque with the flip of a switch.AdvertisementAdvertisementThere's also an optional floating MBUX Superscreen spanning the width of the dashboard that incorporates those ambient lights across its surfaces, too. On top of that, there's a 10.25-inch driver display, 14-inch central display, and a 14-inch front passenger display positioned beneath a large glass surface. A new MBUX Virtual Assistant will help you sort out its many infotainment functions.How efficient is it? The electric version of the GLA gets 408 miles of all-electric range on the European WLTP cycle, which works out to 350 miles or so on the US EPA scale. Still pretty good. That's LA to San Francisco, Chicago to St. Paul, Dallas to OKC, and you could go New York to Boston and halfway back. So the GLA EV is a very practical SUV.Mercedes-Benz AG – Communications & MarketingThere are two all-electric GLAs: the 268-hp GLA 250+ Electric and 349-hp GLA 350 4MATIC Electric. The latter sprints from 0-60 mph in a reasonably quick 5.3 seconds. Both models are equipped with an NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) battery, which has an 85-kWh usable capacity.The hybrid powertrain, meanwhile, combines a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo with an electric motor offering an additional 30 hp. It's integrated directly into the new electrified eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.Hearst OwnedA new 48-volt battery with lithium-ion technology and a usable capacity up to 1.3 kWh powers the electric motor on the hybrid GLA. Mercedes says that in city driving under certain conditions where less than 30 hp is required to keep the vehicle in motion, the hybrid model can drive purely on electric power. Efficient electric coasting with the drivetrain disengaged is also possible at speeds over 60 mph. Recuperation in all eight gears is also possible, with up to 25 kW going back into the battery.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut be prepared to wait for all these GLAs, as the new model doesn't arrive at US dealerships until the second half of 2027. Prices will be released closer to that date, but the current US-model GLA starts at $41,500.