Wild Thing!

Mild-mannered compact crossover to a fire-snorting super action hero of a car in 4.4 seconds. This is the new Mercedes GLA 45 AMG

These days, serious hardware is being implanted into tiny-tot machines that we use on a daily basis. Take your smart phone for example - with their high-pixel cameras, octa-core processors and what not, they're more powerful than supercomputers from a few decades years ago. All that in a tiny package that fits in your hand.
Since our chatter revolves around cars, we are going to equate that analogy to the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG. Why? Well, the GLA in essence is a mash up between a conventional hatchback and a practical SUV, and is of a size that fits in a kind of pocket. But it also wears a 3-pointed star and packs an engine by AMG, so it worth the money?
DESIGN & AESTHETICS
Mercedes seems to have the answer for all kinds of people: the sporty ones, the offroaders, the executives, etc. Their extensive range includes five SUVs, the smallest of which is the GLA, which we tested a couple of months ago. It was a decent car. for someone petite. Rich and petite.
This 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG though, with its dropped ride height, is classified as a hatchback. And, my gosh, does it look spunky! If you take the GLA 250 to be Chris O'Donnell, this then would be Batman. They are two opposite cars - one looks tame and forgettable, while the other's wild and mischievous. And there's plenty to appreciate in the GLA 45 AMG, but whether it is 'beautiful' is something you'll have to decide for yourself.
The AMG-specific front apron with front splitter and the "twin blade" radiator grille provide large chunks of visual ?aggression. To help identify it as an AMG, the three letters are nestled neatly on the side between the louvres of the radiator grille. Also, like how Volkswagen does on the GTI, Mercedes has splashed hints of red paint here and there. Black flics (air deflector elements) are also present here - a technology borrowed directly from motorsports to keep the car grounded. You may have also seen something similar on the Porsche 911 4.0 GT3 RS from a few years ago.
The crease on the side fender blends seamlessly with the LED daytime strip lighting on the headlamps, and within those clusters are bi-xenon headlamps which come as standard - as it should, considering this car costs north of Dh250,000. The edition 1 gets grey graphics stuck on to the profile of the car. It's tastefully done, which means you don't have to search for aftermarket vinyl if you get this vehicle. But, even though the GLA 45 AMG may have migrated to hot hatch status, some crossover roots remain, as seen in the plastic fenders over the wheel arches.
Most of you won't notice, but those who do will drool over the red brake call-ipers with black AMG lettering seen through the gaps of the multi-spoke light-alloy wheels that are painted matte black with red rim flanges. And that's not all you'll see. you also get a glimpse of the cross-drilled brake discs.
The GLA 45 AMG's rear wing is a ?massive stationary tool that pushes the air upwards while pushing the car closer to the ground. Only on a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo have we seen one bigger. We love it! What we don't love too much are the rear lamps. Yes, there are the red LED light strips that are getting popular with cars like BMW and Audi too, but the cluster itself looks out of place somehow.
Pushing exhaust air furiously out of the back are rectangular tail pipes. They are missing the typical AMG print, but Mercedes totally makes up for this by generating naughty snorting notes, especially when you mash the pedal.
The new-generation compact Mercs, thankfully, use the highly visually ?intriguing and equally sporty A-Class interior. The new-age design has proven to be functional as well as aesthetically pleasing, with fun bits like the circular air vents in a metallic finish and generous amounts of carbon fibre.
Whether it is strolling around town or driving frantically, the 3-spoke steering wheel provides comfort, grip and tactility as you would demand from a sporty car. As with all AMGs, this one too has the sophisticatedly-shaped E-SELECT lever formed with a mix of metal and leather, and the other highlight is the AMG instrument cluster with its two-tube design and central colour display. The iPad-like infotainment screen got many nays from people, but we liked it. It 'stands out', literally, from the rest of the standard dashboards.
One thing we despised were the seats. They are similar to those in the Lexus IS in terms of size and fit, and they look great with nice detailing in the form of black leather and alcantara bits stitched together with contrasting red threading. But, they are meant for the really slim and slender. Large bodies and broad shoulders won't find a comfortable place in this car. So watch your weight if you plan to buy this one.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
Powering this button-sized beast is a forced-fed 2.0L 4-cylinder motor. The small-displacement engine uses a twin-scroll turbocharger to get a 1.8 bar boost and all the goodness that comes along with it, helping it develop 378bhp at 6,000rpm and some 475Nm of torque - up from 355bhp and 450Nm when the engine made its debut. This makes it the most powerful series-production four-cylinder engine in the world.
Coupled to it is what AMG calls the SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports trans-mission. Yes it's a dual-clutch trans-mission, but a clunky one. You do get real metal paddle shifters behind the wheel, though. The RACE START fun-ction (which common folk know as launch control) is the best way to get the optimum acceleration out of the near 380 horses. The drill goes something like this: switch off a few safety nannies, fiddle with the paddles and mash both the brake and gas pedal at the same time. When the rpm rises to a pre-determined figure, step off the brake and you shoot off the lines to 100km/h in a claimed 4.4 seconds. This car is a serious runner and the AMG exhaust begs you to play as many tunes as possible. And it's seriously loud, so try not to scare the neighbours! The GLA, if given the space, will easily top the 250km/h top speed, it's only a matter of how fast you get there.
The cross drilled brakes are a pleasure to actuate - they provide a firm pedal feel and will stop the car on a dime if you wish. Ironically, it's the brake pedal that makes you want to go faster. It gives you the confidence to brake late and hard.
Traction responsibilities are taken up by the variable AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive which comes as standard. The system gives all four wheels traction and varies torque delivered to each wheel to keep you locked to the tarmac no matter what pace you drive at. The McPherson front axle and four-link rear axle help it develop a ride quality somewhere ?between comfortable and racecar-like.
You can't get eco-friendlier than this, especially in an AMG. This big heart-small package also allows for guilt free travel, averaging less than 7.5L/100km and emitting less than 175g/km C02.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
Practicality isn't a lost cause in the GLA either, the 481L boot will accommodate almost anything a single working individual or a small family can throw into it, and there is more room when you drop the rear seats down. Up front, you also have two cup holders with limited but sufficient space for knickknacks.
The air-con fails in some German cars, but in the GLA 45 AMG it operated well. The circular vents do a very good job of throwing a winter breeze into the cabin. The infotainment screen isn't a touch screen, but that also means it won't ?attract fingerprints. The navigation shows the city in all its three-dimensional beauty, but we had issues with the voice-activated control. If you stick to pushing buttons and rotating knobs, you should be just fine.
Musical interests are entertained through a hi-definition unit that can take music from USB, hard drives or Bluetooth streaming. Unlike systems from before, it's relatively simple hooking your phone up to it.
VERDICT
The 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG is a crossover turned hot hatch that can run rings around almost every car on the road. And to think the next SUV by AMG - the GLE 63 AMG - is nearly twice the price. It makes you wonder how good this car actually is. Then again, it's too small to be called practical and is priced north of some expectations, which makes it a solid 7 for us.

• On The Road