Mercedes GLA SUV - Reliability & safety
The GLA’s long list of safety kit should keep families out of harm's way
The Mercedes GLA will need to be in the hands of buyers for a while to establish its reliability but safety is unlikely to disappoint.
Mercedes GLA reliability
There are some promising signs here because the A-Class that forms the GLA's underpinnings came an impressive 36th in our 2020 Driver Power results. Only 12.8% of respondents told us their A-Class had a fault within the first year of ownership. A bit more worrying is the fact Mercedes only managed 28th out of 30 manufacturers, with customers expressing concerns over build quality and running costs.
Safety
Every GLA is fitted with a full roster of safety kit, from multiple airbags to autonomous emergency braking and even an active bonnet that raises by 65mm in a pedestrian impact. It's also possible to add a £1,500 Driving Assistance pack that helps take some of the tedium out of long drives and improve safety on the motorway.
The GLA hasn't been officially crash-tested by Euro NCAP yet but the A-Class hatch has already scored the full five stars. Considering the GLA shares its safety kit and has chunkier bodywork, it would be a surprise if it fared worse.
