Video: 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

We first saw the GLA at the international motor show of Frankfurt, earlier this year. We're getting our first up-close look at it at the 2013 LA auto show. Let's take a look. The GLA class recalls the GLA concept shown at the 2013 Shanghai motor show, but it's a toned down version of that. Not quite as expressive, especially up front, still a very complex interplay here between kind of the tot lines of Mercedes sedans, the CLA class, and the blockier shapes from the GLK. Speaking of which this is a much smaller vehicle than the GLK. Overall length, about 174 inches long, height about 59 inches tall. That's a significant four inches shorter bumper to bumper and eight inches shorter in terms of height versus the GLK. Let's get inside and see how that influences room inside the cabin. The GLA class interior follows that of the CLA class, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. A lot of eye-candy here vying for your attention. Things like stitching the top. The dashboard here looks pretty upscale. There's a floating tablet like screen up here. That's controlled by Mercedes command system down here, which most of our editors find pretty easy to use. Gauges here in the center, have Mercedes familiar number readouts on them. Soft touch materials up here. As you come all the way down to the bottom of the door, pretty nice there. Some harder stuff here along the center of the dash, but Mercedes does a pretty good job of making it look like it's a higher, richer quality material from farther away. Especially as it sits underneath genuine wood trim here in the car at the auto show. Exceptional range in the front seats here. Look how far the steering wheel telescopes. There should be able to fit lots and lots of drivers. Same thing with the front seats. I'm six feet tall, and I sit several inches ahead of where the seat would be all the way back here. You can see right here, if you were very far over six feet, I think you would still fit. So here's where I'd sit to drive right about here. Let's take a look at how the back seat feels. Cabin materials in the backseat appear consistent with those upfront, always nice in a luxury vehicle. Leg room is okay back here. The biggest issue is that the seat sits kind of low to the floor, keeps your knees up in the air if you're an adult. Not that there's a ton of headroom if Mercedes had moved the seats up a little bit. This car at the auto show has a panoramic moon roof that typically lowers head room a little bit. Let's take a look real quick at the cargo area. The steep rake of the tailgate does limit cargo space in back here, you can see it's not really that much if you get up high here behind the rear seats, fold the seats down, which they do pretty easily here from the tailgate area. They fold fairly flat up to the front seats there. As you can see, not a ton of cargo space, even though Mercedes hasn't gotten us final specs yet. Anyway, you cut it. Not exactly going to be a utility holler. In the GLA 250 a two liter turbo four cylinder makes 208 horsepower and a robust 258 pounds feet of torque. It gets to the ground via a seven speed dual clutch, automatic transmission, either front wheel drive or available all wheel drive. EPA gas mileage figures are still pending. All that information and more will be available closer to the GLS on sale date in fall 2014. (engine revs)