Weekend Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: Ridin’ in a getaway car
The Mercedes GLA 220d is proof that diesel engines, when done right, can be refined, economical, and perfect for quick escapes from the big city
My weekends in Mahabaleshwar have evolved into a well-choreographed routine. After packing and fuelling the car on a Friday evening, I make my way to the hill station, arriving just in time for dinner, and heading back very early on Monday morning, straight to office.
The returning is the hard part. I struggle to tear myself away from Mahab’s serene coolness, trading the sounds of chirping birds for that of horns and traffic, to make it in time for the Monday morning edit meeting. What’s been a game changer is the Atal Setu, Mumbai’s new bridge that ends providentially just eight minutes from my office. It shaves 20km off the drive and saves 45 minutes to an hour in rush-hour traffic. In fact, I no longer know what rush hour is! I encounter only two traffic lights on the 220km drive back which I cover in 3 hours and 45 minutes (including a 15-minute coffee break).
The car? Mercedes’ updated GLA 220d, which, by virtue of being an SUV, gave me the assurance to take the still- under-construction old Goa highway via Mahad. The 40km Ambenali ghat, with its delectable assortment of bends and corners is still my favourite road, though the surface is only good between Poladpur and Pratapgadh.
The GLA 220d reaffirmed my belief that there’s nothing like a good diesel for a long- distance drive. This baby Merc SUV carries over the 190hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit from before, and it’s mated to a smooth 8-speed automatic gearbox and Merc’s 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. Diesels are known for their torque or pulling power and the GLA 220d dishes out 400Nm of pull, which is plenty for a small car. There’s enough grunt to power up the winding ghat road to Mahabalashwar, as well as effortlessly slingshot past traffic on the tricky single-lane sections of the old Goa highway.
The diesel engine is pretty refined except for a bit of gruffness when you rev the engine hard. But like most diesel engines, it’s pretty economical. Despite some heavy-footed driving, the GLA 220d returned 11.2kpl. I could almost manage the round trip on one tank of diesel. The flat boot has the space-saver spare tyre tucked below it, leaving enough space for luggage and boxes of Mahabaleshwar’s renowned strawberries.
The cabin is quite cramped for four adults, but if you’re driving solo, you’ll find the driver’s seat has plenty of space.
The big surprise is the GLA’s handling. It feels more like a sporty hatch and the superb steering feel confirms my belief that Mercs do it best, even better than BMW. GLA has very little body roll and I loved the way I could punt this car down the narrow and twisty ghat.
The downside is the very un-Merc-like ride. It’s hard and gives a jarring thud over ruts and potholes. The low-profile tyres don’t help. Merc should offer tyres with beefier sidewalls to better cushion passengers from road impact. The front seats are quite hard as well, which takes away from the cosseting experience Mercs are known for.
But, the GLA, priced at ₹56.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) is aimed at a younger audience and many first-time Merc owners want this storied brand to be sportier, more dynamic and youthful, which the well-appointed GLA certainly is.
