[AutoGuide.com]

Can a lower priced entry-level model, one that is more accessible to the masses, still hold the same aspirational value as prestigious, more expensive products?

That is a question Mercedes-Benz asked itself last year with the new CLA-Class sedan and this year, the manufacturer is at it again.

In the never-ending arms race between luxury automobile manufacturers, more models, especially lower priced ones, means more sales. As soon as one manufacture enters a new market segment, the rest are sure to follow.
Welcome the GLA-Class

Like Audi with the recently introduced Q3, Mercedes needs to keep up with the competition by offering a crossover to battle the BMW X1. Enter the 2015 GLA-Class. Now the fifth utility vehicle to be added the Mercedes-Benz family, $31,300 is all it will take to gain entry into the world of Mercedes utility vehicle ownership when the GLA 250 Front-Wheel Drive goes on sale next year.

In the meantime, two models will be offered, the GLA 250 4MATIC and the sportier GLA 45 AMG. By far the smallest crossover in the Mercedes-Benz line-up, the new crossover measures in around 174-inches in length, roughly the same as the Hyundai Tucson.

Read the complete Mercedes GLA 45 AMG Review at AutoGuide.com