The Mercedes-Benz GLA250 4Matic SE certainly isn’t short of performance. With 208bhp and 258lb ft of torque, the GLA has more than enough muscle to pull any suitably matched caravan, sprinting from 30-60mph in 8.6 seconds. That’s comfortably the fastest acceleration in the second weight class.
We’d take stability over speed every time, but with the Merc you get both. Some slight steering corrections were needed at 60mph and beyond, but nothing untoward.
With an electronic parking brake to rely on, car and caravan stayed still on our 1-in-6 test hill, with so much power and four-wheel drive the GLA pulled up the slope easily. We had no trouble reversing uphill, either.
As an everyday drive, What Car? experts rate the GLA for its comfortable ride and refinement, with very little noise from the petrol engine.
The cabin is attractively designed and well finished, although don’t expect a huge amount of space inside. The rear seats are a bit of a squeeze for tall adults.
According to official figures the boot is a roomy 481 litres, but we couldn’t come close to fitting a full load of holiday luggage in the back. On the plus side, the reversing camera is a boon when hitching up.