Mercedes-Benz will unveil the third-generation GLA at the end of July, introducing an electric-first version of its compact SUV as part of the company’s broader transition to next-generation vehicle platforms.
According to Automobilwoche, citing company sources, the new GLA will continue to be produced at Mercedes-Benz’s Rastatt plant in Germany despite uncertainty surrounding the site’s future amid the automaker’s ongoing cost-reduction efforts.
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Electric Version to Launch First
The next-generation GLA is based on the Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA), the company’s new platform for compact electric and hybrid vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz is scheduled to premiere the model on 29 July, with the battery-electric version expected to launch later this year. Hybrid petrol variants are planned to follow in 2027.
The new GLA will effectively replace both the combustion-engine GLA and the battery-electric EQA, consolidating the two model lines into a single vehicle family available with multiple powertrain options.
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Rastatt Retains Key Production Role
According to the report, Mercedes-Benz has decided to retain GLA production at its Rastatt facility, where the new CLA—also based on the MMA platform—is already being manufactured in both battery-electric and hybrid versions.
Keeping GLA production in Rastatt is expected to help maintain utilization at the factory as production of several existing compact models, including the A-Class and B-Class, is gradually transferred to Hungary.
The report noted that the Rastatt plant has an annual production capacity of approximately 200,000 vehicles.
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The CLA and the upcoming GLA are expected to become the site’s primary production models in the coming years.
Mercedes-Benz is expected to begin production of the new GLA at Rastatt ahead of its market launch this autumn. The company has not yet announced whether the future successor to the A-Class, which is expected to become the brand’s entry-level model, will also be assigned to the German facility.
