Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 Facelift nips and tucks through Sai Kung, and stretches marque’s range in Hong Kong

Recently, my other half and I spotted a Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 in Sai Kung. Offering her best approximation of a petrol-head’s opinion, she said: “It looks confused.”

I was taken aback. I had marvelled at its svelte, subcompact sports utility vehicle lines; cooed at its accentuated aerodynamic profile; lingered over the light-emitting diode headlights; gyrated at the curvy, pull-up-to-my-bumper-baby remodelled fenders. Fill your boots, Grace Jones.

It was not that the GLA had stopped at a fork in the road and was scratching its roof, trying to figure out which way to go; nor was it wondering if it was OK to turn left at a red signal, which Australians, for example, seem to think is bonzer. It transpired that, simply, the car was not a saloon or a truck – therefore, how could it possibly be a Mercedes?

Trying to follow this elusive wisp of logic further, I discerned that to many of our transatlantic cousins, “Mercedes” cannot possibly mean “hatchback” of any kind. This complaint, however, is out of date: the GLA 200 is a “crossover”, which in plain speak means a hatchback that is suitable for daily use and gives a comfortable ride, but that also comes preloaded with some sports utility vehicle attributes,

such as added ground clearance and a dose of off-road ruggedness. My supervisor had not been informed that these are now the best-selling automobiles in the United States.