Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class vs Volkswagen Touareg

What's the difference?

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Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

$42,990 - $78,879

2021 price

Volkswagen Touareg
Volkswagen Touareg

$80,990 - $145,990

2024 price

Summary

2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
2024 Volkswagen Touareg
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Turbo V6, 3.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol/Electric
Fuel Efficiency
7.5L/100km (combined)

3.3L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Full suite of safety costs extra
  • Some quality lapses inside
  • Ride still unsettled even on optional adaptive dampers

  • Disappointing ride quality
  • PHEV elements frustrating to use IRL
  • Limited appeal compared to other R models
2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class Summary

ONE of the great motoring successes of the past decade has been the Mercedes-Benz GLA, catapulting the brand to unparalleled prominence in the premium small SUV field and kicking off the posh little coupe-hatch crossover craze.

Cynics might say that it is essentially a jumped-up A-Class hatchback, much like the Subaru XV is basically an Impreza in stilettos. But while the small German crossover is built on the same MFA2 platform as its smaller transverse-engined Benz brethren, no body panels are shared, granting it a distinct look and personality. Unlike the little Suby…

The H247-series GLA launched in Australia in 2020 is second-generation, featuring a longer wheelbase and appreciably more space, but a shorter overall length than the popular original from 2013. It's also substantially taller.

Here we take a long, hard look at the bestselling GLA 250 4Matic.

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2024 Volkswagen Touareg Summary

It’s big, it’s fast, it’s luxurious, Volkswagen’s Touareg has always been a stand-out large SUV.

This one, the full-fat R is the latest take on the halo Volkswagen model. It has big shoes to fill.

See, top-spec Touaregs in the past are hardly rivals to the Toyota LandCruisers and Hyundai Palisades of this world. They’re a different breed, with the first-generation Touareg powered by a variety of engines up to a 5.0-litre turbo-diesel V10, and the second-gen version packing petrol and diesel V8s in its upper levels.

They were the ultimate sleeper family SUV, ridiculous engines with rich VW Group lineage in a seemingly mainstream family-friendly package.

But this third-generation version can’t quite replicate the over-engined craziness of its predecessors. It has to think outside the box as emissions regulations crack down the world over.

This Touareg R is a plug-in hybrid. A performance-focused one at that. Can it hope to replicate the unhinged nature of its forebears and find an appropriate place atop the hierarchy of Volkswagen’s R models? Let’s find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class 2024 Volkswagen Touareg

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