Reading the specs of Mercedes GLA45 AMG you can’t help but admire this car’s capabilities. In the real world though, it’s a different story. Save the 44 millimeter difference in ride height, this car is virtually identical to the brilliant A45 AMG, but costs considerably more. So should you buy it?

Well, it’d be unfair to judge a car without a thorough and in-depth test. Luckily, Autocar’s Steve Sutcliffe had the same questions, so he took a Mercedes GLA45 AMG to the test track to find the answer:

Even if you take into account the virtues of the GLA45, it still looks pretty pointless compared to the A45 AMG. That little bit of off-road capability is not a deciding factor because nobody who buys a small crossover has off-roading in mind anyway. This car, it appears, was designed and built simply because others were doing the same thing.