Powering the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 crossover SUV is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mounted transeversely an driving the front or all four wheels through an 8-speed DCT automatic transmission.
Code named M260 E20 DE, this version of the engine produces 221 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It utilizes overhead camshafts with variable cam timing, 4 valves per cylinder, and has a twin-scroll turbocharger with an electronically controlled wastegate.
Made in Germany, the engine is rated by the US EPA at 25 mpg city, 34 mpg highway and 28 mpg combined.
Following the airflow, the intake charge enters through a plastic snorkel at the top of the grill and into a sizeable filter box on the driver side of the engine compartment. From there it is drawn into the turbocharger mounted at the top front of the engine.
As this version of the M260 engine uses an air-to-air intercooler, air travels down to the lower front to a heat exchanger mounted ahead of the main radiator, then back up on the driver side to the throttle-body and intake manifold at the rear of the engine.
At the head you can see the external fuel components for its direct fuel injection with its steel fuel rail and the top of the injectors themselves. Toward the front are the coil packs for its four spark plugs.
Exhaust gases make their way out through the twin-scroll turbocharger which is shielded generously for thermal efficiency and protection of nearby components. The catalytic converter is mounted directly to it before the down-pipe and downstream exhaust components.
When it comes to maintenance, most serviceable components are easily located. The air filter box is up front in plain sight. Mounted on top of it is the engine control unit or ECU. This makes filter replacement a bit more of a time consuming process than most cars.
Behind it is the 12-volt battery neatly covered up with a bright red slide cover for the positive post. The brake fluid reservoir is found just behind it and the windshield washer fluid reservoir found just ahead next to the filter box with its bright blue cap.
The oil filler cap is found in the obvious location at the top of the engine without the need to remove the sound cover to fill. The oil filter itself is located on the rear passenger side of the engine and accessible from the top.
Checking the oil here is a little different than most cars however as there is no conventional dipstick. To check the oil you must power up the car and read the level via the computer system service menu on the instrument cluster.
Lastly, the coolant reservoir can be inspected and filled at the passenger side of the engine compartment just adjacent to the strut tower.
