- Battery-electric GLA production is under way, with 48V hybrid variants due later in 2026.
- The powertrains share one flexible assembly line at Mercedes-Benz's long-running Rastatt plant.
- Digital twins and cloud-delivered vehicle software underpin the factory's latest production overhaul at Rastatt.
Mercedes-Benz has started series production of its new GLA at Rastatt, leading with the battery-electric version before adding 48V hybrid models later in 2026.
The new model becomes another member of Mercedes-Benz's latest compact-car generation to enter the factory.
The noteworthy part is happening behind the factory doors. Electric and combustion-assisted GLAs will travel down the same flexible assembly line, allowing Mercedes-Benz to vary the production mix without separating the 2 powertrains into dedicated facilities.
That flexibility is set to extend further. Mercedes-Benz is investing a low 3-digit-million-euro sum to convert neighbouring assembly hall 4.1 for GLA production from 2027. A digital twin is helping the company configure and optimise the new line before the physical overhaul is complete.
The shared line also lets the plant respond more quickly when customer demand shifts across global markets.
Software also plays a central role in the production process. The company's MB.OS system transfers vehicle software through a central Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud server, so each GLA can leave the line with current software installed.
The Rastatt plant opened in 1992 and now employs about 7000 people. It also draws on a wider German manufacturing network: Untertürkheim supplies electric drive units and axles, Accumotive in Kamenz provides batteries, and Kuppenheim produces body and structural components.
Mercedes-Benz has not yet disclosed power outputs, driving range, pricing or New Zealand timing for the new GLA. For now, the production start offers a clearer view of how the brand plans to build its next generation of compact vehicles: multiple powertrains on 1 line, supported by increasingly digital factory systems.
