Road Test: Mercedes-Benz GLA Class GLA 45 4Matic 5dr Auto

Most of us these days reckon we don't quite conform to the old norms of class or race or orientation. We don't like our habits being classified. We say our disorders lie along a spectrum. "Don't label me; take me as I am," we plead, perfectly reasonably. Our vehicles are no different. Once you had cars and you had 4x4s. Later on came crossovers, lying somewhere in the middle. Now it's a rainbow nation. The Mercedes GLA inserts itself into the tiny gap between a crossover and a car, but I'd reject the coinage cross-crossover. Let's just take it as it is.

Which is a slightly taller version of the A-Class, with a higher seating position and eyepoint. Er, wouldn't that be the B-Class? Nope, because the B uses its height to emphasise cabin space, whereas the GLA lifts its floor to give a bit of off-road ability. It also looks tougher - probably the main point for a lot of people. Most people will get their GLA with a diesel engine, mostly 4WD although FWD is available. See TopGear.com for a test. It's an agreeably comfy and capable thing.

This is the AMG version, running the same rousing mechanical package as the A45 AMG - a hyperactive 355bhp 2.0-litre engine, 7spd DCT transmission and four-wheel drive. A taller version of a hot hatch sounds like a poor idea, something condemned to pogo about the place in top-heavy chaos. A triumph of rubbishness over ambition.

But, guess what? It's rather good. For a start, the AMG version is even less of a raised-up device than the GLA itself. Its height is within 5cm of an A45 AMG, and remember much of that is roof rails. Nor is it noticeably heavier.It smartly uses its extra suspension travel to give you a more fluent journey across difficult crunched-up roads. The steering does your bidding without making a fuss, and you never get diverted into the backwaters of understeer and roll where too many crossovers cower. Instead the yaw gain is conditional on inputs from brakes, steering or throttle - which is engineer-speak for a bunch of fun.

The four-cylinder turbo outdoes its genre, getting on boost at 3,000rpm and then catapulting to, and cheekily far beyond, its 6,250rpm red line. And Mercedes has also improved the off-boost lag since it launched the A45, plus made the transmission notably more alert (those changes will be fed back into the A45 before long). Because the traction is so good, the 0-62mph time is flattered, and thus most of the time it doesn't quite feel like a car that's 4.8-seconds fast. But, heck, for a handy little five-door it's still mind-bendingly brisk.

So don't waste time worrying about what it is. Just enjoy what it does.