Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz GLK

When Mercedes-Benz introduced its M-Class SUV ten years ago, the German manufacturer really revolutionized the way the American buying public looked at midsize SUVs. For not much more money than a Ford Explorer, buyers got the perceived sophistication and very visible luxury of a Mercedes-Benz, not to mention the stellar after-sale treatment generally expected and received at Mercedes dealers. The SUV craze was in full swing and Mercedes had an instant hit on their hands, priced at just under $34,000 for a base model and still under $40,000 for a very well-equipped model.

Fast forward a decade and the M-Class now runs nearly $45,000 for a base model; I can’t think of many vehicles with MSRPs that jumped that much in just ten years. The M-Class has gone further upmarket and now chases the luxury competition, like the BMW X5 and Acura MDX, none of which existed when the M-Class was introduced. The Explorer, on the other hand, has seen sales dwindle as Ford puts more effort into marketing its more fuel-efficient Edge crossover.

Mercedes hasn’t been hiding the fact that a small crossover SUV expected to be named GLK and priced in the $35,000 range is on the way, and now that we’ve seen some very clear photos, we’re pretty excited about the future of the vehicle. Thanks to higher gas prices, mid-range SUVs no longer sell well unless they’re fuel efficient. Mercedes has long offered fuel efficient diesel engines in a variety of models, and we’re expecting them to drop one of its excellent 3.0 liter V6 CDI diesel engines from the M-Class (among others) under the GLK’s hood. Diesel motors are a relatively simple way to achieve high miles per gallon and the newer motors are very clean-running. Although smaller than the original M-Class, the GLK should compare favorably to Acura’s new RDX, BMW’s existing and underrated X3, Saab’s upcoming 9-4x and even Volkswagen’s upcoming Tiguan.

From the spy photos, we can see the GLK really takes a "Baby GL" look to it, not surprising since the ‘K’ in its name stands for kurz, the German word for short. A tall, upright greenhouse, flat sides and a prominent Mercedes grille will give it a distinctive look when it’s introduced, likely this fall in Frankfurt, Germany. In addition to the diesel engine, the North American market should expect Mercedes’ gas 3.5 V6 and, hopefully, an AMG-tuned V8. The GLK is based on Mercedes’ excellent and all-new 2008 C-Class, so we have admittedly high expectations for the crossover.