Timing Is Everything


There's good planning and there's good fortune, and we can't be sure which of these are to blame for the imminent arrival of a new compact SUV, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK. This new baby Benz will hit U.S. showrooms in January 2009, and although we aren't able to forecast what the gas price will be right then, it seems unlikely that it will be appreciably lower than it is now.

This is a good thing for the all-new 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK, since high gas prices have been accompanied by a downsizing trend in buying patterns, particularly in the case of SUVs. This has been punctuated by the fact that drivers have reduced the number of miles they drive by record levels.

So it's a matter of good timing for the forthcoming GLK350 crossover that will be introduced here. With this new addition, Mercedes-Benz's SUV family is now five classes strong if you include the big R-Class people mover.

Bringing the Big V6

The GLK will be introduced this summer in Europe in an attempt to fill a gap in the company's lineup, a size class in the marketplace that's already occupied by archrival BMW with its X3, among others. The X3 alone sold about 33,000 units in the U.S. during 2007, and you can bet that Mercedes wants part of that action.

BMW knows how to add some sporting flavor to the SUV experience (and so does Acura, with its turbo RDX), so you need to bring a little extra something to the party when you join that company. Mercedes hopes to counter the charms of the X3 with a bit more displacement in the engine department.

The GLK350 will be powered by the company's 24-valve 3.5-liter V6, which produces exactly the same 268 horsepower as it does in the E350. Mercedes could easily have used the 3.0-liter V6 found in its C-Class cars, but we all know that the BMW X3 would have outgunned it. As it is, the Benz 3.5-liter V6's maximum output is only 8 hp greater than that of the BMW's smaller engine. Fortunately, its torque peak of 248 pound-feet at 2,400 rpm is not only better than the BMW's 225 lb-ft, but also peaks earlier at 2,400 rpm rather than the X3's 2,750 rpm.

The GLK350 employs the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment where the BMW offers both manual and automatic transmissions, but with just six speeds. Thus equipped, the GLK350 is expected to accelerate to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, and to attain a top speed of 143 mph.

It's a C-Class Crossover

You need only look at the dimensions of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK to deduce its intent. At 178.3 inches in length, it is 1.6 inches longer than the X3 (even though the Benz's 108.5-inch wheelbase is actually 1.6 inches shorter than the BMW). The GLK's overall width of 72.4 inches is 0.6 inch narrower than the X3, and its height of 66.9 inches is 1 inch taller. And the two crossovers are within 20 pounds or so in weight depending on equipment — 4,020 pounds for the Benz and 4,040 for the BMW. Clearly, they throw more or less the same size shadow.

They certainly don't possess the same silhouette. This new entry to the compact premium SUV market looks quite unlike anything else in that segment, with a pronounced windscreen rake and much more angular panel transitions. Although Mercedes-Benz's official information from the GLK's preview at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show includes comments from outgoing design chief Prof. Peter Pfeiffer that say the vehicle reflects design cues from the iconic Mercedes G-Class, we see distinct design flourishes from his soon-to-be successor Gorden Wagener. Notably, the upwardly angled body-side crease and the shape of the greenhouse bring to mind the wedge profile of the R-Class — one of Wagener's pet projects.

Getting Traction

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 will be offered with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive via the company's 4Matic system. In this application, 4Matic splits torque between the front and rear axles in a 45 percent front/55 percent rear ratio, and regulates traction with no fewer than three mechanisms: ESP, ASR and 4ETS.

The first of those controls dynamic cornering activity, using ABS and yaw sensors to detect a deviation from the chosen line, and then uses selective brake application to restore it. ASR is straightforward traction control, using ABS sensors and individual brakes. Finally, 4ETS monitors wheel speed and responds to wheelspin by partially locking the center differential, then "fooling" the otherwise open front and rear differentials by braking whichever wheel is slipping to balance the torque share between the wheels on each axle.

That ought to take care of the horrific conditions encountered by risk-averse suburbanites as they battle through a light drizzle on the way to Starbucks, wouldn't you think? The standard 19-inch 10-spoke wheels with 235/50R19 tires speak volumes about the GLK's intended role as a high-profile street ride.

Roughing It

The fact that the GLK will arrive with a healthy complement of luxury equipment — like power seats, dual-zone air and Sienna pine trim — suggests the usual commuting and occasional gravel road duties we see in similar vehicles.

Beyond the GLK's comprehensive standard equipment are five option packages as well as nine stand-alone options, reflecting the fact that smaller does not mean less luxurious in this era of downsized self-indulgence. Pretty much everything one finds on luxury vehicles — rear-seat entertainment with two screens and a dual-source DVD-player included — can be had in this compact package.

Though there are a range of different engine options in the works for the European model of the GLK, only the GLK350 will be introduced here. If diesel catches on in the U.S. as Mercedes hopes, a Bluetec diesel powertrain should follow once this technology achieves 50-state acceptance. Not that it matters much now that diesel prices have surged past those of good old gasoline.

Prices for the GLK350 are expected to run from the mid-to-high $30s, and vehicles go on sale in January 2009.

The Tipping Point

With the 10 percent rise in gasoline prices during March and April, there are those who believe that fuel prices will shift people out of utility vehicles and into automobiles. But this anti-SUV agenda doesn't have any basis in reality.

Recent analysis by Edmunds.com shows that sales of compact sport-utilities have increased 54 percent since last year. In comparison, the sales of compact cars have risen 36 percent since last year. Of course, the small crossovers and compact SUVs represent only a 6.3 percent share of the overall market, while small cars represent 20 percent.

So it's clear to us that Americans still prefer the flexibility of utility vehicles, only now they're looking for the same all-weather, all-terrain all-everything virtues in a fuel-efficient package. And so it appears that the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK will arrive in the U.S. at exactly the right time.

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M

Awesome..!! Best small SUV Out there.....

EH. Awesome exterior and performance, but even the x3's interior looks better than this imo. The quality may be good, but its hella UGLY.

hey its a awesome little suv and looks hot in that navy pic

i think its the best off the three germans by far exterior and interior looks solid and i like the design i suppose some dont but i love it both inside and outside i think its going to be a aoutstanding succes for mercedes

It is no secret that I don't like this vehicle ....but that interior is totally unforgivable -- It doesn't even look like a German interior ....let alone a Mercedes one.

The tri-star on the steering wheel looks completely out of place amid that injection-molded nightmare -- dreadful!

Definitely Farouk

Wow Rob,i didn;t know u hate that car that much

I don't really hate it Tarek -- it is only when I think about it that I feel compelled to express my very carefully considered and well balanced opinion

HA. Have you sat in the new A4 rob. That is injected molded heaven!

And what a carefully and balanced one u've got

he he