Much like its Germanic competition, Mercedes has been rolling out diesel versions of its cars and SUVs in the U.S. Benz will be getting the jump on the luxury compact crossover segment with its 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec, set to arrive next spring. While it certainly appears the Audi Q3, VW Tiguan, and BMW X3 will eventually get diesel options here as well, like those annoying Internet commenters, Mercedes gets to say first! We recently sampled the refreshed GLK lineup, which will come with two updated engines. Benz's 3.5-liter V-6 with 302 horsepower and 273 lb-ft is the base engine while the 2.1-liter turbodiesel I-4 with 190 horses and an impressive 369 lb-ft powers the GLK250. Both engines are mated to the automaker's tried-and-true, seven-speed automatic. It's not quite as quick as the 3.5-liter, but the diesel is still plenty fast and it performed just as admirably during our mountain road runs.

Much like its Germanic competition, Mercedes has been rolling out diesel versions of its cars and SUVs in the U.S. Benz will be getting the jump on the luxury compact crossover segment with its 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec, set to arrive next spring. While it certainly appears the Audi Q3, VW Tiguan, and BMW X3 will eventually get diesel options here as well, like those annoying Internet commenters, Mercedes gets to say first! We recently sampled the refreshed GLK lineup, which will come with two updated engines. Benz's 3.5-liter V-6 with 302 horsepower and 273 lb-ft is the base engine while the 2.1-liter turbodiesel I-4 with 190 horses and an impressive 369 lb-ft powers the GLK250. Both engines are mated to the automaker's tried-and-true, seven-speed automatic. It's not quite as quick as the 3.5-liter, but the diesel is still plenty fast and it performed just as admirably during our mountain road runs.

Its quiet rumble is refined enough to fit well in a luxury vehicle, but the muted sound still reminds you it isn't a gas engine. While the diesel is down on horsepower compared to the gas engine, its tradeoff is way more torque. It seems perfectly matched to GLK, almost like it was designed for the SUV from the start. It's also likely to be more fuel efficient than the gas engine, although we don't have any numbers yet. Both models use stop/start Eco mode and, in the vehicles we drove, the transition proved seamless. Electromechanical steering is also now part of the GLK package. While it performs as intended for the most part, we felt the steering response to be a bit too slow at lower speeds. The GLK250's 2.1-liter turbodiesel has been around in Europe since 2008, where it has powered the C- and E-Class, and even the S-Class. The engine's recent refinements focused on improving overall drivability, fuel economy, and emissions.

It also met EU6 regulations before that standard had been made law. As U.S. EPA and European standards move closer to each other, it's becoming easier to make diesel engines emissions-compliant on both continents from the get go. This gave Mercedes an opportunity to bring the diesel here with less expense. As is the case with the automaker's 3.0-liter diesel, in the GLK250, the 2.1-liter will require use of the urea-based AdBlue solution in order to further reduce the diesel's particulate emissions. In addition to the upgraded engines, the 2013 GLK also receives a number of other updates, including more than 1000 new parts in total. On the outside, the GLK gets a revised front end with daytime LED lighting, more chrome in the grille, and restyled taillights and wheels. Inside, there's a redesigned layout with a redone center stack, gauge cluster, and color combinations in line with sedans and other SUVs in the Mercedes-Benz lineup. Our test vehicles came with tasteful combinations of brushed aluminum, dark wood inserts, black leather seats, and leather-wrapped steering wheels. New features in the cabin include mbrace2, COMAND Online that allows in-vehicle internet access, and safety systems such as Active Blind Spot Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, and Active Parking Assist.

Our short test drive, 80% of which took place on the highway (at 120 km/hr), gave us an average of 11.4. The V6 is equipped with Start/Stop technology that shuts down the engine when ECO Mode is activated. Too bad the diesel doesn鈥檛 offer that feature. Interestingly, both the 2.2- and 3.5-litres can tow 1,588 kg (3,500 pounds). Basically, customers have to decide what鈥檚 more important: fuel consumption (and the driving range) of their GLK or its performance. As for the ride, diesel or not, it鈥檚 tough to find fault with the GLK - though the V6 is indeed a little faster both in terms of accelerations and pick-up. Although the diesel has a far superior torque, its pick-up is less powerful. The 80-120 km/h time, after a quick manually timed test, was 7.31 for the GLK250 and 5.28 for the GLK350. However, the 250 is better suited for off-roading (and by off-roading, I don鈥檛 mean the bumpy, muddy road leading up to your cottage, I mean real off-roading). Tanks don鈥檛 come cheap! As for the rest, GLK is classic Mercedes-Benz. 2,400), the central screen is surprisingly small for a vehicle whose dashboard was just redesigned - and it鈥檚 not even a touchscreen! Finally, the quality of the materials and finish is exceptional. 44,900, respectively. But you can bet your bottom dollar that the total cost will be much higher!

The latest GLK Class, which arrives as a 2013 model, adopts fresh new styling, more standard equipment and a revised engine lineup. The good news is that U.S. GLK as the latest 2013 model will offer both the gas-powered GLK350 and a new diesel-powered GLK250 BlueTEC. The GLK350 packs a direct-injected 3.5-liter V-6 rated at 302 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. This is enough to accelerate the vehicle from 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds and see it reach a top speed of 130 mph. The GLK250 BlueTEC, meanwhile, sports Mercedes鈥?latest 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel rated at 190 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Both models come with a seven-speed automatic and ECO engine stop-start function, and customers will still be able to choose from standard rear-wheel drive or optional 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive. An ECO display in the instrument cluster is also new, enabling the driver to monitor how driving style impacts fuel economy. The exterior gives the GLK an even more athletic look, with the hard edges of the previous model being softened just a little.