That said, it鈥檚 arguably the most significant change to Mercedes-Benz鈥檚 nomenclature since 1993, when the 鈥楥鈥?and 鈥楨 鈥?letters became prefixes on the badges of the automaker鈥檚 compact and mid-size sedans, respectively. Announced in advance of next week鈥 檚 Los Angeles Auto Show, is that Mercedes-Benz will be moving to a 鈥渟 imple and transparent鈥?nomenclature. All SUVs will carry the 鈥楪 L鈥?prefix. So the lineup of utility vehicles will now include the GLA, GLC (formerly GLK), GLE (formerly M-Class or ML), GLE Coupe, GLS (previously GL). Four-door coupes鈥攆astbacks鈥攚ill get a 鈥楥 L鈥?prefix. CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, CLS, and CLS Shooting Brake are given as examples. Roadsters will all include the 鈥楽L鈥?prefix鈥攕o the SLK becomes the SLC. New lower-case letters will describe powertrains: 鈥榗鈥?for natural gas (compressed gas); 鈥榙鈥?for diesel; 鈥榚鈥?for electric; 鈥榝鈥?for fuel cell; and 鈥榟鈥?for hybrid. What鈥檚 staying the same: Numerical suffixes that have referred less directly to engine size over the years will be kept, and will continue to correspond, generally, to relative size and power. So for instance, the GLK250 Bluetec will soon be the GLC250d. And 4Matic will continue to be the badge for models with all-wheel drive. It won鈥 檛 be an all-at-once transition, either. Those changes start next year and will be phased in gradually, as models are up for a redesign or major refresh. Beginning in 2015, it means that GL becomes GLS, ML becomes GLE, and GLK becomes GLC. The changeover from SLK to SLC is due in 2016 with a redesigned model. The other piece of news appropriately timed with this badging announcement is that the Maybach name is back鈥 攖his time as a subbrand of Mercedes-Benz and, perhaps, a lavish counterpoint to the newly redefined Mercedes-AMG performance subbrand.

It adds 20-inch 鈥渢itanium finish鈥?wheels and sportier accents that include a flat-bottomed steering wheel, brushed aluminum inlays, paddle shifters and an adaptive damping suspension. Combined with the burly powertrain, the package makes for impressive handling capability. Careful sound deadening keeps the clattering powerplant out of earshot unless you roll the window down. Then it鈥檚 pretty noisy. It鈥檚 the same story with the GLK, albeit engine noise is even less noticeable, perhaps because of its smaller displacement. That also means less output but don鈥檛 dismiss it on those grounds. You probably won鈥檛 miss the Q5鈥檚 power with 369 lb-ft of torque and a pair of sequential turbochargers. The GLK is also 154 lbs lighter on its feet and that probably makes a little bit of a difference. It鈥檚 still nowhere near as athletic to drive. You can feel it leaning through corners and with fewer customizable drive settings, you won鈥檛 be spending time creating personalized modes. Does that really matter? There might be no greater non sequitur to the compact crossover segment than performance. Practicality matters and if you鈥檙e buying something with a diesel, it鈥檚 probably for the fuel economy benefits. The thing is, the GLK is much more practical, even when it comes to driving. The boxy shape gives you better outward visibility and makes it easier to park. Both cars are efficient on paper but the GLK is much better in real world daily driving and that probably has something to do with its milder road manners. The Audi Q5 TDI is faster, sportier and has more cargo space. It鈥檚 also much more expensive and in the end, that drags it down. Mercedes鈥?GLK 250 BlueTEC might not be the hotter choice but it鈥檚 by far the more practical. If you鈥檙e pondering a premium diesel purchase in this segment, it鈥檚 the one to get.

The current Infiniti G37 sedan will soon be replaced by the new Q50, pictured here in prototype form ahead of its world debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show next month, arrives. First sales will likely start in the third quarter of next year, making this one a 2014 model. Though heavily camouflaged, the overall shape of the new Q50 sedan can be assessed, revealing plenty of influences from the Emerg-E concept car first shown at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show as well as the more recent LE concept. Distinguishing features include pronounced character lines, a fluid shape and Infiniti鈥檚 signature grille. The new 2014 Infiniti Q50 also looks to be slightly larger than the model currently on sale, which should translate to more interior room. The latest sedan, which once again spawn a coupe, convertible and high-performance IPL version, will share much in common with the next Mercedes-Benz C Class thanks to the alliance deal between Renault-Nissan and Daimler. This is expected to include cross-sharing of powertrains as well as some platform components.

Power in the 2014 Q50 is expected to come from an updated VQ V-6 engine, though a four-cylinder diesel sourced from Mercedes-Benz will be offered in certain markets. A 3.7-liter displacement is expected to remain for the V-6. The diesel, which hasn鈥檛 been confirmed for the U.S., is tipped to be the 2.1-liter four-cylinder found in various Mercedes models including the recently launched 2013 GLK250 BlueTEC. A hybrid model will also be launched using a similar powertrain to the one found in the Infiniti M35h. Of most interest to performance fans is the possibility of a high-performance IPL version of the new Q50 sedan (the current IPL models are limited to the G37 coupe and convertible bodystyles). Look for turbocharged power this time as well, giving the IPL Q50 a better chance against new versions of the BMW M3, Lexus IS F and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG all due in the next year or two.