Edmunds Inside Line - First Drive: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLK

Edmunds Inside Line - First Drive: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLK

It's hard to argue with half a million sales. Mercedes-Benz is putting on a brave face by suggesting the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK is arriving at a very opportune time. The time is right for a utility vehicle that combines fuel-efficiency with the daily practicality that Americans want from a utility vehicle and then adds Mercedes-Benz refinement. Still, the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK will have to do more than simply out-point the BMW X3 if it is going to make any worthwhile impression on buyers. It will also have to rise above the recently introduced 2008 Infiniti EX35 and the forthcoming 2009 Audi Q5, not to mention the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. As you can see, things just got a lot hotter in the market for premium compact SUVs. Relying on the same basic recipe used by BMW with the 3 Series-based X3, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK has been conceived around the existing platform from the third-generation 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. With its unit-body construction and compliant car-derived suspension, the GLK is the epitome of the modern-day SUV with a bias very much toward everyday on-road use.

It does offer full-time all-wheel drive, however: an all-weather sort of system that nominally apportions 45 percent of the drive to the front wheels and the remaining 55 percent to the rear, with electronics taking care of stability and traction. Aesthetically, the GLK is a bit of a challenge. Departing from Mercedes-Benz's current design lineage, it is clothed in an unusually edgy body that draws inspiration from the German carmaker's iconic G-Class. The steep screens and sheer body sides throw up some unhappy angles at times. Still, neat detailing ensures the GLK looks expensive and gives an impression of robustness 鈥?something that shouldn't be underestimated in this class. At 178.3 inches in length, 72.4 inches in width and 66.5 inches in height, the GLK is a clear class below the Mercedes-Benz M-Class in size. By way of comparison, the BMW X3 runs to 179.7 inches in length, 78.2 inches in width and 65.9 inches in height. Step up into the GLK and you're instantly aware that the interior packaging is different from most rivals. This is because the windscreen is mounted at a rather upright 58 degrees, compared to the faster 50-degree slope of the M-Class' windscreen.

It is a layout that has necessitated a totally unique dashboard with a higher-mounted fascia than you'll find in just about every current Mercedes-Benz model save for the G-Class. With instruments and switchgear from the C-Class, however, it is anything but unfamiliar. Gripes about the quality of some of the plastic trim aside, the interior of the GLK is well thought out. The seating position is set 6.3 inches higher than in the C-Class, providing a reasonably commanding view of the road. Still, it is not so high as to leave you feeling detached from the action. Mercedes-Benz originally planned to provide the GLK with the same front seats as the C-Class to lower production costs. However, the more upright windscreen requires a more upright seating position 鈥?a major conflict. As a result, the GLK boasts uniquely upholstered seats in which the upper section of the backrest receives added padding to help promote a more upright posture.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK will be introduced to the U.S. 3.5-liter Mercedes V6. In the GLK350 it kicks out 268 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, only 8 hp more than the BMW X3's 3.0-liter inline-6, which is why Mercedes decided against the C-Class' 3.0-liter V6. Nevertheless, this 3.5-liter V6 develops 248 pound-feet of torque between 2,400 and 5,000 rpm, substantially better than the BMW X3's 225 lb-ft of torque. The Audi Q5's 3.2-liter V6 produces 270 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, respectively. More important for the GLK's commercial future in America will be a 3.2-liter V6 diesel with Bluetec urea-injection technology. This clean diesel will be made available toward the end of 2009 for the GLK320 Bluetec. Though it has 4,034 pounds to haul around, the 24-valve DOHC V6 gas engine does an impressive job. Its smooth but gutsy nature combines nicely with the slick, quick action of the standard seven-speed automatic gearbox to provide brisk off-the-line acceleration and impressive in-gear performance.