Road test: 2010 Mercedes GLK350
Canada Sunday, April 25th, 2010I blame Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones and the other characters of the Sex in the City troupe for delaying my rendezvous with Mercedes’ GLK350.
When the Sex in the City movie came out in spring 2008, theatre goers got a product placement sneak peek of the upcoming compact luxury sport-ute. I was not one of them. In fact, since I never watched a single episode of the TV series that spawned the movie — I simply couldn’t care about the characters’ social/sexual problems or their fascination with shoes (Manolo Blahnik sounds like some eastern European dish involving eels) — I gave a wide berth to the film and anything related to it. Obviously, the GLK was too trendy pour moi and my Mark’s Work Wearhouse fashion sense. However, after seeing enough of them on the road, curiosity got the better of me.
The GLK is a thoroughly entertaining package. It should be, since it’s really just a tall wagon version of the C350, a fave among sport sedans.
Plus it looks like a tarted-up, edgier take on the previous-generation Subaru Forester (the one prior to it going mainstream SUV), which happens to be one of my favourite suburban crossovers. Best of all, it doesn’t cost stupid money. At just $42,900 to start, it’s wholly reasonable for a premium SUV with a thorough list of standard features and a Mercedes nameplate.
Now, I’m not going to say the GLK is stunning. It isn’t, but it does have an instantly recognizable style to it, what with an angular, creased profile that ties in with the C-Class, steeply raked windshield, integrated rear spoiler and short overhangs. That style also incorporates a lot of glass (like the aforementioned Forester), which means excellent sightlines all around the vehicle and a far more relaxed driving experience when negotiating rush-hour traffic.
There’s just one powertrain combination for the German-built GLK, but it’s a good one — a 268-horsepower 3.5-litre V6 mated to a seven-speed manumatic and standard 4Matic full-time all-wheel drive. The engine is the very definition of the word silky, totally unobtrusive in operation, with imperceptible shifting between gears. If there is a need for maximum warp, the V6 will respond with a zero-to-100-kilometres-an-hour time of 7.2 seconds. Passing power is even more impressive, as the 1,830-kilogram GLK takes just 4.9 seconds to accelerate to 120 km/h from 80. As for fuel economy, my mix of highway and suburban use during a week with the tester averaged 12.7 litres of premium unleaded per 100 kilometres, which isn’t too bad. Still, I think Mercedes’ BlueTec V6 turbodiesel would make an excellent optional motor.
Equal to the engine in smoothness is the GLK’s ride and handling. The SUV glides on what Mercedes calls its Agility Control suspension, which the automaker says solves the paradox of creating a vehicle that combines on-road comfort with off-road capability. Thanks to “amplitude-dependent damping,” Mercedes says the suspension can adjust to perform in either driving condition. Not having a convenient back 40 in which to sling mud, I stuck to the tarmac trails. Other than the slightest of pitter-patters over expansion strips, the GLK is all but tomb-like. During a few spirited excursions onto on-ramps, the SUV maintained an even keel as the dampers stiffened up to ensure stability. Noteworthy is that in addition to a standard electronic stability program, the GLK incorporates a vehicle/trailer stabilization function, which helps maintain control while towing a trailer by applying the individual wheel brakes as required.
Inside, the GLK’s cabin is a mixture of luxury and Teutonic efficiency — in other words, a typical Mercedes setup with tasteful use of aluminum and chrome trim. Standard equipment includes a two-zone automatic climate control system, adjustable steering column, power front seats (covered in leather, a no-cost option) and manual lumbar support — all of which contribute to put the front-seat occupants in a comfortable, fatigue-free frame of mind regardless of the distances travelled. An integrated Bluetooth interface for cellphones, a microphone for the hands-free system and a central five-inch colour display are also included. An optional ($1,500) panoramic sunroof with power sunshades helped cheer the cabin environment, especially on gloomy days.
Maybe I’m finally getting used to the technology, but I found the previously annoying Comand multimedia system (an $1,800 option, including navigation) to be almost intuitive. Control of the individual menus is straightforward, following the familiar layout used in the C-Class and S-Class models.
Additional shortcut buttons provide direct access to the most important main functions.
So, what’s not to like about the GLK? For me, because of my height, I found rear legroom to be particularly tight, to the point where I could not physically get into the seats when the front seats were as far back in their tracks as they could go. Admittedly, that would mean the front-seat occupants are approaching NBA stature, but I’m just saying. And, for those who simply can’t grasp the concept of packing light, cargo room for the GLK is good but not class-leading. There’s 23.3 cubic feet of storage space with the rear seats up, increasing to 54.7 cu. ft. when the split seats are folded forward.
All in all, though, the GLK does a nice job of blending off-road attributes with equal measures of luxury and sport to create something that looks at home at a ski chalet, in front of the opera house or at some fancy retail outlet. It might even make a guest return in the Sex in the City movie sequel — but I’ll never know because I won’t be seeing it. I’ll be in my sweats watching the hockey playoffs.
THE SPECS
Type of vehicle: All-wheel-drive compact luxury SUV
Engine: 3.5L DOHC V6
Power: 268 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 258 lb-ft of torque @ 2,400 rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed manumatic
Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires: P235/50R19
Price: base/as tested: $42,900/$50,140
Destination charge: $1,995
Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km: 13.3 city, 9.6 hwy.
Standard features: Cruise control, 10-way power-adjustable front seats,
dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel and shift knob, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, auto-dimming mirrors, power and heated exterior mirrors, power windows with one-touch express up and down, automatic headlamps, cruise control, Audio 20 sound system with in-dash MP3-compatible CD changer, five-inch screen and central Comand controller, heated windshield washer system with rain-sensing wipers.
