GLK is boxy, beautiful and great on fuel
Diesel takes the SUV to its roots
Every time (OK, twice) I was reminded that the Mercedes GLK I was driving was the same one Carrie Bradshaw drove in the Sex and the City movie, my only response was an exasperated eye roll and, “No, this is a diesel.”
Just as I hate the Sex and the City series (I watched only 30 seconds before giving up), I hate SUVs that look like jelly beans. SUVs are supposed to be rugged, boxy and utilitarian, and I feel like the GLK is the only mid-sized SUV that looks like it should.
If you aren’t a rapper and can’t go full G-Wagen, the GLK is a solid alternative for people like me who believe the hip-to-be-square thing applies to SUVs.
Besides being the bestlooking mid-sized SUV (especially in the metallic bluegrey colour of my tester), this diesel delight may also be the most fuel-efficient. On a highway run with the cruise control set at 100 kilometres an hour, I averaged 5.7 litres per 100 km, even better than its official rating of 5.9.
This is a triumphant number, considering the SUV has 4Matic all-wheel drive and weighs 1,925 kilograms. To put that into perspective, a Toyota Yaris is rated by Natural Resources Canada at 5.5 L/100 km on the highway.
If you still don’t believe in the power of diesel, it’s a bit like saying Sex and the City deserved an Oscar: It just doesn’t make sense.
Powered by a 2.2- litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel, the GLK spins out a healthy 200 horsepower at 3,800 r.p.m. and an even more impressive 369 pound-feet of torque at 1,600 r.p.m. That robust torque makes the SUV feel light on its tires, and allows it to accomplish highway passing with ease. Even in the default eco mode, the power is sufficient for daily driving needs.
If your inner hooligan needs to stretch its legs, selecting sport mode ramps things up by quickening throttle response and stiffening the steering, which is nicely weighted even in eco mode.
The diesel engine is quiet and smooth even in the upper rev ranges, and the seven-speed transmission does a commendable job of doing what you need it to, whether it be maximizing fuel economy or kicking down gears for some instant pulling power. The suspension, which uses selective damping, also helps keep the SUV flat in corners while at the same time soaking up potholes and rail tracks without shattering your spine.
Inside, the cabin is exactly what you’d expect from a German automaker: Everything is tightly screwed together and is mostly logical. The materials and layout are chic, especially the brushed chrome and blacktinted wood grain trim. The propeller air vents also look like they were lifted straight from an SLS.
The downside of not having a touchscreen, though, is that a lot of buttons clutter the dash. Mercedes refuses to do touchscreens because they get dirty, instead opting for a knob-controlled system, which takes a lot of getting used to. Mercedes’ system isn’t the most intuitive, but it’s not impossible to get used to if you play around with it for a week.
Since BMW’s diesel X3 has not yet been confirmed for Canada, the diesel GLK’s closest competitor is Audi’s Q5 TDI, which is coming as a 2014 model. The diesel Q5 is only available with a turbo V-6 and, therefore, starts at $48,700, where the GLK BlueTec starts at $43,500 because it is powered by four cylinders.
People looking for a midsized diesel luxury SUV may be shopping both, but the spec sheets are really too different to make an apples-toapples comparison.
In the end, the GLK could win on looks and fuel economy alone. The unfortunate association to a certain romantic comedy aside, the GLK proves boxy can be beautiful.