| Sunday, November 05, 2006 |
Coming Soon :2009 Mercedes-Benz GLK |
 Here it is again, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GLX sport ute. It's been in the works for some time now, but these latest spy photos of Mercedes' upcoming compact sport ute show a GLX in its final design phase.
It looks a little bit like the full size GL 450 sport ute although its long hood reminds us of the BMW X3, one of its chief competitors in the compact luxury SUV category.
Unlike the full-size GL, the GLX will ride on an all-new platform shared with the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan. We expect it will use a 3.5-liter V6 paired with Mercedes' seven-speed automatic transmission. A variation of the latest 4Matic all wheel drive system will most likely come standard. Production of the GLX starts in early 2008, so expect to see it in U.S. showrooms later that year.
The GLK is using mechanical components from the next-generation Mercedes C-Class, which is set to debut in March 2007. In terms of exterior design, it will be very similar to the larger GL-Class. The GLK might debut as a 2008 model at the IAA car show in Frankfurt in September 2007, however Geneva 2008 sounds more reasonable. Yearly production is expected to be 40,000 units with starting prices of about 35,000 Euros.
Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mercedes-Benz has planned to assemble a compact crossover SUV to compete with the Acura RDX, BMW X3, Lexus RX the Land Rover Freelander and the future Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60. The name of this series is not yet known, but DaimlerChrysler has already made preparations to use "X-Class" and "MLK-Class". According to Autobild, it should rather be called "GLK-Class", K standing for Kurz (short).
The upcoming GLK-Class will probably launch in 2008 as a 2009 model and be built in Germany, the first Mercedes SUV to be built there. Rumored engines are the 2.8L V-6 and the 3.5L V6 making up the GLK280 and the GLK350. Perhaps a AMG variant will be built, but that remains to be seen. Expect styling cues from the other Mercedes SUV's in a smaller package.
The history of the GLK class is speculated to come from a man by the name of Harald Pietschmann. He was approached by another man by the name of Jim Rogers and asked to create the ultimate 4WD convertible for a trip around the world. The project involved using two already existing Mercedes Benz models, the G class and the SLK class [1].
It is speculated that the GLK-Class will share the upcoming C-Class (W204) platform, and production plans continued after the demise of the similar Smart Formore. Later, a compact true off-roader (it may retain the G-Class name) may be built on the same platform. In 2005, it was announced that the vehicle will be built in Bremen, Germany, rather than at the company's Juiz de Fora, Brazil factory as had been expected.
The GL was launched in 2006 to compete with Range Rover and some US brands.
Labels: Mercedes-Benz
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posted by Algreen  |
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