Separated by a mere kilometer or so away, another luxury car company had the limelight a few days back when they unveiled their “unique showroom experience”. Sure, it had an indoor Zen garden, but since we weren’t allowed to even take a peek at the showroom, that’s all we can say about it. Of much more relevance is what happened next door when CATS Motors, the Philippines’s official distributor of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and trucks unveiled the GLK-Class—the three-pointed star’s first entry into the premium compact SUV market.
It certainly is a bit late to the party with the likes of BMW and Land Rover already enjoying brisk sales of their X3 and Freelander2 respectively. And the GLK is most certainly not the last one with the arrival of the Audi Q5 and the Volvo XC60 very soon. Mercedes-Benz engineers anticipated this and created the GLK-Class to be a car that’s way ahead of its rivals in terms of engineering and craftsmanship.
Its P 4.480-million price tag certainly isn’t cheap, but considering the amount of standard equipment thrown it, it’s actually an SUV of great value. Currently, CATS Motors is offering the GLK-Class with just one engine and it’s a V6 gasoline. The 3.0-liter (GLK 280) displacement pushes out a healthy 231 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque. For those who want even more grunt, the 3.5-liter model (GLK 350) with 272 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque will be arriving soon. Despite such relatively big displacements, the GLK-Class manages to keep its thirst for fuel down (9.60 km/L for the GLK 280 and 9.40 km/L for the GLK 350). This is because of two things: first is the low curb weight—weighing in at just 1,830 kilograms considering the amount of standard kit included; and second is the use of the 7-speed automatic dubbed 7G-TRONIC which equates to better acceleration and fuel economy.
Since these premium off-roaders are going to spend most of their time in the urban jungle rather than the real leafy variety, Mercedes-Benz engineers focused to make the GLK-Class a driver-oriented vehicle. Using the sporty C-Class as its basis, the GLK has a selective damping system (AGILITY CONTROL) as standard. Even the full-time all-wheel drive system (4MATIC) has been given a sportier torque split that’s rear-biased (45:55). At the corners of the GLK are mixed ratio tires. Standard on all local model GLKs are 235/50 R 19 at the front and 255/45 R 19 at the back, while the Sport and Edition1 models are kitted with 235/45 R 20s at the front and 255/40 R 20s at the back.
For those who require semi-hardcore off-roading, the GLK is also offered with an Off-Road package that increases the car’s suspension travel as well as swapping the road-biased tires for all-terrain ones with 17-inch dimensions. Additional re-programming to the different computer systems are also done to improve off-road performance. Lockable differentials are not available.
Wrapped around the highly capable chassis and engine system is a body that’s best described as a “baby GL-Class”. As such, the design has gone away from the amorphous blob of the R-Class and the soccer mom look of the M-Class in favor of something very masculine. The GLK is all hard angles outside with heavy creases and angry character lines throughout, and add to that an overall length of just 4,258 mm, this caricaturizes the GLK’s exterior appearance. Subtle this car isn’t.
Inside, the blocky and angular lines are carried over with a cabin that looks like it was chiseled instead of molded. As such, some may be turned off by the overuse of right angles, but it does translate to excellent ergonomics and button placement. In addition, the step-in and seat height of the GLK-Class has been optimized to allow for ease of use and excellent control. The standard GLK 280 has acres of wood with chrome accents inside along with a 60/40 split-fold rear seat. The interior is finished in leather while the three-spoke steering wheel is equipped with multi-function buttons. Other nifty features include an airconditioned glove, Bluetooth hands-free capability as well as full featured audio system with a 6-disc CD changer with MP3 capability, an auxiliary audio jack and a multimedia card slot for CF cards and the like.
On the safety front, all GLK-Class SUVs come standard with 6 airbags, anti-lock brakes and ESP (electronic stability program) integrating a downhill speed regulator and traction control. Other safety features include automatic HID headlamps with the Intelligent Lighting System (ILS), tire-pressure monitoring sensors, front and rear parking sensors, active anti-whiplash headrests (NECK-PRO) and adaptive brake lamps. The GLK-Class is also the first in its class to offer PRE-SAFE, which anticipates an accident and preps up the car for a collision.
For 2009, CATS Motors is also making the limited edition “Edition1” model available. Priced upon order, the Edition1 builds on the standard GLK 280 and makes it truly unique. Aside from the aforementioned 20-inch alloy wheels, the Edition1 model has a monotone exterior color finished in either black or white (additional orders may be ordered with an additional charge) and additional chroming on the fog lamps and roof rails. Inside, the Edition1 is differentiated by the AMG sports steering wheel, high-end Designo two-tone leather package, premium floor mats and a full COMAND APS system with DVD capability.
By Ulysses Ang
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