Spyshots: 2013 Mercedes Benz GLK Facelift

With the M-Klasse looking better than ever now, the German engineers are hard at work in order to ensure that the rest of the range looks and performs just as well. Back in 2010, the carmaker introduced the GLK compact SUV, and while it wasn’t a runaway success, the way it fits into the range ensured it would always sell reasonably well.

With the time ticking, engineers are hurrying to fit all the cosmetic changes needed to stay relevant into the bulldog-like SUV. The facelifted version you see here while testing will probably hit the market later next year as a 2013 model year, sporting LED lights and smoother lines at the front. The spyshots were taken while the model was undergoing hot-weather testing in the more remote desert regions of the United States.

Some of the changes will also come for the interior, with the current model's center console gearshifter expected to be swapped with shifter stalks located on the steering column. That sounds a bit retro doesn’t it?

On the engine front, the 2013 GLK might receive a new entry-level edition in the form of the GLK 250, featuring the turbocharged 1.8-liter liter that Mercedes uses on everything from the SLK250 to the C250. The unit will likely produce 201 horsepower in the US version and 204 hp in the European one.

Next up is the more powerful GLK350, that likely to make use of the new 3.5-liter V6 that adds 34 horsepower over the previous generation.

Expect to the facelifted GLK to bring its softened lines to next year’s Geneva and New York Motor Shows in quick succession.