2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK-Class Review

Hence, the segment of the compact luxury crossover SUV is a twilight zone that gives attention to the competitive advantage over everything else. By competitive advantage, automakers also refer to how a vehicle can make a buyer feel special about the purchase.

Put yourself for a moment in the shoes of a person who is in the market for such a ride. To choose between the likes of the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Porsche Macan and the GLK-Class from Mercedes-Benz is mind-bogglingly hard for a simple reason - the overall package.

10 years ago, manufacturers would differentiate their four-wheeled products in particular car segments by concentrating on a single aspect that offered competitive advantage: comfort, pricing, fuel economy, performance, etcetera.

At this moment in time, the main culprits in the compact luxury crossover SUV segment can’t be differentiated as easily as you could only a decade ago. These days, manufacturers offer pretty much the same overall packages if you compare the aforementioned SUVs strictly on paper, a feat that makes potential buyers focus on personal taste over technical specifications.

Which begs the question: is the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class relevant anymore? Spoiler alert: it is, up at the top of the segment, next to the Range Rover Evoque, due to reasoning you’ll find out by continuing to read our review of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class facelift, which we tested in its 220 CDI 4Matic BlueEFFICIENCY guise.

Gone are the black plastic front bumper and round fog lights of the GLK with the off-road body kit, hideous square-ish air vents, too thin rimmed steering wheel and the not so exciting soft-edged rectangular exhaust pipes.

Our 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK exchanged its forerunner’s fog lights with strips of LED daytime running lights, two satin-finished aluminum horizontal chrome slats that support the three-pointed star and a more dynamically styled front bumper.

Visual differences on the sides are inexistent, while the rear bumper got better sculpted and the now rectangular exhausts are incorporated by the rear apron. Needless to say, the exterior lighting system, front and rear, was refreshed.

Fiber optics and LEDs are employed by the tail lights. At the front, Mercedes equips the GLK-Class as standard with awful-looking reflection-type headlights. The optional Intelligent Light System (ILS), combining bi-Xenon projector units, LED fiber-optic cables for position lights and LED turn signal indicators are the way to go. They’re €1,395, so why not get them with the €100 Adaptive Main Beam Assist on top?

Whatever you do, refrain from the smallest set of alloy wheels available (17-inch) because the square fender flares don’t contrast well visual-wise with small rims. Our GLK was optioned with 20-inch five-dual spoke wheels, wearing 235/45 rubber up front and 255/40 at the rear.

Don’t get me wrong here - this set of rollers enhances the GLK’s exterior looks, but you’ll have to sacrifice a bit of ride quality due to the shorter sidewall compared to what you get on the available 18 and 19-inch alloy wheels.

There are some pictures in the review’s gallery showing the facelift next to the pre-facelift model and, though the aesthetic differences aren’t dramatic, our GLK had the edge on the exterior visual front.

Regarding facelift changes throughout the cabin, the showstoppers of this nip & tuck job are the awe-inspiring round air vents with silverish Greek cross-style detailing.

The more eagle-eyed Mercedes enthusiast is well aware that the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK’s air vents are a nod to the units fitted to the old school W111 full-size luxury sedan from 1965, the honorable predecessor of the W116 - the original Mercedes Sonderklasse (S-Class).

Needless to say, the vents’ satin chrome finish together with the aluminum trim that goes from one edge of the dashboard to the other go hand in hand for an overall cabin design that’s pure eye candy.

The steering wheel is thicker and better profiled than the pre-facelift GLK’s, while the automatic transmission gear lever now sticks out from the steering column. Even though all seems fine at first glance, there are some details Mercedes forgot to take care of.

In a typically German manner, somebody at Mercedes has a fetish for physical buttons on the center stack and despises touchscreen technology. If that is not a problem for you, then the standard 5.8-inch display of the Audio 20 CD infotainment system is.

After spending €800 for it to do sat nav as well, you’re getting graphics that will remind you of classic MS-DOS games. Then there’s the 3D view of buildings, a feature that will overshadow street names and everything else, more so when you’re traveling in the city.

Though the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class holds a sticker of just over €37,400 and our 220 CDI 4Matic BlueEFFICIENCY test vehicle is worth €56,940 including some optional extras, somebody thought “Manual seat adjustments are fine for this kind of money.”

The last niggle that made my OCD senses tingle were the rear air vents. If Mercedes happened to take its sweet time and put effort into revamping those up front, why did they leave the square-y and plasticky old ones at the rear?

Incidentally, the cargo cover is an optional extra that costs €50. Oh dear... These being said, the interior can be enhanced with the dual power moonroof (€1,420) and the Artico black artificial leather seats (€450). A €496 rearview camera and a €730 Parktronic feature should be ticked on the options list too.

Mind you, shorther persons will often get their pant legs dirty when climbing in and exiting the vehicle. Despite all the strong and not so strong points, it’s great to be aboard. This is the magic of the GLK and, to a similar extent, the Range Rover Evoque - sitting in an SUV like this makes you feel accomplished and freewheeling.

From the driver’s seat or simply being a passenger, the BMW X3, Audi X5 and Volvo XC60 do not offer the same feel-good factor the GLK and Evoque do. Regarding the Macan, the Porsche is a hefty €28k more, making this comparo dishonest.

But do you know what enables the Mercedes-Benz GLK to outshine its competition, Range Rover Evoque included? Its G-Wagen-styled angular sheetmetal that’s lacking from the M-Class and German equivalent of the Cadillac Escalade - the GL-Class. Next to the fashion-forward Evoque, soft-silhouetted Q5 and the streetwise X3, the GLK’s designers pulled off the perfect elegance-and-off-road interweave.

Price-wise, the most humdrum Range Rover Evoque 5-Door undercuts the entry-level GLK in Germany by almost €4,000, while the equivalent Volvo XC60 is also less costly in the most unspoiled configuration available.

At €37,425 for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK 200 CDI (rear-wheel drive, six-speed manual gearbox, 143 HP 2.1-liter turbo diesel engine), the sticker is similar to what Audi and BMW are charging for their Q5 and X3, respectively.

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake to go for the GLK 200, 200 CDI or 220 CDI because hey, who the hell fancies a compact luxury crossover SUV with rear-wheel drive and a stick shift? In Europe, the most popular model is the one we tested - the €44,149 GLK 220 CDI 4Matic BlueEFFICIENCY.

Of course you can opt for a V6 turbocharged petrol and a V6 turbo diesel, but then again, this 220 CDI 4Matic BlueEFFICIENCY model isn’t a slow coach.

On the other hand, the United States gets only two models: the $37,900 GLK 350 (302 bhp / 273 lb-ft) and the $39,400 GLK 250 BlueTEC (200 bhp / 369 lb-ft), both claiming a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 lbs (1,587 kilograms).

So why is the 2.1-liter four-pot turbo diesel in 170 HP (167 bhp) / 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) format the most popular choice on the Old Continent then? It’s simple: it’s spirited and fuel efficient.

On paper, the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint is taken care of in 8.8 seconds. In real life, those figures don’t apply.

Be it accelerating when the traffic lights turn green or overtaking at higher speeds, there’s enough grunt to move 1,880 kilos (4,144 lbs) around, even though the 7G-Tronic Plus automatic transmission is set up for the smoothest changes possible, not the quickest.

The 4Matic-enhanced platform (very related to the defunct W204 C-Class) doesn’t carve the road as the BMW X3’s xDrive or the Porsche Macan’s all-wheel drive system do.

In essence, the Mercedes 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive system has a transfer case that is integrated in the main transmission, joined by a double-disc clutch center differential and two basic locking torque axles.

In normal driving conditions, the 4Matic is set up to send 45 percent of the engine’s torque to the front and 55 percent to the rear axle, thus guaranteeing a well-balanced roadholding.

I won’t beat around the bush though - the GLK 4Matic isn’t as dynamically capable on the road as the Range Rover Evoque or BMW X3, but it shines in another department.

While other car manufacturers treat their compact crossover SUVs’ handling department as some kind of raison d'être, the GLK is less tightly sprung and more mature to drive without feeling geriatric.

Thanks to the standard suspension system’s amplitude-dependent dampers and torsion-bar stabilizers front and rear, joined by anti-dive lower control arms and twin-tube gas-filled shocks up front for good measure, the GLK irons out road imperfections extremely well without isolating you from what’s happening with the front wheels when you hit a pothole. It’s a nice blend between comfort and feel.

I’m not laid back nor the pedal-to-the-metal type of driver. Fast-paced is the right word. Because of this, it’s necessary to wrap the GLK’s dynamic capabilities in a way that will cover a wider spectrum of driving styles. As such, I would classify the GLK diesel with the 4Matic all-wheel drive system as an almost perfect all-rounder for most drivers without motorsport-grade driving intentions.

Speaking of which, we played with the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class in a soaked up quarry as well. (Not) for consumer advice, if you’re asking about it.

I’ll be blunt with you - yes! Soft and mild offroading scenarios aren’t enough to make it break a sweat and let’s face the facts here: a premium-feeling crossover that didn’t have all-terrain tires handled muddy ruts and sticky muck like it was some kind of child play.

The GLK is built around the previous-gen C-Class’ platform and all-wheel drive technology, though the chassis, on and off-road capability and the overall driving experience are the right stuff to make the GLK feel newfangled for 2015.

After 7 years of production, the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class (X204) will be replaced by a second generation as soon as June. According to the new Mercedes nomenclature strategy, the GLK will drop the K and adopt GLC-Class instead for the simple matter that it will be underpinned by a mildly altered W205 C-Class MRA platform.

Slated to adopt the X205 internal codename, the Mercedes-Benz GLC won’t come with a sub-2-liter turbo diesel engine, I fear. Europe taxes engines over 2 liters displacement like they’re gas guzzlers, so a sub-2-liter is utmost necessary to raise the appeal of the crossover. If the VW Group was able to make a 240 PS (237 HP) 2.0 biturbo diesel for the B8 Passat, Daimler should take note as soon as possible.

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 200 BlueTEC is powered by a 1.6-liter oil burner, but this motor cannot be carried over by the GLC-Class. 134 ponies are not enough to move such a heavy machine and, as highlighted several paragraphs beforehand, rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission aren’t exactly fit for a €37,425-plus crossover SUV.

Going back to the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 CDI 4Matic BlueEFFICIENCY, it’s a given that the three-pointed star of Stuttgart understands how the segment’s cookie crumbles, despite all the GLK’s inconveniences.

With a body shell that exudes the pedigreed strength of the Gelandewagen and details that embody a more refined persona than that of the rough and intimidating G-Class, the GLK-Class oozes individuality, desirability and stately elegance.

With most of its competitors being far younger in design and technology, the GLK may seem outdated to the unknowing. If you are a skeptic as me, do ring your local dealer and schedule a test-drive.

You will be pleasantly impressed by the experience, no matter how demanding you are from a vehicle in this segment. Oh, and if you’re really interested in buying one, just wait for the GLC to be revealed this June for seriously hard to refuse discounts!