JonathonK

Our spy photographers caught the GLC, one of the new Mercedes SUVs, roaming in the wild getting an early shakedown.

Read the rest on the MBWorld homepage. >>

MBKLUE

hmmm.... Nice to see you again GLK. See ya later GLC.

Diabolis

So... MB built an Audi Q5.

It was the GLK's angular lines that made it stand out from the crowd and sell in the numbers it did. I'm curious how the GLC will fare now that there's a lot less to distinguish it from the bulbous competition.

107123210

Are you sure that is not a Hyundai?

Powerband

Joining the competitive herd in looks.

ashwats

Like nothing else on the road

boylston

to me it looks like an Acura MDX. I'll still probably get one tho.

oscaar12

I bought a 2015 Glk 250 because of the 2016 looks. Looks like a Rav 4. Also no diesel for 2016 I am told by my dealer

mjhawkins2346

I'm not sure I would ever believe a dealer. Besides, Mercedes can't drop the diesel. They need it to make the CAFE numbers. What problems have they had? Nothing major and it's a very popular alternative to hybrids.

107123210

I doubt that they would not have a diesel model, but like the GLK, it could be delayed.

No storage for spare tire - AGAIN?



This article from MBCA has more photos and comments:

http://www.mbca.org/news/2015-05-21/...lass-spy-shots

Alex Bel

Again, it’s all pure speculation until official news release. I am waiting June 17th.

Diabolis

The problem with the MB diesel cars in North America is that more and more states in the US now mandate a certain percentage of biodiesel in the fuel (like Ethanol in gasoline) in order to "stimulate the economy" - it has nothing to do with it being a cleaner burning fuel - which has a rather nasty tendency to destroy the rather expensive exhaust after-treatment system and DPF on Mercedes' diesel engines. In Europe and the rest of the world there is no biodesel content in the fuel, diesel is considerably cheaper than gasoline (as it should be - diesel prices here are articially inflated by "big oil" in order to sustain our dependence on gasoline and thus their profit) and everywhere except in North America diesels are the obvious choice from both an economic and longevity standpoint. MB will continue to make diesel engines - the only questions is whether they will be available here.

Diabolis

That's where the AdBlue tank goes on the diesels.

hanscan

Love my GLK, the GLC looks like any other suppositories.

107123210

Really?? I would never have guessed. I have only had my GLk250 for 18 months

No way to know whether the one picture with spare in back is a gasser or diesel. And that is a full size tire that wouldn't fit in GLK350 spare tire sump anyway.

Alex Bel

I see a lot of negative comments here, but can you name me alternative diesel SUV on US market in the similar price range?

New SUV, diesel, around $40K (excluding weak diesel X3)

MBKLUE

Comments/opinions of the design versus that of the GLK are not relative to availability of alternatives.

If there is one good looking woman and one ugly woman in a bar at closing time, and the good looking one leaves, the other one is still ugly (unless you can get a quick double-shot from the barkeep before he closes out the register).

Actually I think the front end of the GLC looks pretty decent but not as an alternative to, or an "update" of, the GLK.

fabbrisd1

Formal MB Announcement will come June 17 - GLC will be end-of-calendar year initial roll out - and 1st two models will be gasser's - no launch date set yet for BlueTech

Alex Bel

Delay with diesel would help with 2015 GLK250 sales.

107123210

Thinking back, that is exactly why we bought our GLK250.

After having owned an 85 300D for 20+ years, I had been looking for another diesel. At one time I thought about a Jeep Liberty, but they did not turn out too good.

Looked at used M-class, but those trucks had maintenance issues and I didn't want to inherit those by buying used.

I did look at used E-class diesels and perhaps should have bought an 06 in USA for $31k, 31k miles when our dollar was still strong.

But then came the GLK250. C$43.5k but actually ~$C47 with just a trailer hitch as extras. After 18 months, quite happy with our purchase except we could do with a little more room for longer trips.

Diabolis

I'll nominate this for the best post of the month.

Diabolis

We're talking about the looks of the car, not whether the particular vehicle size and engine type are available from the competition (MBKLUE's humorous comparison earlier holds 100% true).

Besides, why do you think there aren't any alternatives? Because they all have to have sophisticated emission after-treatment systems in order to meet Euro 6 emissions guidelines after 1 September 2015, and the biofuel requirement in the US destroys them or at the very least shortens their life significantly. Combine that with the relatively cheap gas (and artificially inflated diesel) prices that we have here, the vehicle homolgation costs which for any given model are in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and you're looking at a losing proposition from the outset. There are lots of clean-burnign diesels from all manufacturers in Europe - it's just that it's not economically feasible to bring them to market everywhere. I see ten times as many GLK 350s on the roads (facelifted - comaring apples to apples) for one GLK 250 Bluetec.

MBKLUE

Alex Bel

That's fine, according to Mercedes setup diesel sales should be around 15% from overall sales, which is the case for GLK ( at least in US).

420tee

All the girls get beautiful at closing time.