Mercedes GLK - reduced GL with sport-youth inclinations

If you take a picture of "American Mercedes-Benz SUVs" in the style of "Three heroes", then Ilya Muromets would sit in a Mercedes GL-class, Dobrynya Nikitich in a ML car, and Alyosha Popovich would ride the hero of our Mercedes-GLK-class story . Moreover, Alesha Popovich's car would look like a smaller version of the car of Ilya, and Dobryne he could with a slight grin say: "Did you buy something for yourself, Dobrynyushka?"

But do not be deceived by the almost complete resemblance of the exterior of the Mercedes GLK with the elder brother of Mercedes GL. Cars of the GLK class are built on the C-class all-wheel drive platform, they carry a body without a hint of a frame structure, and even different wheels on the front and rear axle are a tribute to sporty stability on the track.

On the other hand, the Mercedes GLK is equipped with the reduced-scaled off-road properties of the Mercedes GL. Offroad package is able to change the properties of the suspension, increase the clearance by 30 mm to 231 mm and help when descending from the mountain. A kind of mountain-launch cruise control, observing a speed of 4 or 18 km / h. The Offroad package can work not only with differential locks, but also use special ABS and ESP settings, which together with a very good geometric patency of the body makes Mercedes GLK an acceptable car for corrupt deputies from the rural areas of the central strip of Russia.

Inside the Mercedes GLK is quite avant-garde for the cars of this firm design: large round with cross-shaped diffusers deflectors, unusual white circles on the dials of devices, non-trivial ergonomics and many chrome parts. And according to Mersovskim standards, and in general, Mercedes GLK - the car is small in internal dimensions. Long-legged beauties in the back seat will rest on their knees in the front seat, but if the rear seats are folded, then the luggage compartment of the 425-liter will turn into a 1550-liter, and in it there is where to clear up, taking into account various fixing and packaging equipment. However, the main drawback of the luggage compartment and in general of the car is the lack of a spare wheel. For off-road trips - this is an unacceptable omission, which distinguishes almost all the owners of such cars from Russia and CIS countries.

With regard to the shortcomings of the Mercedes GLK, the owners' comments also mention narrow apertures of the rear doors, uncomfortable thresholds, tiny rear-view mirrors, an incomprehensible and difficult-to-remember algorithm for switching on light and wipers, pushing and pondering the suspension in moments of sharp overcoming of obstacles.

If we return to the merits of the Mercedes GLK, the owners' reviews describe a cozy and comfortable interior with excellent noise isolation, good dynamics and convenient controls. A car that perfectly keeps the road in any conditions: puddles, snow porridge and ruts to it is nothing. Often the engines are praised, and not only for acceptable dynamics, but also for excellent traction at low revs, which allows tractor-like passing of snow drifts and other obstacles.

The Mercedes GLK is a car pleasantly distinguished from the mass of modern crossovers by its masculine appearance, high-speed qualities, increased cross-country ability and an acceptable level of reliability against the background of the decline of this very reliability in modern cars as a class of technical devices.