admin January 5th, 2008
Credit the upcoming Sex and the City movie for leaking the Mercedesk Vision GLK Freeside onto the internet. Apparently, the SUV with the REALLY long name is poised to make an appearance in the film, so watchful eyes snapped pictures of it and plastered them over the internet.
This much we do know - the GLK is poised to make quite a splash when it arrives at the Detroit Auto Show later this month. Why? First off, it looks to be headed to production soon. Overall fit and finish appear comparable to a production vehicle. Next, it has the chiseled features of the GL in a package smaller than the current ML and is touted a a crossover-like vehicle. How small is the new GLK? Length-wise, it’s about 2 inches shorter than a BMW X3.
Although engine specs haven’t been released yet, expect the GLK to be powered by Mercedes 2.8 and 3.6 liter V6s that span its current lineup. In addition, Mercedes is planning a turbodiesel version of the crossover, but no word yet on whether such and engine would be made available in the U.S.. Mercedes plans to offer its 7G 7-speed automatic transmission in all versions of the vehicle, making it only one of a handful of SUVs or crossovers with 7 gears in the slushbox. The GLK will also come standard with Mercedes latest version of 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, which splits power 45/55 between the front and rear wheels.
One item featured in the picture above is apparently going to be standard equipment on GLKs - the 20-inch aluminum wheels. We’re not sure how well these rims with low-profile tires would fare on the Rubicon Trail, but they’ll certainly get the nod of approval from the celebrity crowd and fill out the wheel wells for street-bound drivers.
Tags: 4matic, Detroit Auto Show, GLK, mercedes, Meredces Vision GLK Freeside
admin December 14th, 2007
Looks like Land Rover is getting into the concept vehicle mix with its new LRX SUV.
This is the first new concept vehicle to show up from the Rover folks since Gerry McGovern signed on as design chief. A much more fluid, modern design than the current LR2, LR3, or Range Rover vehicles, the LRX embodies what the brand encompasses while “[carrying] those essentials into a segment where the brand has never been befor, and with a proposed level of efficiency that would make it one of the cleanest vehicles in it’s class”. By new segment, the Land Rover folks are referring to the “baby ute” class (below where the LR3 currently plays).
No real details exist on power or drivetrain for the LRX, but Land Rover did indicate that it would be a full-time 4WD vehicle and include many standard features such as hill descent control (referred to as the Terrain Response System by Land Rover) and a dash system featuring “floating LCDs” that give the appearance of three dimensions.
More details as they become available…
Tags: Concept, Detroit Auto Show, Land Rover, LRX, Range Rover, suv
The Detroit Auto Show will feature another SUV concept that’s been highly anticipated - the Ford Explorer America Concept.
