GLK 220 CDI

STORY

The GLK-Class was Mercedes-Benz's first entry into the compact premium SUV segment, launched in 2008 on the W204 C-Class platform to rival the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. Its deliberately upright, chiseled bodywork drew visual cues from the boxy G-Class, setting it apart from softer-edged competitors, and the range spanned frugal CDI diesels to the 3.5-litre V6 GLK 350 4MATIC. The single X204 generation ran through a comprehensive 2012 facelift and remained a strong seller in the United States and China, though it was never engineered for right-hand drive and skipped several markets. In 2015 it was replaced by the GLC, which adopted rounder styling and the brand's revised alphanumeric naming. Today the GLK is a discontinued first chapter in Mercedes' now-extensive SUV portfolio, remembered for its distinctive, tool-like silhouette.