Mercedes-Benz GLK to Start from $33,900 in the U.S.

The new Mercedes-Benz GLK has been available for sale in Europe for some time now but in the U.S., the compact SUV will be arriving at the firm's dealerships in January 2009. Available exclusively with Merc's 268-HP 3.0-liter V6 engine, the five-passenger GLK350, with standard 4MATIC all-wheel-drive, will be priced at $35, 900, plus an $875 destination fee. Comparatively, the BMW X3 xDrive30i with its 260-HP 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine starts at $39,400 MSRP. For those that do not need an all-wheel-drive set up, Merc will also offer an entry-level GLK350 with rear-wheel-drive from April, 2009, priced at $33,900 with an additional $875 delivery fee.

Mercedes-Benz Releases Styling Pack and Other Accessories for GLK

GLK owners who wish to add a more individual or functional touch to their vehicle will be happy to know - your Merc dealer will be even happier - that Mercedes-Benz has launched an array of genuine accessories. The range extends from styling products and safety systems to communication and entertainment tools. Starting with the appearance upgrades, Mercedes offers a subtle bodykit that consists of a rear apron, front lip and roof spoiler. The kit can can be combined with chrome strips for the bumpers, fog lamp surrounds, exterior mirror housings and door handle recesses, as well as with new alloy wheel designs available in sizes 19'' and 20''.

On the functional side, GLK owners can choose from a wide range of accessories that include a large roof box with capacity of 450 litres which is available with the opening on the right or the left, an interior ski-bag featuring tension straps and carrying straps and a bicycle rack and

Other available products include over 50 different mobile-phone holders, an iPod Interface Kit, special snow chains, a parking assistance radar system, and child seats.

SEMA: Mercedes-Benz GLK Speedster

*Updated With New High-Resolution Image Gallery

One of the most extreme concepts at this year's Las Vegas SEMA Show is the Urban Whip from Boulevard Customs. The Florida-based coach builder took the new Mercedes-GLK and transformed into a four-door, crossover speedster -that sounds even weirder than it looks... The crew over at Boulevard Customs removed the GLK's rooftop, chopped the windscreen and added the usual bling-bling accessories that SEMA is so famous for like the massive 26-inch alloy wheels and tires, the wide-body kit and more chrome than meets the eye. -Continued

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• Mercedes-Benz to Bring Four Custom-Made GLKs at SEMA
  

SEMA: RENNTech Mercedes-Benz GLK Hybrid Rally Racer

Inspired by the insane rally cars that participate at the annual Pikes Peak Hillclimb, RENNTech built a racing concept of Mercedes-Benz’s brand-new GLK compact SUV. We don’t know many details about the SEMA show prototype other than it will feature an aggressively styled bodykit with an xtra-large roof spoiler and that it will be equipped with a hybrid powertrain that is supposed to enhance acceleration off the line and out of the corners – or at least that’s what the dedicated Mercedes-Benz tuner supports.

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Lorinser Preparing Tuning Kit for New Mercedes-Benz GLK

We’re not sure what Lorinser is trying to tell us with the color of choice for the GLK teaser sketches, but fact is the German firm will be one of the first tuners to get their hands on Mercedes-Benz’ all-new compact SUV that’s set to arrive in European dealerships this October with the U.S following in early 2009. Other than the teaser sketches, there’s no official information on what Lorinser is preparing for the GLK but we gather that apart from the full bodykit and new alloy wheels, the tuning firm will also present a sport suspension set-up along with a series of upgrades for the SUV’s engine line-up. -One more image after the jump

Via: Tuningkultur

Mercedes Receives 10,000 Orders for New GLK in Western Europe

Mercedes-Benz’ new compact SUV seem to have hit the spot in Europe as the German luxury carmaker has announced that it has received a total of 10,000 orders in Western Europe just one month after the GLK was released for sale. Deliveries of the GLK-Class are scheduled to commence in Western Europe in October, with market launch in the U.S. set to follow at the beginning of 2009.

From the 10,000 orders, Mercedes-Benz has received 1,000 orders for the GLK “Edition 1” variant (pictured above) which will only be available for the launch of the GLK-Class. Among other things, the special edition GLK model will feature a specially designed exterior and interior with a sports package as well as an AMG multifunction leather steering wheel.

iPhone Leather Pouch for the Mercedes-Benz GLK

After seeing –figuratively speaking- the Mercedes-Benz GLK appear alongside Kim Cattrell, alias Just Do it Samantha, in the chick flick “Sex and the City”, it doesn’t surprise us at all that the German carmaker decided to launch an iPhone cradle femininely trimmed with crystallised Swarovski Elements. The iPhone pouch, which was introduced at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin (July 17 to 20), will be available in white nappa or plain black leather. -Continued

However all you Miami Vice fans better hold their horses; production of the white nappa leather iPhone cradle is strictly limited of units, all of which will be raffled for invited guests of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion show.

Mercedes-Benz Shares Thoughts and Pictures on the “Sex and the City” Movie

The only time we happily watched anything in concern of “Sex and the City” without some nagging gal twisting our arm was when a paparazzi video featuring a scene with the then, unrevealed Mercedes-Benz GLK was leaked into the net last December.

Now Mercedes-Benz has released a set of images shot during the filming of the “Mature women do it everyway and with everyone in the city” along with a short interview with Kim Cattrall –aka Samantha “Just do it” Jones, and a behind the scenes story on the GLK’s promotional appearance in the movie. -Continued

Excerpt from Kim Cattrall interview at the Laureus World Sports Award 2008 (St. Petersburg, February 17th, 2008)

Interview transcripted from original TV recording, incomprehensible interview questions and passages were cut

I = Interviewer
C = Kim Cattrall

I: Kim, I heard that in the new 'Sex and the City' movie there's gonna be a Mercedes involved which nobody saw yet.

C: Yes, when we were filming with my co-star - it was the GLK Mercedes SUV - there were so many photographers in Beverly Hills and there have been very many photographers in New York. When we were filming.I thought, there's all these photographers, I felt so proud and happy, but they weren't interested in me, they were interested in the new Mercedes GLK. They were all trying to photograph the dashboard, which was completely new, so they would have the first photograph - so I was upstaged by the Mercedes car (laughing).

I: By the car! (laughs)

C: Exactly, a newer model, I guess (laughing).

I: Do you drive a Mercedes in your private life?

C: I just ordered an SL. I've had a romantic love affair with a Mercedes for a very long time, especially when I was a struggling actress - but now I am so happy that I am successful enough to own one myself.

I: And why is it the Mercedes - that you like so much, is it because of the style, or is it the technical details?

C: You know, I think that the Mercedes is made by very, very smart, passionate people. I've been playing this very passionate character for a very long time - I think it goes very well hand in hand, with me as a person and with me as an actor. I also very much like something that has that steel around me, I feel very, very safe in it and I live in New York where we have a lot of weather conditions. It's not like sunny California. So it put a lot of demands on the car that you drive, I feel very happy and safe.

…

(end of interview excerpt)

Mercedes-Benz Thoughts on Sex and the City

Transportation of vehicle from Stuttgart factory to Rodeo Drive

Although the all new GLK small SUV isn’t scheduled to hit dealers until October 2008 (January 2009 for the U.S.), the opportunity for a vehicle to be showcased in a scene of the summer’s hottest film, Sex and the City, was too good to pass up. It was however, quite challenging to secure an early release from the prototype vault at the Stuttgart factory.

Having not made its debut prior to the shoot on Rodeo Drive, the vehicle had to travel to the US in a cloak of secrecy. Accompanied by a designated Mercedes-Benz representative from Germany, there were many steps taken to protect the visual identity of the beautiful prototype from the outside world. Even the key which opened a tamper-proof container holding the car was locked away in a safe place and only accessible by one security personnel!

The GLK arrived in Long Beach California just days before shooting and was transported to Beverly Hills and kept secret until the cast and crew were ready for the scene. Given that the car had to sit on a public street, security had their hands full keeping the car under wraps until the scene was ready.

Finally, when the shoot was over, the same security personnel responsible for handling the container upon its arrival, was the only person who could lock it back up on its return trip to Germany.

Prepping the vehicle for the scene on Rodeo Drive

Nothing in Hollywood is left to chance, and every aspect of filmmaking is perfectly prepared, reviewed, and double checked to ensure that the scenes are absolutely perfect. For the Rodeo Drive shoot the set design and inclusion of the GLK were no exception. In the short weeks leading up to the scheduled shoot, costume designer Patricia Field recommended the color of the car match the rest of the set design. Since the car was originally black, the paint shop at the factory had to work their own magic in order to repaint the entire vehicle, as most of the car parts on prototypes are unique, handmade and not available in large quantities the way they are on traditional assembly line vehicles.

As it was, the car arrived in the US without its side mirrors, and had to have them attached at the Mercedes-Benz Long Beach Tech Center the night before the shoot. While this doesn’t sound complicated, side mirrors on prototypes cannot just be screwed into the doors, but instead need to be adjusted in a very meticulous process.

Security for the GLK

Because the design and entire shape of the vehicle had never been exposed to the public before, and was scheduled for its first public debut at the NAIAS Detroit Motor Show 3 weeks later, the vehicle require high security at all times. Therefore, there was a team of 12 security guards whose job it was to prevent photos from being taken by bystanders and the press. Camouflage was placed over the dash to prevent images of the interior from being taken.

To visually protect the car as much as possible, the shoot was scheduled for 6 am on a Sunday morning on Rodeo Drive. Despite their best efforts, all bets were off once the paparazzi arrived. At one point, in the middle of the shoot, one of the security guards and three deputy sheriffs had to grab the cover of the vehicle and jump into the middle of the scene in order to shield it from paparazzi cameras.

Additionally, a photographer was spotted lying on the roof of a hotel across the street with a telephoto lens focusing in on the scene. Even though a photo was leaked to the internet just a few hours later, it was an incredible effort by the security team to protect the privacy of the car. Keeping a high profile car secret when it is exposed to the pubic for the first time is hard enough. Add that to an association with a high profile film shoot, and sneak peaks are bound to get out.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

When watching the film, it may seem that the scene featuring Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week actually happened during the event itself, but it wasn’t that easy. With the permission of M-B and IMG, Production was given the original Sept., 2007 Fashion Week tent, sets, props, graphics, etc. so they could re-create the event for this scene of the film. This was as challenging for the film production team as getting the GLK prototype out of the factory was for Mercedes-Benz: Its hard to imagine how many things need to be orchestrated and how many people need to be involved to recreate such an event in New York for a movie scene.

It took approximately 36 hours and plenty of explanation to the many New Yorkers who were surprised to see the tent being constructed in November (Fashion Week season is normally in September and February). The Mercedes-Benz SLR Roadster display alone took 12 hours to rebuild. It was amazing to watch a film set with more than 200 people, each with their own assignment, get the scene shot - from the caterer serving a hungry crew, to the director watching every single detail in order to have the perfect sequence locked in. Mercedes-Benz was even given 7 “extra” spots and engaged their employees in a small contest to win one of these 7 walk-on spots. While the lucky winners were on set for 14 hours on the day of their shoot, they were treated like true VIP’s, had their hair and makeup done, and were made to feel like real movie stars.

Mercedes-Benz Manhattan dealership

In another scene, the outside of the Manhattan Mercedes-Benz dealership was used for filming. The dealership allowed the production crew to disguise the outside of the dealership to look like a night club by covering their side windows in a red film. When you see the movie you won’t be able to tell that this is usually a Mercedes-Benz car dealership.

Additional Thoughts

The filming of the GLK scene on Rodeo Dr. took approximately 7 hours to shoot. The 7 hours of work will eventually become only 2 minutes of time in the final cut of the film. It is easy to understand how a 2-hour movie can take over 100 days to shoot.

New Generation Compact SUVs: Who's the Fairest of Them All?

In less than two months time, the premium compact SUV segment welcomed no less than three new memebers: the Volvo XC60 that premiered in Geneva and the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLK, both of whom made their world debut at this week’s 2008 Beijing Auto Show.

Since design is a major plus in this segment, what we want ask you is if, and which of the three compact SUVs impressed you the most in terms of styling. You can see pictures of the Volvo XC60 here, of the Audi Q5 here and of the Mercedes Benz GLK here. Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

New Mercedes-Benz GLK Unofficially Revealed

The first images and details of the production Mercedes-Benz GLK were leaked into the internet this morning, prior to the compact SUV’s scheduled debut at this week’s Beijing Auto Show (20 – 28 April). Based on a modified version of C-Class platform the GLK will compete with the BMW X3, Land Rover Freelander, Infiniti EX, Volvo XC60 and the forthcoming Audi Q5 in the premium compact SUV segment.

The GLK’s “edgy” appearance that’s inspired from the larger GL holds no surprises as we already got a taste of it through the pre-production version at the Detroit and Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. The “edgy” styling theme is also continued in the premium SUV’s cabin, which to be honest, isn’t exactly what we'd call awe inspiring...

The 4.528 mm / 178.2 in. long GLK will be initially offered with the choice of four engine options: the gasoline-powered GLK 280 (231Hp 3.0-liter V6) and GLK 350 (272Hp 3.5-liter V6) and the diesel-powered GLK 220 CDI (170Hp 2.1-liter 4cylinder) and GLK 320 CDI (224Hp 3.0-liter V6). All versions will come with Mercedes-Benz’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system and 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission as standard. -26 Images after the jump