Mercedes-Benz GLK350: Small changes, big difference

If people were cars, we’d return to the factory every five or six years for a makeover. We’d emerge lighter, stronger and more desirable. All fresh and shiny, we’d appeal to a larger share of the market. But five years can be a long time, so we’d go back in for a periodic update. A nip here, a tuck there, a new gear to liven up the old tranny. Done right, a refresh might even give us a new lease on life. So it is with the Mercedes-Benz 2013 GLK350. Though nearly invisible to the naked eye, a mid-cycle refresh brings new vitality to the compact crossover. M-B says some 1,000 parts were swapped out during the changeover, and two new engines brought online. There are also significant safety gains and — here’s where the magic happens — the cabin gets a makeover. Because, let’s face it: If you could marry M-B’s build quality, rock-solid ride and superior mechanicals with a beautifully designed cabin, you would. The last design wanted for nothing but a bit of warmth. With the GLK, Mercedes stakes its design chops on planes and angles and not the curves that dominate the current landscape. That approach can be read as cold, but no longer; a new, no-cost option adds rich wood trim to the functional and efficient layout. The shift column has been relocated to the steering column, freeing room for a second set of cupholders. Large, circular air vents are more elegant and easier to use than the old rectangular ones. Leather isn’t standard, but MB’s simulated leather, MB-Tex, looks and feels like the real thing and will wear longer. Real leather sheaths the shift lever and the beefy steering wheel. The new base engines is a direct-injected 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 302 horsepower (up 35), and boosts fuel efficiency to 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway/21 mpg combined. A new four-cylinder GLK BlueTec turbo-diesel makes 190 hp and a hefty 369 lb-ft of torque. It earns EPA ratings of 24/33/22. Both engines are paired with a 7-speed automatic transmission. My tester ran the V-6, which moves the 4,000-lb. rig vigorously; 0-60 comes up in 5.8 seconds and there’s plenty of steam for passing. Fuel-saving stop/start technology is new this year and MB’s Alert Assist technology — it combats drowsy driving — is newly standard. A new variable-ratio electromechanical steering system with speed-sensitive assist has a good on-center feel and provides a fair amount of feedback. The GLK is among the smaller of the compact crossovers and Mercedes is marketing it to couples at both ends of the age spectrum, but not to families. On the road, it’s a sturdy, stable performer with a firmly tuned suspension and a big-rig ride. Potholes, freeway expansion joints and railroad tracks are absorbed and quelled, with not a hint of harshness or vibration finding its way into the cabin. Though perfectly acceptable in its prior existence, the post-refresh GLK transcends its former self. Would that we mortals could tap a similar source of youth and vigor. Don Adair is a Spokane-based freelance writer. Contact him at don@dadair.com. 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic Vehicle base price: Trim level base price: $39,090 As tested: $53,905 Key options included Active Parking Assist; power liftgate; sunroof; leather seats with memory; bi-xenon headlights with Active Curve Illumination; rearview camera; voice-activated navigation; blind-spot assist and lane-keeping assist; 20-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels. EPA ratings: 19 city/24 highway Premium unleaded fuel recommended