From the lenses of the Brenda Priddy & Co. spy photographers, new photos have surfaced of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GLK, a compact SUV entering the ring with the BMW X3 and Audi’s forthcoming Q5. The GLK moniker basically translates as "short version of GL" as “K” is a diminutive of the German "kurz," meaning short.
The GLK will use technical components from the new C-class, and will stay very close in design to the larger GL. A 3.5L V6 will send power through the 7G-Tronic TouchShift automatic transmission—expected standard on all versions—to the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. A V8-powered GLK63 AMG is also not unlikely.
Expected to debut at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the GLK will launch as a 2009 model, and Benz is betting on it to appeal to Americans’ sense for downsized SUVs.