Test drive Mercedes Benz GLK class X204 since 2008 SUV

Mercedes GLK: In search of a "g" point

Each woman has a mysterious point G. If you do not know that she exists, then you are a complete and final loser. Believe me, it is better for all men to know where it is, thanks to this, you can get a lot of dividends. Mercedes-Benz also has its own point G, or rather the G. button.
For some reason, in the minds of many motorists, the opinion has settled that only two companies can make truly competent and reliable all-wheel drive systems: Subaru and Audi. What is connected with this legend can easily understand these companies have long been producing a huge number of all -wheel drive machines. But do not forget that Mercedes-Benz, this famous manufacturer of chic cars, has recently also entered the elite of the world of all-wheel drive (now 4x4 drives have nine models at once, starting with C-class and ending with a chic CL compartment). To get acquainted with the latest all-wheel drive Mercedes-benz GLK editor [email protected] Denis Smolyanov left his wife with a child at home and went to Austria at the beginning of this week.
Mercedes-Benz GLK is an important model for the Germans. Very important. And that is why, according to calculations, it is GLK that will become for many buyers the first car with a three -beam star in their lives. By GLK, new Mercedes-Benz customers will judge the cars of this company as a whole. And it depends on GLK whether its owners will become faithful fans of the brand who will only buy Mercedes-Benz and violently criticize competitors' cars all their lives.
What is GLK? It is based on an all-wheel drive platform from a well-known C-class. And the main competitors of GLK are cars such as the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 (the first model has been sold with us for a long time, but the other two have just appeared).
GLK's appearance turned out to be quite successful. And you will agree with this, unless, of course, you are a fan of the so -called bio -design and all kinds of licked forms. GLK was created specifically so that it was not perceived as a pretty female machine. Unisex style is now beginning to go out of fashion!
Outwardly, GLK is similar to the legendary G-class. And this is not by chance. Our clients definitely do not want pampered forms - this is how it was declared at the GLK presentation. There is another nuance gross appearance GLK in the eyes of others precisely an SUV, and not a dubious SUV (do not forget that in the name of the model there is a letter G, which is deciphered as Gelendewagen, or SUV). Although, in fact, this is precisely a crossover, on which it is convenient to travel around the city or get to the summer residence.
Although the GLK off-road abilities are not as bad as you could expect from a model created on the basis of a passenger Class. Thanks to the overhang, the corners of the entrance/congress were worthy for a compact crossover (23% and 25%, respectively), the road clearance is 201 mm. Yes, there is no lowering gear and hard locks here. But then there is a second -generation 4Matic, the ASR anti -wings system, the 4TS traction control system all this electronic filling can very quickly redistribute the torque when slipping of the wheels and brake wheels (formally the electronics replaces all mechanical locks).
But on GLK, you can put an off -road package if you wish, it is activated by the very button G. Although formally there is no button with a drawn letter G in GLK, you need to press on the key with a machine that travels along a very uneven road. And after that, the electronics will not only turn on the off-room mode for ABS, ESP and machine gun. The car will still dissolve shock absorbers, the steering wheel will become easier, and the reactions to pressing the gas pedal will not turn out so sharp. If you have a cottage, then, probably, it is better to buy GLK with this package. Although there is also a sports version of GLK, where the road clearance is reduced and the low-profile wheels cost such cars very good, but you should not move out of even asphalt (outwardly distinguishing sports and off-road, you can not only a slightly different bumper, but also by another There are three strips on the radiator in the sports version, and there are only two on the off-road).
But still, the main advantage of GLK over competitors is a drive. He is always complete here! The moment is distributed in the ratio of 45:55 in favor of the rear axle (almost all other compact SUVs when moving along a dry coating is supplied only to one axis, more often the front, and the second is included only when the wheels have already begun to skid).
I will not brag, but we really have something to be proud of. Thanks to the new generation, the 4matic our GLK behaves very well on moderate off -road, on a snow track or in sand. At least at the last tests in the Middle Eastern GLK deserts on the same tires, I was able to go further than the Land Rover Freelander! You ask why the depth of the overcame Brod has only 300 mm in GLK? There is one small feature here. We indicate the parameter when you can stay in the water, drown out the motor, walk around the car and then go again. And on the move, GLK overcomes a puddle in depth and 500 mm. Once in Spain, during the GLK showing the highest leadership of the concern, we managed to drive a river with a depth of 650 mm in this car! When developing GLK, we consciously decided a little, just a little bit, to sacrifice sports. But thanks to this, they won in cross -country ability and course stability, ”Wolfgang Keller, representing the Mercedes -Benz car development department, told me.
So far, we will take the word to the Mercedes-Benz engineer in the second generation (Mr. Keller’s father also worked all his life on Mercedes-Benz). In Austria, there was no way to compare GLK with competitors. However, a trip along a mountain snowy highway not far from the Austrian town of Hokhgurgl showed that a crossover, thanks to a constantly working full drive, behaves very decently on snow porridge. Of course, when moving on such a coating, the car slightly pulls from side to side, but this does not scare the driver at all. And besides, if you do not overdo it with gas and go with an adequate atmosphere with speed, then the electronics practically does not interfere in the process of driving. Thanks to the constant full drive! By the way, control systems in GLK can be disabled. In this case, the wheels can be skidded as much as they like, but at the same time in a German company they emphasize that electronics in any case will control the car during braking.
The car also looked worthy and on a specially prepared area with a heterogeneous coating on the left, and snow on the right. It is completely clear that in this case the coefficient of clutch of the wheels on the one side on one side is much less than on the other. In such a situation, an ordinary all -wheel drive car without blocking the inter -cross differential will transfer the entire torque to the wheel with the least clutch coefficient. If the traction force exceeds the coefficient coefficient with the coating, the wheel begins to slip on the ice, but the car remains in place. In the case of GLK, the car goes forward without any stresses of the 4tS traction control system itself slows down the axle wheels and transfers torque to the wheel from the opposite side, where the clutch coefficient of the tire with the road more (when the system comes into effect, an alarming exclamation mark appears on the instrument board, which, as it were, hey, a guy, is easier!).
A few words should be said about the salon. When GLK was first presented as a serial model at the Beijing Auto Show this spring, I, to be honest, did not like it too much. It was difficult to say what exactly caused irritation, however, there was some kind of feeling of discontent. Maybe in Beijing the light was unsuccessfully delivered, maybe the first cars were made using a bypass technology and had problems with the quality of the assembly. Or maybe I'm just tired (walking several hours with a camera at the exhibition is not the most pleasant one). But after live communication with the car on the Austrian paths, GLK was completely rehabilitated. It is made great! The finishing materials are good, the same can be said about the quality of the assembly. Against the backdrop of this German voluntary and the presence of a navigation system that communicates with you in Russian, even the branded Mercedesovsky only steamed switch did not annoy!
We took the GLK 280 test with the most popular gasoline 6-cylinder engine with a volume of 3.0 liters, which produces 231 hp. It now accounts for 65% of GLK sales in Russia, although our country is supplied with a GLK with a 3.5-liter unit (3.0 liter diesel engine it will appear only in the summer of next year). And you know 231 horses more than enough for small GLK sizes! Such a car paired with a 7-speed automatic (they will not put the mechanics on GLK in principle) accelerates powerfully and confidently, although, of course, the explosion, as in sports supercars, is not here. GLK 350 (already 272 hp) rides a little faster, but there is no global difference in dynamics.
About prices. In the context of the financial crisis, prices excite everyone, even buyers of Mercedes-Benz. For GLK 280, 1,522,500 rubles are now asked in the basic configuration. (or 43,500 euros at the Mercedes course 1 euro \u003d 35 rubles). But this is a base that no one usually buys. Therefore, the Russian representative office Mercedes-Benz relies on GLK in the so-called special series. There will already be leather, parking sensors, bixenon, alloy wheels, heating chairs, a sports bag and other joys. Such a car will cost 1,746,500 rubles. or 49900 euros. And simple calculations show that it is more profitable to buy GLK in a special series if you order the options incoming there separately, it will cost 15-20% more.
What do competitors offer? Comparative BMW X3 2.5 capacity with an installed automaton costs 1,626,000 rubles. Audi Q5 in a basic configuration with a 2.0 -liter engine with a turbocharger (211 hp) and automatic transmission, but without skin (as in the case of BMW) - 1,635,000 rubles.

D. Smolyanov
 

Source: Auto.mail.ru