Mercedes-Benz has given a go-ahead for the 2014 GLK compact SUV to be released in Australia. This means that the compact SUV will be launched with right-hand drive and will be soon offered in other RHD markets including India, where there is a high demand for such vehicles.
The compact SUV was launched in 2009 but only for left-hand drive markets. The German automaker was not able reconfigure the vehicle due to the position of the four-wheel-drive system. The GLKs competitors like the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and the Range Rover Evoque took advantage of the situation and today have a significant share in the market.
The GLK is powered by a variety of diesel and petrol engines in the range of 2.9-litres to 3.5-litre for the petrol and 2.1-litres to 2.9-litres for the diesel engines. Both sets of engines are mated to a six speed manual or a seven-speed automatic.
The newer version of the GLK will be launched globally in 2014. We can expect it to come to the Indian market a few months after its global launch to compete with the X3 and the Q5.
