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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, July 7, 2010 · 20 The GLK 350 has a look that is more truck-like than most car-based crossovers and SUVs. Its prominent grille, beefy fenders, sharp creases and angular lines give this vehicle a refined, yet muscular look. GLK to attract new buyers to this luxury market Continued from page 17 Additional standard features include black Artico leather upholstery (which is manmade, but feels like the real thing), 10-way power adjustable and heated front seats, 67/33 split folding rear seats, THERMATIC dual-zone climate control, power and heated folding side mirrors, multi-function leather steering wheel, AM/FM/MP3/CD sound system with COMAND controller and five-inch mon- The GLK 350 interior uses high quality materials like Burl walnut, itor (COMAND also controls aluminum and black Artico leather. The optional COMAND system telephone and vehicle set- with seven-inch navigation screen can be controlled by a rotary tings), Bluetooth connectivi- knob placed where your hand drops from the driver armrest. ty, tire pressure warning system and heated washer nozThe GLK is slightly shorter than the C 350 zles with rain-sensing wipers. My tester had the optional COMAND sedan, yet offers good knee room in back and Navigation Package, which for an extra $1,800 has 450 litres of space behind the rear seats. Here, you'll also find tie downs in the cargo includes hard-disc navigation and six-disc DVD changer, combining nav, audio and floor and seatbacks, and a retractable screen phone into a single system. Commands can be to keep contents out of sight. There's also a done through a rotary knob flanked by two plastic tray beneath the cargo floor for added buttons (in front of the centre armrest) or security. For hauling larger items, drop the split through Linguatronic voice commands. Some of it is intuitive, some not, so I'd rec- folding seatbacks for a total of 1,550 litres of ommend a date with the user's manual rather space. There's no shortage of competition in this than trying to figure it out on the fly. This vehicle also came with the $2,000 segment, with the Acura RDX coming in just Premium Package that includes Parktronic under the GLK's base price, and the BMW X3 parking sensors (beeps as you approach xDrive 3.0i and Land Rover LR2 starting at a objects), integrated garage door opener, few grand above it. Even a top trim Toyota three-position memory for front seats and RAV4 or Honda CR-V can reach $40,000 after steering column, power tilt/telescopic steer- adding a few options. Still, none of these vehicles wear the iconing wheel, power tailgate and more. On the safety front, all GLK 350s get two- ic Mercedes-Benz star. Not that brand cachet trumps value, but stage driver and front passenger airbags, side and window curtain airbags, brake assist, with the GLK you get both pedigree and price adaptive brake with hill-start assist, electronic and the kind of automobile that should attract new buyers to this luxury marque. stability program and traction control.