2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 BlueTec - Car and Driver
The GLK250 BlueTec is a diesel-drinking Hermès clutch of a crossover that hit stores this spring as a fashionably late member of the refreshed 2013 GLK lineup. Engine geeks ought to be thrilled by its tech-stuffed 2. 1-liter, Benz’s first four-hole diesel in the U. S. since the naturally aspirated one in the 1985 190D. Back then, life was more leisurely with just 72 horsepower and 96 pound-feet... A seven-speed automatic routes the output to a standard four-wheel-drive system. The smaller unit minimizes lag at low engine speeds, then a larger turbo takes over at higher speeds. The turbo-diesel delivers EPA ratings of 24 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway, five and nine better, respectively, than the gas V-6 in the GLK350 4MATIC. Over nearly 800 miles of mixed driving, we saw 27 mpg, six better than a four-wheel-drive ’13 GLK350 we tested last fall. The diesel GLK steps away from a stop on a swell of torque, more smartly than its 8. 1-second zero-to-60-mph time might indicate. One caveat: Typical of diesels, top-end power isn’t commensurate with low-end torque, so you’ll want to plan out higher-speed passes. Source: www.caranddriver.com
