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2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 Bluetec coming to Canada

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Khatir Soltani
Diesel is not a dirty word!
When the public demands something, the public gets... It may take a decade or three but they eventually get it. Diesel!

In less than a month, we've heard of the Porsche Cayenne Diesel and of the Audi Q5 TDI. And now, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 Bluetec.

In this case, Mercedes-Benz will be obliging Canadian GLK-Class buyers with a twin-turbocharged 2.1L 4-cylinder diesel mill. Fist pump!

2.1L Twin-Turbocharged Diesel I4
Photo: Mercedes-Benz

This move is wholly logical as Audi is bent on introducing a TDI version of their popular Q5 sooner rather than later. We can therefore expect a similar move on behalf of BMW but we'll have to wait and see.

The GLK 250 Bluetec will be delivered with an identical 7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic transmission as does the V6 350 GLK-Class. 4MATIC permanent AWD will also make its way under the vehicle's under-carriage.

Essentially, both 2013 Mercedes GLK-Class luxury CUVs are identical, save for the powerplant. That's a whole lot of win.

The 2.1L puts out 190 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, 1 pound over Audi's 3.0L TDI. In fact, the 2.1L trumps most other turbo 4-pot diesel engines in both respects.

Acceleration times are impressive. The 1,925 kg (4,235 lb) CUV reaches 100 km/h in only 8 seconds all the while consuming an expected average of under 7L per 100 km.

As a side-note, the 2013 GLK 350 will run the direct-injected 3.5L V6, good for 302 hp, up from 268 from the non DI 3.5L V6. This is the same lump as the SLK and E-Classes and others.

Production of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 Bluetec begins in October of this year.
Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada