The Mercedes-Benz GLK350 is a cool little truck. The really great thing about this package versus other crossovers is how agile and fun it is to toss around.

The low proportions and general handling excellence really shame the Acura RDX and even the Range Rover Evoque.

The GLK makes no apologies for its macho lines, and really looks exclusive on city streets.

The GLK is rear-drive as standard, making this one of the most balanced in its segment for fast drivers.

That segment is growing fast, with the GLA250 also joining the U.S. price books for 2014, and the BMW X1 undercutting it on base price levels.

The GLK350’s very speedy V6 has been the only powertrain choice so far, but is joined for 2014 by the GLK250 Bluetec clean diesel from $37,000.

The 250 GLK comes in $1,000 less than its big brother, which is fantastic news versus the premium generally charged for any turbo-diesel upgrade.

A GLK250 that runs a turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder is also rumored to be on its way for a springtime arrival, but that remains unconfirmed.

Styling-wise, there are three trim levels: standard, Sport, and AMG Sport.

The AMG Sport is most notable from its new chin spoiler graphic on the roads, but all are pretty classy from the start. One special thing I found while roaming the MBusa.com configurator? These amazing wheels!

Equipment-wise, things are very upgrade-able. Adding leather, and a few items quickly brings prices near $45,000, but this is on par with the BMW X1 M Sport. (Pricing for the BMW ranges from approximately $32,000 to about $53,000 for the X1 xDrive35i M Sport.)

Overall, the GLK is a really strong option with either engine, and in rear or 4Matic AWD.

 

 

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