We have no qualms with the look that the GLK has been given – but it wouldn’t hurt to add just a bit of an edge to it. I suppose that Mercedes thought this same thing because they will be bringing several aftermarket tuners to SEMA to place their expertise on the GLK and give it what it is missing.

RENNtech – the Florida-based company responsible for the bringing the McLaren SLR 722 to America and actually getting it to produce 722 horsepower – will be the first to get their hands on it. RENNtech has taken inspiration from the Pikes Peak challenge – one of the most iconic and power-craven hill-climb events in the world – to create this hardcore GLK.

Unfortunately we weren’t given any of the specifics – but we were told that it would be featuring RENNtech’s first performance hybrid drive train. Blvd Customs, Brabus, and Legendary Motorcars will also be modifying the GLK for SEMA. However, Mercedes has not yet confirmed what their participation will be in the show.

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Inside, the G55 AMG gets latest generation telematics equipment, optional heated and cooled seats, and standard designo leather upholstery. Mercedes has not released new G55 AMG fuel economy figures, but we anticipate the tank-like SUV to achieve no better than 11 mpg city and 13 mpg highway the current G55 AMG is rated for.

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That apparently means a Reventon snout, a Castagna Aznom front fender treatment, and sharper SLK lines from the A-pillar back. The GTK is actually based on the SLK 55, and gets a Kleemann Kompressor system, 20-inch Kleeman wheels and 8-piston Kleemann brakes in front and 4-piston out back. That “kompressor” means the little roadster puts 540 HP and 516 lb-ft through its 7-speed auto box.

Twenty-inch Kleeman rims ride rubber slivers called Toyo T1-R tires designed specifically for the car. According to Kleemann, it gets to six-oh in 3.7 seconds and runs up to 180+ MPH. Kleemann isn’t going to do mass production, so for those of you with the means (lots), place your call now.

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Several prototypes have been spotted cold weather testing in Scandinavia, which revealed a design similar to the bigger GL-Class SUV. These latest renderings, compiled with information sourced from insiders close to the project, show that the new GLK picks up the same angular design theme and rugged seen in the rest of the Mercedes SUV range.

In line with Mercedes’ new development strategy, many of the components used for the upcoming GLK share their design with the parts used in the C-Class. The car’s underpinnings will be based on a revised version of the C-Class platform, meaning the GLK will be powered by the same engine lineup as seen in the new saloon. A brand new four-cylinder Bluetec diesel displacing 2.2L and producing up to 204hp should also make an appearance.

The range topper will feature a 3.5L V6 powerplant with 4Matic AWD and a 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox with pseudo manual control. It’s also rumoured that AMG will release a high-performance version of the GLK complete with the popular 6.2L naturally aspirated V8 engine. Follow the jump to see the rendering in full.

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The exterior has been left predominately untouched except for new taillights sporting an “LED look”. The interior, however, has been warmed over with a new instrument cluster, steering wheel, modified center stack and redesigned switches. Some additional optiions have also been added to eek out a few more bucks from the big stars that buy these behemoths.

The new options include a reversing camera, tire-pressuring monitoring system, a sports exhaust system for the G500 that’s basically identical to the one used on the G 55 AMG, and a couple new interior packages, one of which includes “Cognac” leather. The new G wagon is available for sale in Europe now with deliveries expected by April. No word yet, however, on when Britney, Christina, and Jessica can buy theirs in the U.S.

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Now, for 2007, customers in higher income brackets that desire or need a fashionable full-sized SUV will discover an entirely new star-adorned sport-ute, the sleek yet masculine GL-Class, with front and rear skid plates that are both functional and symbolic of its mission. Trying to stem the loss of loyalists with M-B sedans in their driveways, whose lifestyles call for cargo-carrying, people-ferrying or towing, Mercedes hopes to cull buyers who would also consider mainstream players like the Cadillac Escalade or Lincoln Navigator, as well as other Asian and European models such as the Hummer H2, Infiniti QX56, or Land Rover Range Rover.

Mercedes-Benz says the GL is the first unit-body, full-sized sport-ute in its class, with comparisons and scopes set on Escalade and Navigator buyers, in particular. However, by our standards, which require a full-sizer to offer at least 90 cubic feet of maximum cargo capacity, the GL doesn’t stack up against these bigger boxes on wheels.

Nevertheless, the GL-Class has been engineered for large families who have big toys, equipped out of the box with Class IV, 7,500-pound towing capability. That’s enough grunt to haul a three-horse trailer or a 30-foot boat. Other selling points are its refined ride and handling; capable V8 engine and the first seven-speed automatic transmission in this class; a luxurious interior with elbow room and techno-savvy gadgets; and an available Off-Road Package that includes low-range gearing, two locking differentials.

While exact pricing has not been announced, a Mercedes-Benz sales executive pegged the base price starting in the “upper $50,000’s” and with add-ons, we would say it will likely top out in the high seventies. The 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450 will go on sale in May.

Initially, American buyers will find only one version of the GL-Class: the well-equipped 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450. With seating for seven, permanent AWD, unit-body construction, load-leveling air suspension, V8 power, and seven forward gears, this all-new model combines utility and off-road capability with on-road refinement and technological sophistication.

A bounty of standard features is included, with 18-inch alloy wheels inside 265/65 all-season tires, attractive wood, and M-B Tex leatherette interior trim a part of the price of entry. Additional features that come on every 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450 include automatic climate control, cruise control, eight-way power heated front seats, a power folding third-row seat, a fixed glass panel above the third-row seat, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and power windows/locks/mirrors. A full-sized spare tire sits below the rear load floor.

Exact pricing has not been announced, but Mercedes officials say the 2007 GL450 should start in the upper $50,000s and we would guess it will rise to the high $70s for a fully equipped version. For reference, Audi asks $59,900 for its Q7 4.2 Premium, Cadillac wants $57,280 for the 2007 Escalade, Lincoln expects $56,105 for the Navigator 4WD Ultimate, and Land Rover charges $75,750 for its Range Rover HSE. A performance-tuned GL63 AMG, if such a thing officially existed, would challenge the $90,750 Range Rover Supercharged.

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Mercedes’ 215-hp, 398 lb-ft 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel is made with the seven-speed automatic transmission and is now available in four models including the E-class sedan as well as the R-, M-, and GL-class sport-utes. But, the diesel option in the large, seven-passenger GL makes the most sense. Why? In the other three cases, a V-6 gasoline engine is the base option, with the diesel costing an extra $1000. While you may think that’s not much money for a 30- to 40-percent boost in fuel economy, it will still take tens of thousands of miles to make back that initial investment.

There are almost no downsides to the diesel GL, it will still tow 7500 pounds, same as a GL450 and more than the 403-hp Escalade. We figure the GL320 will do the 60-mph deed in around nine seconds, but it’s certainly not lacking any power. There’s always a strong pull from the torquey diesel engine, well past legal speeds, we assure you, even though the diesel’s constant moan under acceleration isn’t nearly as exhilarating as the V-8’s. Once up to speed, however, the engine noise fades to nothing, making the GL320 a serene and superb highway cruiser.

This model averages 24 mpg over a 160-mile mix of city and highway roads, and even with frequent excursions to the 4600-rpm redline it seemed hard to ever dip below 20 mpg not bad for a 5500-pound beast that will hold seven adults comfortably. That’s a 33-percent improvement over the 18 mpg that the GL450 in our comparison test managed while it was beating out all of its peers, including the Audi Q7, Cadillac Escalade, and Infiniti QX56.

The rest of the class-leading traits of the GL-class ute remain: an elegant and expensive-looking stitched-leather interior, responsive steering, comfortable seats, unflappable chassis responses even over less-than-perfect roads, and best-in-class space in the third-row seat. From a driver’s perspective, the biggest downside is a squishy brake pedal that plagues every GL SUV, diesel or not. As with every GL, Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system is included on the GL320 (a full-time 50-50-split setup).

But a bigger downside is that, like the rest of Mercedes-Benz’s diesel lineup, the GL320 will temporarily be available in only 45 states, as it does not meet emissions regulations in the five strictest states. By the 2009 model year, however, Mercedes will implement a urea-injection system to clean things up, and promises that those cleaner diesels will be able to be sold nationwide.

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M-B is calling this a concept, but it’s safe to say the 290-hp, 515 lb-ft BlueTec V-8 behind that boisterous grille will be a part of the invasion when Mercedes’ clean diesels arrive here in 2008. We were hoping for a little more power to match Audi’s monstrous Q7 V-12 TDI, but Mercedes has gone all conservative on us and is instead chasing respectable fuel economy numbers like this one: 24 mpg.

Sure, that’s four more than Audi quoted us for the Q7 (and 33% better than we observed in a GL450), but the Stuttgart crew is also down by over 200 in both the horsepower and torque columns. Of course, when the Audi goes on sale in Europe, it will be saddled with a pricetag of about $110,000. If Mercedes sticks to the pricing strategy of the E320 BlueTec, which nestles just $1000 higher than a comparable gas-engine model, a BlueTec GL420 could start below $60,000.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see that grille make its way here to the US, either. Mercedes says it is a response to North American customers who asked for a vehicle with greater distinction and a stronger individual statement from their vehicles. This is the same mindset that has brought us Cadillac Escalades with factory 22s and wreath-and-crest emblems bigger than Andre the Giant’s head; but as the Escalade has proven, near-sighted Americans understand no statement as clearly as a huge frigging emblem all up in their grille.

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“The first full-size sport utility from Mercedes is not cheap, but it has astonishing technology,” Motor Trend Editor-in-Chief Angus MacKenzie said in a statement. The Mercedes has the most comfortable third-row seating of any SUV tested, the magazine said. It also will come with a diesel engine that runs on new low-sulfur fuel. “In every facet, from performance to the interior, this vehicle is a winner,” MacKenzie said.

The SUV competition this year reflected the market shift away from truck-based SUVs toward car-based vehicles, MacKenzie said. This year, only the GL, the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota FJ Cruiser had real off-road capability, he said. Many of this year’s SUVs are offered in two-wheel-drive versions that will be popular in states where weather and roads aren’t a problem, he said.

“It’s the 21st-century station wagon, neither truck- nor car-based, and truly belongs in its own category,” MacKenzie said of the SUV. “That is why this year’s contest looked more closely at on-road drivability than rock-crawling.” The editorial staff at the magazine evaluated the vehicles in three areas: significance in engineering, technology and features; superiority in performance and quality; and value.

Staffers drove the vehicles on streets and the test track, as well as off the road. Eligible vehicles had to be new or substantially upgraded and go on sale in the 12 months after Nov. 1, 2006. The GL450 has a suggested retail price of $55,675.

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The new GL-Class looks like a beefier version of the new midsize M-Class and like the M-Class is built on a car-like unibody, instead of a truck-like ladder frame. This gives it inherently better handling and performance on the road than traditional truck-based SUVs. In contrast, the old-school G-Class is a tank-like truck better suited to rough terrain than paved roads, despite having gained cachet as a luxury model in the U.S. over the past few years (it starts at $80,900).

The U.S.-spec GL 450 has a new 4.6-liter V8 engine that produces 335 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. It will be the first GL model to go on sale in the U.S. this May. The GL 500 with a more powerful V8 will follow, along with the GL 320 featuring a diesel V6 that should average 25 miles per gallon, which is good for a full size SUV.

There is seating for seven and at the press of a button the third row of seats stows into the floor to create a flat load surface in the cargo bay. The trade-off is that the floor is high in relation to the ground, which might make it difficult to lift and load heavy or bulky objects.

Mercedes’ usual high level of amenities and safety standards are part of the package, including two-stage front airbags for driver and passenger, seat-mounted side airbags in the first and second rows and window curtain airbags spanning all three rows of seats.

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