Due September 2015

The next generation Mercedes-Benz GLK was spied in a parking lot somewhere in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The GLK is no longer Mercedes-Benz’s baby crossover since this role was attributed to the GLA which means the next generation GLK (X253) will have to grow in size in order to distance itself from the A-Class-based crossover. It will ride on the same platform as the 2014 C-Class and will be engineered for right-hand drive markets.

Some of the added length will be in the wheelbase so expect more legroom for rear passengers, while the trunk capacity will likely increase as well. Expect a sleeker appearance for the soft-roader, with a more sloped roofline and a longer hood.

In terms of engines, the GLK 250 is said to gain a new 4-cylinder 1.8-liter turbocharged engine while the economical BlueTec 250 will likely carry over the 4-cylinder 2.1-liter diesel. There should also be a V6-powered GLK 350 along with a range-topping AMG version.

The second generation Mercedes-Benz GLK will reportedly be introduced in September 2015 and will be followed several months by a GLK Coupe (C253)
AMG derivatives of both models will likely follow in the second half of 2016.

Engine will be used across the rear-wheel drive lineup

Mercedes' new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine will debut in the AMG GT but it will eventually spread across their lineup.

We've already reported it will be used in the new C63 and E63 AMG but Car & Driver is reporting it will also power an AMG variant of the 2015 / 2016 GLK. Even further down the road, we can expect the engine to be used in the ML, GL and S63 AMG.

There's no word on what these cars will be rated at but the AMG GT S will have an output of 510 PS (375 kW) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque. There will also be an entry-level variant that produces approximately 462 PS (340 kW).

The Mercedes-Benz GLK has stood out from the rest of the brand's portfolio for a less-than-flattering reason – it's been the sole vehicle to wear a silver arrow on the nose, but not wear an AMG-badge on its trunk (unless you count the coupe and convertible variants of the E-Class, which we don't).

The third-generation GLK (shown above), though, could break that mold and contradict a number of reports in the process. That is, if Car and Driver is proven right, and the next GLK arrives with a range-topping, 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8. That engine, code-named M178, will make its debut in the Mercedes-AMG GT and is already widely expected to see duty in the C63 AMG's successor.

Car and Driver, though, is arguing that the M178 will be dispatched to basically every vehicle on a Mercedes rear-drive platform, which includes the GLK. The GLK AMG would arrive ahead of a replacement for the current E63, which in turn would spearhead the engine's arrival in high-end models, like the S-Class AMG variants (V12 fans need not worry, though, as the buff book claims the twelve-cylinder models are safe). Is the C/D crew right? We've no clue, although it does seem unlikely that M178 will be limited to just a couple of AMG models.

What do you think? Could a GLK AMG prove a viable alternative to a Porsche Macan? Have your say in Comments.

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLK63 AMG (GLC63 AMG) Spy Shots

This might look like one of the many prototypes for the next-generation Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class, a vehicle tipped to be called a GLC under a new naming strategy Mercedes may introduce for its SUVs, but it’s actually a prototype for a high-performance variant to be built by Mercedes-AMG. Yes, a future GLK63, or GLC63 under the new naming strategy.

The vehicle is still in the early stages of development and hasn’t donned all the typical Mercedes-AMG goodies just yet, but there are a few clues giving away its identity. The prototype was spotted outside the Mercedes-AMG test center at the Nürburgring and features a slightly wider body than the one found on regular GLK prototypes. The ride height is also significantly lower, suggesting an uprated suspension system, and according to our photographer some heavy-duty brake hardware has been installed.

The standard exhaust tips suggest engineers haven’t installed a Mercedes-AMG powerplant just yet, but we know which unit they likely have in mind. Expect the vehicle to be powered by the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 found in the 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63. This engine delivers 469 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque in the standard C63, and 503 hp and 516 lb-ft in a slightly sportier C63 S. Similar numbers are expected for this performance SUV.

With neither Audi nor BMW offering high-performance versions of their respective Q5 and X3 models, the vehicle’s only real competitor will be the Porsche Macan Turbo.

The new GLK, whatever it’s called, is expected to go on sale in the fall of 2015, as a 2016 model. The Mercedes-AMG version should be introduced shortly after the launch of the standard model.

Note, next year will be the year of the SUV for Mercedes, because in addition to the new GLK the automaker also plans to launch an updated M-Class (GLE under the new naming strategy), updated GL-Class (GLS) and a new M-Class variant with a coupe-like profile we’re expecting to be called a GLE-Class Coupe.

Looks fresh

The second generation Mercedes-Benz GLK has returned in a new set of spy shots showing once again it will feature a new design.

This is our best look yet at the next GLK which according to recent reports will be renamed "GLC" to reflect its position in the C-Class family. It will look considerably different than the outgoing model as Mercedes-Benz has decided to apply a fresh design on what will be a larger model with a longer wheelbase to better differentiate it from the smaller GLA crossover.

For the first time in the vehicle's existence, the GLK/GLC will be engineered also as a right-hand drive model and it might get a range-topping AMG version powered by the firm's new twin-turbo V8 4.0-liter engine. Most of the motors will be sourced from the C-Class from where it will also borrow the hybrid powertrain as sometime in 2016 a plug-in hybrid derivative will be out.

Codenamed X253, the second generation GLK will allegedly be unveiled in September 2015 as a 2016MY. It will probably be joined a few months later by a sleeker and more expensive GLK Coupe (C253) which will target the BMW X4.

Codenamed X205

The second generation Mercedes-Benz GLK (set to be sold as "GLC") was spotted near the entrance of an igloo somewhere in northern Europe.

Codenamed "X205", the new compact crossover from Daimler is set to grow in size now that Daimler has the GLA acting as their entry-level offering in the segment. Aside from the increased proportions, the GLK will be renamed GLC, with the last letter representing a connection in terms of size with the C-Class. It won't be just the size similar with the C as the crossover will also borrow the MRA platform, engines and as noticeable in these images, the interior cabin.

The GLC could be unveiled in the months to come and will be followed shortly by the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 equipped with a twin-turbo V8 4.0-liter engine sourced from its high-performance sedan cousin where it churns 476 HP (350 kW) and 510 HP (375 kW) in the S version. As a reminder, the outgoing GLK never received the AMG flavor.

If you are a fan of Mercedes-Benz's crossovers and SUVs, the German marque has already announced the ML facelift (GLE) and GL facelift (GLS) will be out in 2015.

The GLC could be unveiled in the months to come and will be followed shortly by the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 equipped with a twin-turbo V8 4.0-liter engine sourced from its high-performance sedan cousin where it churns 476 HP (350 kW) and 510 HP (375 kW) in the S version. As a reminder, the outgoing GLK never received the AMG flavor.