Spycam: Mercedes-Benz GLK Caught Under Wraps

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Mercedes is busy freshening up its SUV lineup. We recently caught a camoed M-Class in a Los Angeles parking lot sporting a more upright grille and other minor changes, and the big seven-seat GL has been spied out and about recently as well. Not to be left out, a GLK compact crossover mule has also just been spotted over in Europe as you can see from these spy shots.
It seems like just yesterday that production started on the GLK, which made its debut in the U.S. as a 2010 model. But with tough competition from German rivals such as the BMW X3 and Audi Q5 and new offerings in the segment seemingly arriving every month, the Benz braintrust apparently decided it was time to get a mid-cycle refresh moving. From what we can tell so far, the changes will be subtle.

Expect the GLK to get several minor updates to the front fascia, including a slightly more upright grille like on the coming M-Class update, along with a refreshed bumper, headlights and foglamps. While the spy shots don't show it, we also expect some minor changes to the rear of the small crossover as well, most notably new taillights.

Although we don't have any shots of the interior, we hear the GLK will pick up some new bits cribbed from the updated C-Class, including an updated navigation unit, steering wheel and improved interior materials.

The current GLK cranks out 268-horsepower from its 3.5-liter V-6 mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission. When the new GLK arrives sometime late next year, we expect it to come with the updated version of the 3.5-liter powering the new C-Class, which makes 302 hp and 273 lb-ft. We're also holding out hope that the next GLK will come with a diesel option here in the U.S. at some point.