2008 Los Angeles Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz Announces Pricing on 2010 GLK350

STORY TOOLS
Digg this	del.icio.us

LOS ANGELES — The 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 will start at $34,750, including an $850 destination charge, when it goes on sale in early 2009, the company announced at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic model will start at $36,750, including shipping.

The new GLK350 slots in $2,675 cheaper than its closest German competitor, the 2008 BMW X3 AWD. The X3, which gets a 260-horsepower 3.0-liter V6, starts at $39,425, including an $825 shipping charge.

The GLK350 is right on top of the 2009 Acura RDX AWD, which starts at $34,455, including a $760 destination charge. The RDX gets a 240-hp 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. Another Japanese competitor, the Infiniti EX35 RWD model, starts at $32,765, including an $865 shipping charge. The EX35 has a 297-hp 3.5-liter V6.

Mercedes-Benz spokesman Rob Moran told Inside Line that the GLK350 4Matic would be the first model to arrive in showrooms on January 5. He said the 2WD version would follow in one to two months, "probably March."

Moran also noted that only one engine will be available initially in the GLK350, the 3.5-liter V6 that delivers 268 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque. The engine is linked to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The EPA says the 2WD model returns 16 miles per gallon in city driving and 22 mpg on the highway. The 4Matic version returns 16 mpg in city driving and 21 mpg on the highway.

Inside Line says: Mercedes-Benz carefully prices its GLK350 against the competition. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent