Detroit '08 Preview: Mercedes GLK Freeside concept image leaked
The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is right around the corner, where Mercedes is anticipated to unveil the vehicle you see here: the Mercedes-Benz GLK Freeside concept. Official images and details are expected in a manner of days, but someone at Daimler headquarters has apparently let the proverbial cat out of the bag.
Like the "Vision" concepts that Mercedes used to give us in the '90s, the GLK Freeside "show-car" is more of a pre-production prototype than a design study, and is tipped to closely mirror what the production GLK will look like. We already got a preview of the production model when the GLK showed up undisguised on the set of Sex and the City, of all places. The "Freeside" moniker, which seems dangerously close to the "Freelander" named used by Land Rover, is not expected to carry over when the little truck goes into production.
This leaked photo comes at a busy time for Mercedes, which recently gave us the new SLK (and SLK 55 AMG), a teaser shot of the new SL roadster and leaked photos of the facelifted CLS-Class all in the past couple of weeks.
[Source: Carscoop]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
thepassenger 12:24PM (1/02/2008)
1st-gen Highlander, anyone?
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Mercury Fan Forever 12:40PM (1/02/2008)
I agree 100%
murplepoo 12:53PM (1/02/2008)
exactly what I was thinking.
Hardy 2:47PM (1/02/2008)
I was thinking more 1st gen Ugly
C.W. 12:28PM (1/02/2008)
looks like junk
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500 12:28PM (1/02/2008)
On that rocky trail, those huge rims would get bent before you can say "bling!"
Nothing groundbreaking, but not a bad-looking little truck.
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SGV 12:31PM (1/02/2008)
Freeside is closer to Freestyle than to Freelander, I hope its fate is better. What this little SUV isn't close to at all, is to that 1st gen. Highlander monstrosity as a reader implies above.
Looking good.
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gotsmart 12:43PM (1/02/2008)
It looks more like a Subaru Forester to me.
Mercedes styling is getting more and more "meh" as of late. That deep crease in the side looks like a leftover from the Chrysler Crossfire. It looked hideous there, and looks even worse carved into every new Merc.
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Bob-omb 1:24PM (1/02/2008)
I was gonna say, this has some serious Dodge/Chrysler cues in it. especially the sides and towards the rear. You'd think Daimler would have learned its lesson on that front. Yikes.
SteveS 12:53PM (1/02/2008)
I didn't know Mercedes started making RAV4s?!?
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Taylor 1:10PM (1/02/2008)
Looks like Mercedes went to Jeep for the rear-end. Good looking SUV though.
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Aetius 1:19PM (1/02/2008)
99% of the style on that SUV is thanks to those rims. Without those, it would fit right into a late-80s street-scene.
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Atropos 1:41PM (1/02/2008)
boring
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J.Crew 1:41PM (1/02/2008)
It fills a spot in the line up, but does nothing to attract new buyers other than having a nice badge.
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Richard 1:47PM (1/02/2008)
Yeah,
But the badge is what it is all about to most of the marketplace.
big L 7:07PM (1/02/2008)
why does MB have to meet every niche? Look how hard it is for GM to be GM in 2007? almos impossible. But there goeth MB and BemVAy trying to emulate. I have seen this car around So Calif. It is heavily disguised.Even to the sides.But to me it was no doubt GLK. It will sell as it looks like it has the look, or lease rather. I think the pricing tho will be more like the 1 series bmw.
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gear_shift 2:32PM (1/02/2008)
fugly... facelifted X3 looks better IMO.
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whofan 4:17PM (1/02/2008)
Cadillac wants their front clip back.
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Xcountryflyer 5:34PM (1/02/2008)
MB styling is going downhill fast. The new C-class is blech and this thing is generic dated.
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John 7:26PM (1/02/2008)
Looks like a 1st generation Mitsubishi Outlander to me. http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcontainers/do/MediaNav/styleId=100181509/firstNav=Gallery
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