Oh GLK…What Have They Done?
Okay remember how I said Mercedes put out some pretty cool car commercials in their time in a previous post? I just recently saw a commercial they filmed with their GLK in New York City. The verdict? I can’t say I’m very impressed.
Now before you watch the commercial, I have to say I actually like the GLK. I prefer the look of it over the X3 (though that isn’t saying much) and I place it a close second to my small SUV of choice – the RDX. It (the GLK) looks like a harder (albeit smaller), more chisel-jawed version of the big GL – a little yippy, yuppy Terrier for the recent college grad looking for a practical, yet “fashionable” daily hauler. Doesn’t sound terribly exciting does it? Well that’s because it really isn’t to drive…but like most cars in Mercedes’ fleet, it looks the part. Here’s a shot of it on the set of Sex and the City:
And that’s really where it belongs. Now before I offend people who actually own a GLK, I don’t particularly see anything wrong with that. For people that want something more sporty and thrilling, they have the X3. If they want the best all-around small SUV that has practicality and fun to boot, there’s the RDX. And for people that want to spend too much money on something that is great for cruising around town in comfort to do some shopping in style, the GLK is it. Granted, if you are looking to add a touch of sport to your baby GL, there is the Brabus version that I had the pleasure of sitting in at SEMA a few years ago.
But back to the commercial…where it goes all wrong. See up until this point, the GLK knows what it is. It hasn’t pretended to be anything else more than a city cruiser…until they set it up to have a “race” in New York City with a bicycle. Have a look at these:
Okay, now that you’ve watched it…I think you can agree it made biking really cool and the car look really boring. I’m not even sure how anyone could even call it a race at all frankly without the least bit of sporty driving. And if the GLK wasn’t made or meant to be marketed as a sport-ish SUV, what was the point of that commercial? Hell, even the music selection during the car parts made it look boring. Yes, I think it reaffirmed the GLK as a city cruiser, but to the expense of its character. It’s no longer a cruiser that you can enjoy in comfort en route to the shops, boutiques and friendly get-togethers. It makes it look like a soulless SUV…that dorks drive…who don’t have friendly get-togethers. Sure, it’s no secret that non-AMG Benzes lack soul. But that doesn’t mean you have to rub it in everyone’s faces like this.
