Mario James, Gleaner Writer

Jeez. I've overcooked this corner. Hang on, the tail hasn't spun around. Gently now. Wow, that was an absurd angle. What a machine!

Sounds like a sports car, doesn't it?

Make no mistake, it's the Mercedes GLK.

It is the baby version of the GL SUV. Shorter, not nearly as wide track-wise, and it seats five. But, it has the same combination of engines available to it (with the exception of the bottom lip-trembling V8) that its bigger brother has. Which makes it a bit of a hot rod.

The most neutral SUV

With its 19" wheels and low slung (for an SUV) silhouette, the vehicle feels like its centre of gravity is rolling on the ground. Here standeth the most neutral SUV I have ever driven.

GLK has a fully independent suspension, front and rear with full-time 4MATIC four wheel-drive and the stiffest body-shell to come out of Cray supercomputer. Couple this with 2.8 litres of lusty dual exhaust V6, and one can appreciate the physics of the thing.

Mellifluous. That's the only word that can describe the sweet, sexy bark of the 2.8. Working through its melodic, lilting scales up to its 6,500 rpm redline is addictive. And, this high is double-edged as the poke from this special 230 hp powerplant is amplified by a seven-speed flappy paddled gear-box.

Its brakes are 'otherworldly', and the van has no perceptible roll.

Driving GLK through traffic with this engine is like walking a 120-lb pit bull - with yarn for a leash. One has to be very conscious of the power. Two very prominent tailpipe tips proclaim this ride be 'bad-to-the-bone'.

The only thing to fault about the interior of this ride is that it is left-hand drive.

Spacious cabin

The gauges are the same as the C Class (it is actually built on the C-Class chassis) but the additional height lends an airy, greenhouse type feeling to the spacious cabin. Brushed stainless trim adorns the interior with on-wheel controls adding to the functionality of the cabin. The COMAND interface, with its retro-styled radio gauge and Bluetooth capability. GPS is not an option.

The painful thing about the vehicle is that it is marketed to soccer moms and dads around the world. Dooming it to derelict duties like mundane transportation. By design or pure luck, Mercedes has created something of an anomaly here. A true SUV hot rod if there ever were one.