Rendered: 2014 Mercedes Benz GLC/BLK

The BMW X1 opened up a whole new segment in India and is close to becoming the third best selling SUV. We tested the BMW X1 last week and we thought that it was the perfect entry level BMW in India.

The segment realizes suddenly there's so much attention that it can hardly see the Q3 and new Koleos coming. Mercedes, on the other hand, is taking things a bit slowly. They are still working on their rival – the Mercedes GLC or BLK.

CarandDriver has presented its fans with what we think is the closest resembling rendering of Mercedes’s X1 rival. The little coupe-crossover is based on the new B Series platform. Unlike the GLK, the GLC will have softer styling cues to make it look like an urban run-around rather than a dust-eating off roader.

According to the rendering, the front looks like a grown up B Class with scruff plates and roof-rails to make it look like a pseudo off roader. Two sharp lines on the sides give it a very dramatic look. The rear tail lamps are de facto Mercedes design language.

It will be available in either front wheel or all wheel drive. We expect Mercedes to drop in the following engines:

• 1.6 liter gasoline engine
• 1.8-liter diesel
• 2.1-liter turbo-diesel

A six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic will shift cogs for this baby SUV. Being a Mercedes, it will be loaded with latest versions of COMAND and Mercedes’ various other safety and telematics technologies.

Considering Mercedes is still testing this crossover, it is hard to say whether it will debut in 2013 or 2014; we will stick to the later for now.

[Source - caranddriver.com]