2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK

midsize luxury SUV / 4-door SUV

2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK 4-door SUV
2011 Mercedes GLK shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Optional system
Not tested

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2011-15 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 4-door 4wd

The Mercedes-Benz GLK was introduced in the 2010 model year. Beginning with 2011 models, a driver knee airbag was added to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head hit the B-pillar during rebound. Head acceleration from this hit was low.

Although intrusion into the driver's space was minimal and the knee airbag deployed as intended, forces on the lower right leg were just high enough to indicate the possibility of injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF1007
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 2
Left (cm) 2
Center (cm) 4
Right (cm) 3
Brake pedal (cm) 4
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 1
Right (cm) 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -1
Rearward (cm) -6
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF1007
Head
HIC-15 208
Peak gs at hard contact 53
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm) 18
Maximum Nij 0.28
Chest maximum compression (mm) 39
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 1.4
Femur force - right (kN) 1.8
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 1
Maximum tibia index - left 0.36
Maximum tibia index - right 0.83
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.6
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 3.5
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 59
Right 68

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2011-15 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 4-door 4wd with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Mercedes-Benz GLK was introduced in the 2010 model year. Beginning with 2011 models, the side torso airbags were modified to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES1012
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -24.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES1012
Head HIC-15 73
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.6
Compression (kN) 0.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 24
Lateral force (kN) 1.0
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 28
Average deflection (mm) 21
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 2.10
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.26
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.1
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.9
Combined force (kN) 3.9
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.1
L-M moment (Nm) 65
A-P moment (Nm) 39

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES1012
Head HIC-15 111
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.5
Compression (kN) 0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 31
Lateral force (kN) 1.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 15
Average deflection (mm) 12
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 1.66
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.12
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.8
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.5
Combined force (kN) 2.4
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.3
L-M moment (Nm) 42
A-P moment (Nm) -35

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2010-15 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 4-door 4wd

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 4,157 lbs
Peak force 26,647 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 6.41

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power leather seats AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Power leather seats AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm) 40
Distance below top of head (mm) 36
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 11.7
Head contact time (ms) 52
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 34
Max neck tension (N) 453

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

  • Optional Pre-SAFE Brake
  • Optional Distronic Plus

Package name

  • Optional Driver Assistance Package

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2013 models

  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • Autobrake not tested.

How front crash prevention is evaluated