Thank the four ladies from Sex and the City for this very early sneak peek of the Mercedes-Benz GLK, Stuttgart's new compact CUV that wasn't supposed to be seen in public until the Geneva Motor Show in March. The vehicle's being used in the upcoming Sex and the City movie and was snapped completely free of camo on an open set.

Without all of the covering and cladding, it's now apparent just how sharp and chunky the GLK's styling is. Some have described it as Jeep-like, though we think it's a bit more complicated and busy than a simple slab-sided Jeep.

Curiously, the GLK will not be sold in right-hand-drive markets like the UK because its 4Matic four-wheel-drive system can't be made to work with the steering wheel on the right. Where the GLK is on sale, it will be offered with a smattering of engines, including two gas-powered V6s, a diesel V6 and diesel four-cylinder.

Considering that the GLK has long been considered a response to the BMW X3, we're wondering how you think it stacks up, at least in the area of styling. We've always considered the X3 awkward-looking, but the GLK is also a little too butch for our liking. So we guess the question is, which one's less ugly?

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/16/s...y-in-the-city/