Gasgoo.com (Shanghai December 5) - Beijing Benz's first domestically manufactured car, the GLK SUV, rolled off the joint venture's assembly line last week, the Beijing News reported last week. Sales of the GLK300 will begin early next year. The first GLKs will be available in Dynamic, Style and Luxury variants.

The GLK measures 4.53 m long, 1.84 m wide and 1.69 m tall, with a wheelbase of 2.75 m wheelbase. It comes equipped with a 3.0 L V6 engine mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission. The Chinese GLK makes 10kW more torque than the imported version. A more affordable, 1.8 turbocharged variant will be offered in the future.

With the introduction of the GLK, Beijing Benz will have three products in the SUV segment. Following establishment of its new engine factory, manufacture of the GLK is the next major step for the JV.

Beijing Benz's sales grew 85 percent this year, accompanied by substantial increases in returns and profits.