Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV previews the MLC, Mercedes’ take on the BMW X6

The Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV has been revealed at the Beijing Motor Show previewing the Mercedes MLC, a coupe version of the ML.

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The arrival of a Mercedes MLC – a coupe version of the ML – has been clearly signalled for some time but now, with the debut of the Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV at the Beijing Motor Show, we get the first clear sight of Mercedes SUV/SAV to rival the BMW X6.

The Concept Coupe SUV may be a coupe version of the Mercedes ML, but its a far more glitzy, design-led SUV than the rather boxy ML with lots of curves and contours and a surprising amount of glass.

A huge statement nose with lots of bling and an oversized 3-pointed star dominate the front of the Coupe SUV, a dramatic coupe roofline, contoured flasks, big 22″ alloys and a back end that takes design cues from the new S-Class Coupe but with slim lights that extend the full width of the car.

When the Concept Coupe SUV turns in to the Mercedes MLC in 2015 there will be a wide range of engines on offer, but the Concept is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0 litre V6 delivering 328bhp and mated to Mercedes new 9-speed 9G-tronic auto ‘box which drives all four wheels.

And it’s a big car too, at 4935mm long (that’s over 16 feet in old money) it’s bigger than the BMW X6 and the current M-Class too, so although its coupe roofline will steal headroom there should be plenty of legroom.

It’s an impressive effort to take on the BMW X6 (although why the world wants a big coupe SUV at all is another question) and judging by Mercedes’ recent concepts the Coupe SUV Concept is probably very close to the production version.

And with the Mercedes MLC due to go in to production in Alabama in 2015, we won’t have to wait too long to see how close the production MLC is to the Concept Coupe SUV.