Mercedes planning more Coupe SUVs to add to the BMW X6 challenging MLC

Mercedes are planning a range of on-road, lifestyle SUVs to extend the coupe SUV offerings from the new MLC to coupe versions of the GLA and GLK.

The Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV (pictured) looks to be just the first in a range of Coupe SUVs

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No one can be in any doubt that the Mercedes Concept Coupe SUV we saw revealed at the Beijing Motor Show earlier this month will turn in to a ‘coupe’ version of the ML, probably as the Mercedes MLC.

What’s also clear is that the MLC is designed to steal a chunk of the market BMW has created for big, lifestyle, coupe SUVs with the X6; take away the Mercedes badge and the Concept Coupe SUV could preview the next generation X6.

But with BMW taking their X6 formula and applying it to the X3 – creating the X6 on a boil-wash X4 – Mercedes aren’t going to sit back and let BMW create another lifestyle coupe SUV without responding. So they’re planning a range of smaller coupe SUVs.

Speaking to Automotive News, Thomas Weber – Mercedes R&D boss – said that the production version of the Concept Coupe SUV could become just a part of a new model line of on-road SUVs that focus more on style and offer a high-riding driving position without too much thought to their off-road abilities.

That will mean a coupe version of the new GLA and of the next generation GLK (which the UK will finally get), although if the Concept Coupe SUV does arrive as the Mercedes MLC we’re not sure how the new, smaller coupe SUVs will be badged; logic says ‘GLC’ fits somewhere, but it fits for both the GLK and GLA.

No doubt we’ll find out before too long.