Mercedes-Benz Concept Coupé SUV

As expected, Mercedes-Benz revealed the Mercedes-Benz Coupe SUV Concept at Auto China 2014. The Beijing showcar, a BMW X6-style machine, is said to be "sensual as a coupe, visionary as an SUV" by Gorden Wagener, head of design at Mercedes.

The four-door, all-wheel drive Coupe SUV Concept has a length of almost five metres, and an imposing two-metre width thanks to broad shoulders and flared wheel arches. At the same time it has a modest height of around 1.75 metres, exhibiting the flat, extended roofline that is typical of a sports coupe.

The recessed door handles and frameless side windows blend perfectly into the concept's flanks to further accentuate the coupe character. Like all recent study vehicles, the Concept Coupe SUV comes with an "Alu-Beam" paint finish reminiscent of the Silver Arrows of the 1930s and 1950s. The wheels are large 22-inch items.

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The upright sports grille with a single louvre, framed by the all-LED "Multibeam" headlamps, is the major feature of the face. Soft cubes dominate the grille insert, and the sloping bonnet features power domes. A discreet reference to the SUV world is provided by the integrated, illuminated side sills, like running boards on off-roaders.

At the back, an S-Class Coupe-style design line, which will feature in all future Merc coupes, takes centrestage. The line bridges the slim band of rear lights with their ruby-like, 3D look. Another feature that has distinguished large Merc coupes is the rear window with a rounded off top. A discreet SUV reference is made by the simulated underguard.

Mercedes says that the Coupe SUV Concept previews a more sporty and dynamic "on-road line" of SUVs, seperate from the GLA, GLK, M, GL and G-Class, which are in the "off-road line". Based on the ML, this concept is being planned for production in 2015 in the US, and will be called the MLC, according to reports.