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Mercedes-Benz ML Coupe Prototype Seen Testing in Suburban Stuttgart

Two new videos taken just a couple of days ago show Mercedes-Benz's first Sports Activity Coupe undergoing testing in a small German town near Stuttgart.
Mercedes-Benz ML Coupe Prototype Seen Testing in Suburban Stuttgart 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
The suburban setting of this town is in stark contrast with the heavy camouflage of the car, made up of black and white patterns meant to confuse cameras. And yet the proximity to Mercedes-Benz's factory and development center in Stuttgart means the ML Coupe is a relatively common occurrence here.

Scheduled to launch in 2015, this spinoff from the ML platform will compete directly with the second generation BMW X6, the model that opened up this new market. Like the Bavarian car, the ML Coupe will be slightly sportier in both appearance and driving dynamics. Offroad capabilities will be slightly reduced in the hope of delivering better on-road capabilities. Expect bigger wheels, a lower ride height and wider tracks to be offered in combination with the same track as the M-Class.

Don't expect this new Merc to be as agile as a kitten. A body weighing as near as makes no difference 2 tons will be pushed along by powerful six- and eight-cylinder engines. At launch, 3-liter and 4.7-liter twin-turbo engines will make up the petrol range, along with two 63 AMG models powered by 5.5-liter V8.

The 3-liter twin turbo will produce 333 hp and will also be offered on the regular ML, replacing the current 350 model. Daimler is currently also working on a 9-speed G-Tronic gearbox that will replace the current 7-speed. So even though they're offering us more power, fuel consumption will actually drop.

Videos by DrGumo Lunatic
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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