Photo: SB-Medien
If you're a die-hard Mercedes-Benz enthusiast, chances are you've heard how the carmaker's future lineup will be called. It's been less than a month since Merc officially confirmed that the ML will drop its moniker in favour of GLE, but what you see in the photograph above and the gallery below isn't the GLE.
It's actually the coupe-ified spin-off, which has been teased a few days ago, when Mercedes announced that it will bring the AMG Sport line to the Detroit Auto Show in January. We don't mean to speculate here, but our hunch is that the GLE Coupe will also make its debut at the North American International Auto Show, albeit not in bi-turbo V8-powered AMG-grade guise.
There's little chance for the new M177/M178 4-liter turbo V8 of the AMG GT and C63 to be adopted by the upcoming 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLE 63 AMG Coupe, so don't expect more than the M157 5.5-liter bi-turbo V8 coupled to a seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic transmission. In Performance Package tune, look forward to at least 557 PS and 760 Nm (561 lb-ft) sent to all four wheels, kept in check by 4Matic all-wheel drive.
But we can't argue with the aggressive front fascia design and its plethora of AMG styling cues. However, it's a given the rear fascia is the icing on the visual front's cake. Just look at those Mercedes-AMG GT-inspired taillights, the not-so-subtle bootlid spoiler and the quad exhaust tips also seen on the C63 bruiser.
Maybe Mercedes-Benz's new naming strategy is a bit confusing, but there's nothing wrong with their answer to the BMW X6 M. Despite it being about 8 years overdue, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe is going to sell like hotcakes, and the 63 AMG variant in the spy gallery below will be the cream of the crop.
Update: We've spotted another prototype, this time painted in black and undergoing winter testing. It's got a slightly smaller set of wheels, but everything else is the same.
There's little chance for the new M177/M178 4-liter turbo V8 of the AMG GT and C63 to be adopted by the upcoming 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLE 63 AMG Coupe, so don't expect more than the M157 5.5-liter bi-turbo V8 coupled to a seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic transmission. In Performance Package tune, look forward to at least 557 PS and 760 Nm (561 lb-ft) sent to all four wheels, kept in check by 4Matic all-wheel drive.
According to previous spy photos, the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe has a similar front fascia design to the normal GLE. And yes, the GLE Coupe is Mercedes' long-awaited answer to the segment-first BMW X6.
In a similar fashion to its Bavarian competitor, the soon-to-be-unveiled GLE Coupe isn't what we'd call a good-looking sport utility vehicle due to the too curvaceous roofline that fails to hide its bulkiness. To boot, the size of the rear side windows renders accomodation for the rear passengers somewhat claustrophobic.But we can't argue with the aggressive front fascia design and its plethora of AMG styling cues. However, it's a given the rear fascia is the icing on the visual front's cake. Just look at those Mercedes-AMG GT-inspired taillights, the not-so-subtle bootlid spoiler and the quad exhaust tips also seen on the C63 bruiser.
Maybe Mercedes-Benz's new naming strategy is a bit confusing, but there's nothing wrong with their answer to the BMW X6 M. Despite it being about 8 years overdue, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe is going to sell like hotcakes, and the 63 AMG variant in the spy gallery below will be the cream of the crop.
Update: We've spotted another prototype, this time painted in black and undergoing winter testing. It's got a slightly smaller set of wheels, but everything else is the same.
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