GLE [Spyshots] 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

[Wolfgang]

MB Passion says the new model will be the ML Coupe, with internal code C292, named similarly as the S-Class Coupe, and not be called the MLC. The production is to begin in 2015, as expected.

They also remarked the ML Coupe appears beefier to them on the Autobahn than the present ML. MB anticipates Europe not to be a primary market according to Dieter Zetsche.

That seems to agree with MB Australia's recent remark:

"McCarthy said Mercedes-Benz Australia CEO Horst von Sanden had seen the [...] production car in the flesh and described it as a “ripper” that was “very close” to the concept."

http:///2014/05/mercedes-benz-benennt-typ-c292-ml-coupe/&sandbox=0&usg=ALkJrhidI8qODjGuqhGLiIU1RobR_TRCgg

 

[Merc1]

It really much more aggressive looking in its stance and proportions than the ML. ML Coupe makes perfect sense to cut down on the nonsense of another nameplate. Though I like MLC for sales figure purposes. We won't know how well it sells right away if the sales are lumped in the with the regular ML.

This vehicle should have the 9G across the board except the AMG. I predict we'll see the production version at LA in November or Detroit in Jan 2015.

M

 

[Kilcrohane]

MB anticipates Europe not to be a primary market according to Dieter Zetsche.

Dr Zetsche *must* hopefully, realise not all of the continent of Europe is the same. What he means is the sky-high cost of fuel and the anti-social image of behemoth 5 metres long, 2 metres plus wide SUVs in mainland Europe, with its ancient, narrow-alleyed inner cities, has killed the market for high-end, petrol-powered particularly SUVs there.

The exception though in Europe to the rule of eye-wateringly high fuel prices, the dreadful social image, and congested, non-suitable urban spaces killing these vehicles stone dead is the UK, actually London and the South East region, and somewhat Greater Manchester/Cheshire, and European Russia, Moscow and St. Petersburg above all.

Although UK has the highest priced diesel in the EU and petrol is not exactly cheap either, thanks to millions of working class Sky subscribers pouring the better part of a £1,000 each a year into Football's millionaires and billionaires, and the taxpayer-bailed-out City of London, the UK has a huge, grossly disproportionate demand for these vehicles, regardless of whether the cost of fuel is approaching the equivalent of $9 a US gallon, or if they do only 15 miles to the gallon. When you're 'earning' £100k plus a week - after tax in many cases - or are a multi-million bonused-up investment banker at Barclays for instance, who are just sacking a further 19,000, whether a vehicle costs £50k or £100k or whether it can only do single-figure mpg is irrelevant. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The more conspicuous the consumption, the better, to flaunt one's 'success'.

Russia, thanks to its huge spaces, wide roads and fuel at roughly 40% of the UK's price, has some excuse for these behemoths, and thanks to its resource boom over the last five years particularly, the actual money.

How long the football bubble in the UK will last, and how long the next, overdue interest rate rise sees the housing price bubble burst, and hence the bankers demanding another multi-trillion bailout from UK taxpayers, is anyone's guess, and Mercedes may as well milk it whilst it lasts as hard as anyone, but also realise it is a bubble and will burst, and hence they need to target these vehicles at countries where space is available and the cost of fuel is much, much lower, like the Middle East.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Although UK has the highest priced diesel in the EU

It doesn't. Italy has the highest price diesel (15th May 2014)

http://www.fuel-prices-europe.info/index.php?sort=6

And you're not considering road tax in the UK which for diesel SUVs is one of the lowest in the EU.

 

[tennmb]

Well, I drove an X6 home last night. Yuk.
Not only is the vehicle ugly, but creates terrible blind spots. It's like an SUV minus the 'U'.
Not sure why MB would want to essentially copy such a vehicle.

 

[Kilcrohane]

It doesn't. Italy has the highest price diesel

petrolprices.com says diesel is £1.3611/litre, and £:€ now 1.23, making €1.674 equivalent - so basically the same as Italy.

Italy is being crucified with its fuel prices - fair enough, they have no North Sea oil, but that escapade in Libya in 2011 'to secure oil and gas' for Western energy companies from 'mad-man' Gaddafi obviously wasn't for the benefit of the average Luigi.

Fair point about road taxes being lower in UK, though. However, the preponderance of large SUVs, often gas-guzzling petrol-powered ones, with bandying around of 'full fat Range Rovers' and the like, is nearly entirely to do with the twin football and City finance bubbles in UK, both of which depend ultimately on the stupidity of the average punter to both chuck a fair wedge to Murdoch each month for his televised footie rights, and to believe that his pile - read mock Tudor 4 bed 'Executive' residence in Cheshire or the Thames Valley will be worth north of £2m by Christmas, given the current parabolic blow off in UK house prices - just like was forecast in 1988 and 2007 - just before they crashed.

Well, I drove an X6 home last night. Yuk.
Not only is the vehicle ugly, but creates terrible blind spots. It's like an SUV minus the 'U'.
Not sure why MB would want to essentially copy such a vehicle.

Agreed. They are ridiculous vehicles - a coupe/chopped top on a lumbering 4WD body - but as the X6 and first-gen R/R Sport showed they sell to some people, and Mercedes is following suit, and cashing in. They have a place in the likes of Dubai and Astana, and probably Shanghai, Moscow, London and Los Angeles, where there's either plenty of space, available off-roading playgrounds, bad roads, or conspicuous consumption show off places like LA and London.

 

[Wolfgang]

ML Coupe sounds cooler? Guess we'll have a ML 400 Coupe, a ML 550 Coupe, a ML 63 AMG Coupe and maybe even a ML 450 SPORT Coupe or an ML 65 AMG Coupe?


A while ago at the Beijing Auto Show Mercedes revealed a BMW X6-fighter in form of the Concept Coupe SUV. That concept is now being prepared for production, but it is not called the MLC as we were led to believe. The production version is apparently called Mercedes ML Coupe, which actually sounds kinda cooler.

http://www.motorward.com/2014/05/mercedes-concept-coupe-suv-to-be-called-ml-coupe/


However, according to enthusiast site Mercedes-Benz Passion, the vehicle will be called an M-Class Coupe, with individual model names to use the ML designation. For example, the regular V-8 model would be called an ML 550 Coupe and the AMG would be an ML 63 AMG Coupe. This does make some sense as this is the naming convention the German automaker has adopted for coupe versions of the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class lines.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1081513_mercedes-benzs-x6-rival-may-be-called-an-m-class-coupe

 

[Wolfgang]

http://instagram.com/mbpassion

 

[tennmb]

Another question is where will they build?
Alabama is already stressed trying to supply world production for GLs and MLs. MB needs another truck factory in a bad way.

 

[Wolfgang]

^ Agreed. Alabama will be expanded to accomodate the new model.

Stuttgart, Germany / Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA – Daimler will further expand its U.S. plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama: as of 2015, an entirely new Mercedes-Benz model will roll off the production line as its fifth product. The plant has been the traditional production site of the brand’s M-, GL-, and R-Class SUVs and will also build the C-Class for the North American market beginning 2014. For the production of the new model, Daimler will additionally invest US$ 350 million, and will create some 400 further jobs at the plant. [...] In total, investment in the plant between 2010 and 2014 will thus amount to US$2.4 billion, while the number of newly created jobs will add up to 1,400.
http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921-656511-1-1434349-1-0-1-0-0-0-0-614232-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html

The new logistics center opened recently:

VANCE, Alabama -- Mercedes-Benz today officially opened a new logistics center at its auto assembly operations in Tuscaloosa County, a massive facility that is expected to handle 2.9 million parts a day.
http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/12/mercedes_opens_massive_logisti.html

 

[HighestOfHigh]

Oh I like that. Should be an interesting ...whatever.

 

[Wolfgang]

Appears to be the ML 63 AMG Coupe?

 

[GTA45E]

^
Exciting times for Mercedes AMG.

The BMW has a strong wedge profile going on compared to the Merc. It`s roofline is also more cab-forward over the driver-passenger area.

The Mercedes almost looks like a hybrid type of passenger-car in comparison.

 

[Rainer271]

This is The Mercedes-Benz MLC Interior Completely Revealed [Photo Gallery]

Starting today, the only true mystery regarding the design of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz MLC (C292) will be revolving around the exterior of the car, as we can finally reveal you its undisguised center console.

The two photos depicting its interior were taken by one of the spy photographers we collaborate with somewhere near Stuttgart, where the pre-production prototype was caught resting its highly camouflaged body.

Recent unofficial reports have started announcing that the future model's name will actually not be MLC, as expected, but either M-Class Coupe or ML Coupe, albeit we are not entirely convinced by those speculations yet.

Previewed by the Mercedes-Benz Concept Coupe SUV, the upcoming MLC/M-Class Coupe/ML-Coupe will come just in time to try and steal some fame from the second generation of the BMW X6 – its only true direct competitor and the model which actually started the whole “five-door coupe SUV” niche.

As you can see and as it was expected, the MLC will use the same center console as the Mercedes-Benz M-Class (W166) facelift, which will also lend its platform to the BMW X6-fighter.

The Porsche Cayenne-like air conditioning vents flanking the new free-standing central display actually look a bit less Cayenne-like in these two images, but the slightly different angle from the camera might be the culprit for that.

Unlike on the M-Class W166 facelift interior spy photo, the new touchpad controller is clearly seen, sitting right along the dedicated off-road buttons.

Despite using the same platform and engines as the M-Class, including a 63 AMG variant, the Mercedes-Benz MLC (C292) is expected to offer quite a bit more on-road performance at the cost of diminished off-road prowess compared with its “regular” SUV brother.

If our sources are correct, most if not all engine choices will be paired with the new 9G-Tronic instead of the 7G-Tronic, with the MLC 63 AMG to still keep the seven-speed MCT transmission. Expect the world premiere of the future Mercedes-Benz model to most likely happen at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, in Detroit.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/this-is-the-mercedes-benz-mlc-interior-completely-revealed-photo-gallery-81956.html

 

[PHYBENZ]

That's a shame. This model will be well behind the times in a few years with that interior. It it well below the new C class interior and it is technically being released after it. I'm sure the costs would be too high for MB to redo it, or at least put the new climate control interface and remove the dated look of the radio controls.

 

[Rolf]

Very disappointed they kept the old radio layout with lots of buttons and also didn't change the center console buttons near the Command Controller as I thought they looked cheap in just black plastic without any chrome or metal surrounds, its the same with the look of the radio buttons, they look cheap just in flat black.

The only things they changed are the center screen and air vents layout, the steering wheel and the touch control/scroller for the command system. It would have been nice if they changed the radio and AC buttons to those of the simplified layout of the new C-Class.

 

[Giannis]

Nicely done but not something exciting, having seen the new C-Class.

I like the screen, though

 

[Merc1]

Looks like the ML facelift interior to me, but I guess they would be the same since they are the same truck underneath. This MLC didn't advance because of the ML IMO. The whole lineup (including the FL GL) would have to be redesigned.

M

 

[dafour]

Looks like the ML facelift interior to me, but I guess they would be the same since they are the same truck underneath. This MLC didn't advance because of the ML IMO. The whole lineup (including the FL GL) would have to be redesigned.

M

Absolutely agree.

Just to confirm your considerations

On the left 2005 R-Class Command

On the right 2015 MLC Command

After 10 years I thing AC buttons and other pieces are amortized enough to consider evolution

Old 2013 SLS has the same Command as the current 2015 MLC

I cannot feel this interior really premium (especially if I compare it with C-Class or AMG GT)

 

[Wolfgang]

Agreed. They look like the A/C buttons from the 2014 GL to me.

MBUSA