New Mercedes GLC Coupe tackles BMW X4

Given that what you see here is, in Mercedes own words, a “near-production-standard” concept vehicle, it’s a safe enough bet that Stuttgart’s upcoming GLC Coupé won’t look too different to this.

What’s with that name? Well obviously it has nothing to do with the Great Little Car that Mazda built back in the ’70s; instead it falls in with Merc’s new naming strategy for SUV models. The ‘C’ part of it tells us that it will be of a similar size to the C-Class.

While the ordinary Mercedes GLC will replace the boxy GLK and rival the BMW X3 and Audi Q5, the GLC Coupé will be a sportier version with a more ‘coupé-like’ roofline and with every intention of crashing into the league where the BMW X4 and Porsche Macan belongs.

The GLC Coupe concept car is powered by a 274kW/520Nm twin-turbo V6 engine similar to the one found in the new C450 AMG and mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive system.

The production model will offer a wider range with up to seven engine derivates on offer, likely mirroring the C-Class sedan range for the most part. The standard GLC is expected to be revealed in the coming months, while the Coupé will follow in due course.

Assuming that it remains faithful enough to this concept, would you have this over an X4 or Macan?