First official photos of the Mercedes GLC Coupe Concept have just hit the interwebs. The near-production Sports Activity Coupe will be premiered at the Shanghai Motor Show next week. The new Benz will arrive on the market in Fall 2016 to compete with the BMW X4 and Porsche Macan.
Our photo comparison shows the Mercedes GLC Coupe in golden paint as compared to the BMW X4 – which was also previewed in Shanghai two years ago – in the Long Beach Blue color. At 15.5-feet long and riding on a 111.4-inch wheelbase, the GLC Coupe is larger than its rival from Munich. The X4 is two inches shorter overall and has an extra 0.8 inches between the axles. The Benz is wider, too, at 78.7 inches, compared to 74.1.
21-inch wheels and four tailpipes at the rear complement the dynamic presence of the off-roader with four frameless side windows. The SUV coupe from Stuttgart is powered by a V6 Biturbo engine that sends 367 horsepower to all four wheels and is combined with the nine-speed automatic 9G-Tronic. BMW plans for a counterpart this year to be sold under the X4 M40i badge.
At the front, a short, crisp overhang with upright radiator grille and twin-blade louvre give a first indication of the sporty philosophy behind the Concept GLC Coupe. The powerdomes on the hood, the sweeping lines of the A-wing below the radiator grille, the large side air intakes and the visually dominant underbody protection, enhance its sporty looks. Like all the trim elements on the concept vehicle, this typical SUV feature radiates in silver shadow to form an attractive counterpoint to the solar-beam paintwork and the all-round claddings in matte gun metal magno paintwork.
Reminiscent of light sculptures, striking LED headlamps decisively shape the expressive face of the Concept GLC Coupe. All functions are united in one housing: for illumination, the daytime running lamps and turn indicators use the upper strip inserts, dubbed “eyebrows” by the designers. Below them are three rotating lenses, which appear to positively float in the deep, three-dimensional space and which adapt to the situation to optimally illuminate the road or terrain.
Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Daimler AG, puts it in a nutshell: “With its modern and sensual design idiom, the Concept GLC Coupé gives a foretaste of future SUV models from Mercedes-Benz. At the same time, it embraces the typical values of tradition-steeped Mercedes-Benz coupés.”
[Source: Bimmertoday]
