Mercedes working on a new generation of the GLE Coupe

The Mercedes GLE Coupe was launched in 2015, however, its roots trace back to the old M-Class. Despite the unconventional looks, it's quite popular and renowned for its sonorous 5.5-litre AMG engine.

Since this is only the first time the second-gen prototype was spotted testing at Mercedes’ Stuttgart headquarters, it’s almost certain it will come out in 2019, roughly four years after the original. Naturally, it will compete against the next BMW X6, as well as the newly launched Audi Q8.

The heavily camouflaged body is different in some ways from the regular 2019 GLE-Class, which was seen with minimal camouflage various times. For example, the greenhouse looks much shorter and shrinks towards the back of the car to create a ducktail spoiler. While the design won't be to everyone's liking, the segment is still very popular. 

Under the hood, the 5.5-litre AMG unit will be replaced by a 4.0-litre one, though this prototype clearly isn't the AMG spec. All other powertrains will be inline-six units with a displacement of around three litres and at least one turbocharger. For the first time, Mercedes will offer a diesel in the 340bhp GLE 400d Coupe. However, we are not aware of any rival for the X5 M50d (400bhp quad-turbo-6) or Audi SQ7/SQ8 (4.0 TDI V8 with e-charger).

The GLE 450/43 AMG model has been quite popular, so Mercedes will likely give it an upgrade. In place of the V6, the brand will offer the CLS 53's powertrain, complete with 435bhp output and hybrid power.