The Mercedes-Benz GLE coupé was set to debut at the North American International Auto Show but images of the car were leaked online early on. This led Mercedes-Benz to go ahead and officially unveil the coupe. The GLE is positioned to take on the BMW X6.

The GLE coupé features a prominent front fascia with a single bar grille that runs across a wide front radiator opening with LED headlights flanking it. It has a dynamic roofline and a rear end which resembles that of the S-class coupé. It gets plastic body cladding, and chrome trims on the front and rear, dual exhaust system and 20-inch wheels as standard. 21- and 22-inch wheels will be available as options for those looking to upgrade. As for the interiors, a sports steering wheel, sports seats, and a new infotainment system make it to the GLE. Aluminum or wood trims with silver shadow accents are also added in.

The GLE also gets the AMG treatment, with the GLE 450 AMG. It gets an aggressive AMG body kit, and 21-inch light alloy wheels. It also gets air suspension, an adaptive damping system and adjustable ride height. On the inside, it gets a nappa leather-wrapped sports steering wheel, stainless steel pedals and a carbonfibre trim.

On the engine front, there is a 254bhp 3.0-litre diesel and a 3.0-litre V6 petrol tuned to make 328.5bhp in the standard car and 362bhp in the AMG version. Power is sent to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox which offers a driving mode selector system with five modes – Comfort, Slippery, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. In the AMG version, the different driving modes not only modulate chassis, suspension, steering wheel and powertrain settings but also other aspects like engine sound and driving lights.

"The GLE coupé combines typical coupé attributes, such as sportiness, dynamism and agility, with the confident presence, versatility and robustness of an SUV", said Thomas Weber, board member responsible for group research and Mercedes-Benz Cars development.