In
2008, BMW introduced the X6 and created a new kind of car, the sport
utility coupe. An odd blend of high-riding SUV and sporty coupe, the X6
was a hit.
Now Mercedes-Benz is getting in on the action.
Today at the Beijing Auto Show, the automaker unveiled the Concept
Coupé SUV, a preview of its entry into the segment BMW created and now
dominates.
During a preview event at the New
York Auto Show, Dr. Andreas Zygan, Mercedes' chief engineer for sport
utility vehicles, said the concept is "unlike any we've done before."
The concept is definitely headed for production, Mercedes says, and
will sit a level below the 2015 GLA compact SUV. The automaker promises
top of the line driving dynamics to make the funky looking car "curve
hungry," and says it combines the "best of both worlds."Asked during the preview if the Concept Coupé SUV is a copy of the BMW X6, global communications chief Christoph Horn simply said, "customers love more choices."
Here's a closer look at the new Benz:
For its part, BMW is diving
deeper into the emergent coupe-SUV segment. At the New York show, it
introduced the X4, a smaller version of the successful X6. These cars
all look the same:
