As buyers turned towards SUVs, off-roaders became mainstream – even when it came to premium brands. With the appetite for SUVs it meant these makers then turned towards other niches, and so the coupé-SUV was born.
This small but lucrative class has been refined over the years, thankfully for Mercedes, because its original GLE Coupé wasn’t exactly a winner. Yet this second version boasts a massive amount of technology, plenty of premium appeal, individual style and, in GLE 400 d form, a gutsy but smooth engine that’ll also bring a great level of refinement.
But it faces the BMW X6, which defined the Sports Activity Coupé field (BMW’s term, not ours), and after a Mk3 model arrived last year, it’s more ostentatious than ever. It has the latest tech and offers more coupé-like styling in an SUV body.