Mercedes-Benz Concept GLC Coupé
Stuttgart / Shanghai. In a flowing transition, Mercedes-Benz lands the next coupé: the Concept GLC Coupé is a near-production-standard study that carries the successful GLE Coupé formula over into a more compact segment. The dynamically expressive show car combines typical stylistic features of a coupé with the sensually pure design idiom of coming SUV generations. This emotively appealing fusion is further enriched with details that are strong in character. A twin-blade radiator grille, powerdomes on the bonnet and a four-pipe exhaust system form an aesthetic contrast to the harmonious, almost organic main body section. On the other hand, elements from the rugged off-road world, such as enormous 21-inch tyres, front and rear underbody protection, increased ground clearance and side running boards, are indicative of the off-road performance potential of the Concept GLC Coupé.
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.”
The same successful blend of the multifunctional SUV and the emotively appealing coupé world of Mercedes-Benz that was so enthusiastically welcomed with the GLE Coupé is now repeated with the Concept GLC Coupé. However, the near-production-standard show car inhabits a more compact segment, as demonstrated by the external length of 4.73-metres and the 2.83-metre wheelbase. These two dimensions, together with the striking and muscular main body section, elongated greenhouse and large 21-inch wheels, provide an ideal basis for the typical, almost dramatic proportions of the sportily youthful coupé generation with the characteristic off-road touch.
Distinctive front end, sculptural headlamp design
At the front, a short, crisp overhang with upright radiator grille and twin-blade louvre – characteristic of sporty Mercedes-Benz models – gives a first indication of the sporty philosophy behind the Concept GLC Coupé. The credo “Born to race on every ground” is confirmed by the powerdomes on the bonnet, the sweeping lines of the A-wing below the radiator grille, the large side air intakes and the visually dominant underbody protection. 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 matt gun metal magno paintwork.
Reminiscent of light sculptures, striking LED headlamps decisively shape the expressive face of the Concept GLC Coupé. 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. Of course, the headlamps are non-dazzling for oncoming traffic in lower beam, upper beam, cornering light or active light mode. This is achieved by blanking out the light cone in the area of oncoming vehicles.
Side profile with low-slung coupé greenhouse and large SUV wheels
The perfection with which the intrinsically contrary design worlds of the coupé and the SUV have been brought into harmony with each other is revealed in particular by a side view of the just under 1.60-metre-high Concept GLC Coupé with the typical, elongated roof line of a sports coupé. Like the integrated roof rails and fully recessed door handles, the squat greenhouse with its frameless side windows blends perfectly into the vehicle’s flanks to additionally underscore the coupé-like character. The interplay with the high beltline, wide shoulders and accentuated wheel lips gives rise to extreme proportions that lend the Concept GLC Coupé a thrilling dynamism. This highly charged interaction is given extra emphasis by the drawn-in waist between the dropping line and the lower, rearwards ascending light-catching contour.
A clear indication of the more prominent SUV genes is given by sill extensions reminiscent of the side running boards on a classic SUV. Flush with the outside edge of the body, wide 21-inch wheels with large, heavily profiled tyres combine with the relatively high ground clearance to endorse the sportily dynamic off-road ambitions of the Concept GLC Coupé.
Rear end with distinct coupé heritage
The rear view of the precisely two-metre-wide Concept GLC Coupé in particular reveals the wide, muscular shoulders with harmoniously modelled wheel arches that house 53.3 cm (21-inch) wheels with 285/45 R 21 wide-base tyres. The four polished stainless-steel tailpipes of the exhaust system provide a visual highlight. Mounted in pairs above an A-wing similar to the one at the front and featuring characteristic underbody protection, the tailpipes underscore the sporty look of the coupé.
Overall, it is the styling of the rear end that most clearly accentuates the coupé genes of the concept vehicle. Narrow, split tail lights, centrally positioned brand star and a sharp spoiler lip emphasise a design line that made its debut with the S‑Class Coupé and which all Mercedes-Benz coupé models have since followed. Relocated to the lower section of the bumper, the number plate as well as the typical form of the rear window with its rounded upper area are among the further stylistic features.
The night design of the LED tail lights sets a new tone. Adapted from the headlamps, the strips at the top are home to the turn indicators, which use chasing lights to signal a change of direction. A circular rear light encloses a central lens that adaptively augments the brake lamp for even better visibility.
Technical details provide a stimulating contrast
Hard technical details give an additional emotive appeal to the Concept GLC Coupé with its almost organic form of the main body section. For example, excitingly designed components such as two-part, open light-alloy wheels, wing-look exterior mirrors and the already mentioned four exhaust tailpipes set a deliberate stylistic contrast intended to underscore the technological claim of the show car. The same goes for the underbody protection with front and rear cooling ducts and the headlamps and tail lights, which resemble light sculptures.
Power aplenty: all-wheel-drive powertrain producing 367 hp
The drive technology aboard the Concept GLC Coupé matches the vehicle’s looks. A V6 powerplant delivering 367 hp and 520 Nm makes for a highly sporty level of performance. Familiar from AMG sports models, the direct-injection biturbo engine is teamed with a 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission and 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive to provide the show car with emphatic acceleration while at the same time giving an acoustically audible note to the impressive performance. Depending on the transmission mode setting, the tailpipes give off either a commandingly subdued rumble or the passionate sound of a high-powered sports car.
Extension to the SUV world of Mercedes-Benz
The SUV world of Mercedes-Benz has room for further models, such as a production version of the Concept GLC Coupé. The range would thus include seven models, allowing customers to order a tailor-made vehicle to suit their personal preferences. At the same time, the show car would enrich the trendsetting coupé world of Mercedes-Benz with a new all-rounder while providing a logical addition to models such as the four-door coupés and Shooting Brakes of the CLS and CLA series. In addition to spawning entirely new classes of vehicle, these model series have also exerted a considerable impact on the model policies of all manufacturers. They have also proved an outstanding success on the sales front.
Overview of technical data:
| Concept GLC Coupé | ||
| Body type / construction | Four-door, four-seater coupé concept vehicle, frameless side windows | |
| Engine | V6 biturbo, direct injection | |
| Displacement cc | 2,996 | |
| Output hp at rpm | 367 at 5,500 | |
| Peak torque (Nm) at rpm | 520 at 1,400-4,000 | |
| Transmission | Nine-speed automatic transmission 9G-TRONIC, DIRECT SELECT gearshift |
|
| Powertrain | 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive | |
| Length mm | 4,727 | |
| Width with/without mirrors mm | 2,151/2,000 | |
| Height mm | 1,593 | |
| Wheelbase mm | 2,827 | |
| Track width front/rear mm | 1,657/1,687 | |
| Wheels / tyres | front rear |
8 J x 21 / 255/50 R 21 9.5 J x 21 / 285/45 R 21 |
MERCEDES-BENZ COUPÉ SUV CONCEPT
Stuttgart / New York. With the Concept Coupé SUV, Mercedes-Benz is raising the standard to a new, higher level in literally multiple respects. This extremely sporty study impresses as a typical representative of the long-standing coupé tradition at Mercedes-Benz, with a flowing sideline, stretched cabin and striking radiator grille with central chrome louvre. At the same time, the Concept Coupé SUV stands out with its muscular wings, large wheel arches, imposing 22-inch wheels, high beltline and generous ground clearance. Its dynamic handling on the road is also of a superior level. The variable dynamic control system “Dynamic Select Control” provides four fundamentally different transmission modes and an individually programmable setup.
“Sensual as a coupé – visionary as an SUV,” is the succinct choice of words used by Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz, to describe the physiognomy of the Concept Coupé SUV. The four-door, all-wheel drive Coupé has a length of almost five metres, and an imposing width of a good two metres thanks to its broad shoulders and flared wheel arches. At the same time, it has a modest height of around 1.75 metres, exhibiting the flat, extended roofline that is typical of a sports coupé. “The Concept Coupé SUV stands out thanks to its extreme proportions and in doing so interprets our hallmark Mercedes coupé design idiom perfectly. With its superior sportiness it conveys a sense of modern luxury and aesthetic aspirations of sensual clarity,” continues Gorden Wagener. Like the recessed door handles, frameless side windows blend perfectly into the vehicle flanks to accentuate the coupé-like character even further.
In line with a tradition and like all recent study vehicles, the Concept Coupé SUV is painted in the “Alu Beam” paint finish, which is also reminiscent of the technically ground-breaking Silver Arrows of the 1930s and 1950s.
The upright sports grille with single louvre, framed by the three-dimensionally designed modern, all-LED Multibeam headlamps, is the major feature of the front end with its short, stylish overhang. Soft cubes dominate the grille insert, and the forward-sloping bonnet with its typical Mercedes power domes underlines the membership of the Concept Coupé SUV in the line-up of particularly sporty Mercedes-Benz models. A discreet reference to the SUV genes of this study is provided by the harmoniously integrated, illuminated side sills, which are reminiscent of the running boards found on classic SUVs or off-roaders. Indicators have always pointed the way in the best sense of the word, however in the Concept Coupé SUV they take on a new form. The direction indicators operate with a moving digital light band whose lighting elements light up sequentially from inside to outside, indicating the change in direction in two ways.
Elegant rear end: in the style of the S-Class Coupé
The coupé-like nature of the Concept Coupé SUV is also emphasised by the design of the rear end with its obvious elements of the design line first presented with the S-Class Coupé, which will be followed by all coupé models from Mercedes-Benz in future. The styling characteristics of this include the slim band of rear lights with their ruby-like, three-dimensional look and the registration plate now incorporated into the rear bumper. Another feature that has for generations distinguished the large coupé models from Mercedes-Benz is the typical shape of the rear window, which is rounded off at the top.
The simulated underguard into which the tailpipes of the dual-flow exhaust system are integrated makes a discreet SUV reference. Polished aluminium dominates here, as on the integral door handles, the side sills, the front air intakes and the edging of the cabin.
Wide, flush-fitted 22-inch wheels with tyres in size 305/45 R 22 make the vehicle sit squarely on the road, and leave no doubt about the passion of the Concept Coupé SUV: at very first glance, this trailblazing study signals its sporty, dynamic ambitions.
Haute Couture: the Mercedes-Benz coupé range
Developing and creating new model families and vehicle classes has traditionally been one of the strengths of Mercedes-Benz, the inventor of the automobile. This is particularly obvious in the history of its coupés, and most especially in the very recent past. Models such as the four-door Coupés or the Shooting Brakes in the CLS-Class have not only created completely new vehicle classes, but have also had a lasting influence on the model policies of different manufacturers, found numerous imitators and proved to be an outstanding sales success.
The same can be said of the CLA-Class, which has been able to transfer the success of the CLS into the compact class and is extraordinarily popular with customers. With the Concept Coupé SUV, Mercedes-Benz is now taking a similar approach. The study follows this coupé theme within the SUV sector consistently and demonstrates how a four-door, all-wheel drive series production coupé might look.
Technical data
| Body type/construction | Four-door, four-seater coupé study, frameless side windows |
| Engine | V6, 4 valves per cylinder |
| Displacement | 2996 cc |
| Rated output | 245 kW (333 hp) at 5500 rpm |
| Rated torque | 480 Nm at 1400- 4000 rpm |
| Mixture formation | Electronic direct petrol injection, piezo injectors, 2 turbochargers |
| Transmission | 9G-TRONIC PLUS nine-speed automatic transmission with torque converter lock-up, twin-turbine damper with centrifugal pendulum and DIRECT SELECT gearshift, ECO start/stop |
| Drive | 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive, ASR, ESP®, 4ETS, |
| Chassis and suspension | Double wishbone at the front, multi-link at the rear, special air suspension with selective damping, ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM active roll stabilisation |
| Braking system | High-performance ceramic composite brake system, electric (parking brake, ABS, BAS PLUS PRE-SAFE© Brake |
| Steering | Electromechanical power steering |
| Transmission modes | COMFORT, SLIPPERY, SPORT, SPORT+, INDIVIDUAL |
| Wheelbase | 2916 mm |
| Track, front/rear | 1683 / 1768 mm |
| Wheel/tyre size front/rear | 10J x 22 305/45 R 22 / 11J x 22 305/45 R 22 |
| length | 4935 mm |
| Width with/without mirrors | 2208 / 2044 mm |
| Height | 1739 mm |