Mercedes-Benz Malaysia teases new SUV range – GLC, GLE and GLE Coupe

Over the long Christmas break, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia released a video on its Facebook page – it shows an AMG GT drifting and crossing paths with a G-Class, with a new SUV coming through the resulting smoke screen.

The 20-second film was derived from the US ad of the GLE Coupe, but was cut before the vehicle was shown in full, hinting that the BMW X6-aping coupé-cum-SUV would be the next car to be launched by MBM.

The text on the teaser microsite (click to register interest) listed at the end of the video, however, painted a different picture – it says the company is in fact bringing in a new range of SUVs, suggesting that more than one model may be launched soon (one ad also mentioned a launch date of January 14). It has already been confirmed that MBM is looking to bring in the GLE, GLE Coupe and GLC in 2016, so it seems they may all be making it to our shores at the same time.

The timing makes sense – although both the GLE and GLE Coupe were unveiled to the world some time before the GLC (GLE Coupe in December last year, GLE in May, GLC in June), MBM would quite rightly want to bring the GLC’s launch forward.

It’s Mercedes-Benz’ first proper foray into the compact SUV class, after all – the previous GLK was left-hand drive only and thus not sold here. And given the popularity of the likes of the BMW X3 and Audi Q5 over here, it would be wise for MBM to get its hands on a slice of the lucrative pie as soon as possible, and make up for precious lost ground against its Teutonic competitors.

Add the fact that the GLC has already made its regional appearance at the 2015 Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS), plus the fact that both the GLE Coupe and GLC have recently been sighted locally (the latter at Hap Seng Star’s Mercedes-Benz dealership in Balakong), and the dots begin to connect themselves.

In any case, expect the GLC to arrive in both GLC 200 and GLC 250 guise, retailing from around RM320k – competitively-priced to take on the RM326k BMW X3 xDrive20i and the RM325k Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI. As for the GLE and GLE Coupe, they should both come in a sole GLE 400 variant, pitting themselves against the RM574k BMW X5 xDrive35i and RM667k BMW X6 xDrive35i.

- Source: Paultan.org