Coupe de grace

IT may be called a coupe but the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe actually has five doors, not two. The GLE Coupe is a longer, wider and lower version of the GLE-Class sport-utility vehicle (SUV) and is named for its coupe-like silhouette. Based on the GLE-Class, which is the erstwhile M-Class, it has the same all-wheel-drive platform but more rakish styling, so much so that the GLE looks sadly staid when parked next to its "coupe" version.

Like the first CLS-Class four-door coupe which made its debut 11 years ago, the GLE Coupe has striking good looks. Even if it is not the first SUV "coupe" on the market, it is the first that is refreshingly well-proportioned.

Two petrol engines are available - a new 3.0-litre V6 and a 5.5-litre V8. Both the GLE400 4Matic Coupe and the GLE450 AMG 4Matic Coupe share the same V6 biturbo but while the former is tuned for 333 hp and 480 Nm on the GLE400, the latter gets 367 hp and 520 Nm.