Mercedes could be culling more coupe models from its line-up, with the sloping-roofed versions of the GLC and GLE SUV said to be on the chopping block.
Multiple media sources abroad are reporting that these two models will be victims of the company’s product consolidation plan as it shifts towards EVs. The original report, from the Handelsblatt publication, cites insider information, but nothing is official at this stage.
In any case, the smaller GLC Coupe would likely still remain on the market for many years to come, as the current version was only launched in 2023.
This would seem to correlate with insider information that Car and Driver received in early 2023, stating that the German brand’s line-up of 33 different body styles (at the time) could be reduced to as few as 14, although that number does not appear to be set in stone.
That report also stated that the GLE and GLC Coupe models were in the firing line, although many brand loyalists might have argued that it was a stretch to call them coupes in the first place.
As for the traditional two-door models, Mercedes has already discontinued its S-Class, E-Class and C-Class two-door variants, recently replacing the latter two with the sleek new CLE.
The CLS ‘four-door sedan’ was also discontinued in late 2023, although its smaller CLA sibling is set to live on for another generation as a pivotal member of the brand’s new compact car family.
The Mercedes GLE and GLC Coupe variants were put to market as rivals to BMW’s X6 and X4, but the latter is also set to be culled as the new-generation X2 has grown to the point where it can fill its shoes.
But it all begs a very important question. Is there really any point to these ‘coupe’ SUVs? In the Mercedes GLC line-up for instance, the coupe commands a premium of around R170,000 over the regular SUV version, and in the GLE’s case the price difference is almost R190,000. Is it really worth paying all that extra money for just for a bit of extra style?
IOL Motoring