Mercedes Says Coupe SUVs Are Here To Stay: 'There's A Fan Base'

Mercedes-Benz says buyers still want coupe SUVs because they offer the best of both worlds.

2027 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Jeff Perez

By: Jeff Perez

Oct 19, at 5:00pm ET

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Love ’em or hate ’em, coupe SUVs remain a popular choice among luxury SUV shoppers. They offer all the practicality of a traditional SUV, but with a swoopier design and, depending on the automaker, potentially sharper driving dynamics.

Mercedes-Benz is one of the biggest purveyors of the body style. It currently offers three coupe SUVs, along with three four-door "coupe" sedans. And based on their popularity, don’t expect that number to drop anytime soon.

Speaking with Mercedes-Benz Vice President of Product Strategy and Product Steering Christoph Starzynski, Motor1 asked whether customers still want these swoopy SUVs. His answer was pretty clear:

'I see strong demand for the coupe… [There’s a] fan base for the coupe, you know? Because you actually have a very, very spacious vehicle with a very, very sporty driving behavior… We are happy that we have that car.'

2027 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

2027 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

The Coupe SUV Still Has An Audience

In 2024, rumors suggested Mercedes-Benz might consider killing off some of its coupe SUV options as the automaker looked to streamline its lineup. German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that the GLC and GLE Coupe could be among the first models on the chopping block.

While we’ve yet to see a new GLC Coupe based on the latest-generation model, the return of the GLE Coupe for 2027 suggests there’s still an audience for the niche body style. Buyers can choose everything from the base 350 to the considerably hotter AMG 53 and 63 models.

And Mercedes-Benz isn’t alone.

Audi, BMW, Genesis, and Porsche still offer coupe versions of some of their most popular SUVs. Hell, Audi still has two coupe SUVs in its lineup, the Q5 Sportback and Q8, while Porsche lets you choose just about any version of the Cayenne as a Coupe, including the EV.

2027 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

2027 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Not Every Automaker Is Keeping The Coupe

Not every automaker shares that enthusiasm, though.

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Infiniti recently pulled the plug on its swoopy QX55 after just a few years on the market, and it’s unclear whether that body style will ever return to the lineup. Volkswagen, meanwhile, ended production of the ID.5 in Europe as it revamps its entire ID lineup.

For Mercedes-Benz, though, the coupe SUV remains a staple. And based on what the automaker says, it doesn’t sound like that’s going to change anytime soon.

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