Will the new 2016 Mercedes MLC-Class be a BMW X6 killer?

The Daimler Annual Shareholders Meeting took place on Wednesday and it had one very special highlight. The first picture of the all-new Concept Coupe SUV was shown to the attendees. The Mercedes-Benz Concept Coupe SUV will be presented at the Auto China 2014 next week. The new Coupe will be unveiled for the press April 20 at the Beijing China International Exhibition Center Exhibition Hall.

We don’t have much information on the Mercedes-Benz Concept Coupe SUV but it will likely be a competitor to the BMW X6. BMW X6 has been competition free for six years, but that is about to change. Mercedes hasn’t hidden their intentions, as the Concept Coupe SUV looks a lot like the X6. It looks like a larger version of the new GLA-Class with its new grille.

When the Concept Coupe SUV goes into production, the new SUV will be based upon the ML-Class chassis and include much of the same off-road suspension and drivetrain as its stablemate. Just like the ML-Class, the MLC will also be built at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama. The majority of sales will likely come from the U.S. and China markets.

The M-Class is a perennial best-seller for the brand here in the U.S. market. Sales were up 15.7 percent in March. It’s the top-selling SUV for Mercedes and the new Coupe could be another hit for the German automaker. It will follow on the heals of the new GLA-Class that will launch later this year.

It looks like Mercedes-Benz is ready to give the BMW X6 some competition with its forthcoming 2016 MLC-Class SUV model. We’ll see it’s forerunner, the Concept Coupe SUV live at the Auto China 2014 on April 20.