Since its debut in concept form at the Beijing Auto Show this spring, we鈥檝e been waiting for Mercedes to take the final sheets off its GLE Coupe鈥攁n SUV with coupe-like shape, if not coupe-like door counts or functionality. This is it, the GLE450 AMG 4Matic, and it鈥檚 rather straightforward in its mission: to pack an unusual combination of style and ability into one not-too-large package. Under the hood of the GLE450 lies a 362-horsepower, 384-pound-foot twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine. Peak torque is available from 1,400 rpm, essentially eliminating any talk of turbo lag, and a 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission with Dynamic Select helps ensure the 4Matic permanent all-wheel-drive system is always applying that power in the most rational way. Torque distribution is a fixed 40 percent front and 60 percent rear, a slightly more forward-biased solution than the last-generation AMG 4Matic option, but still markedly rear-biased for enhanced dynamics. Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG.

Since its debut in concept form at the Beijing Auto Show this spring, we鈥檝e been waiting for Mercedes to take the final sheets off its GLE Coupe鈥攁n SUV with coupe-like shape, if not coupe-like door counts or functionality. This is it, the GLE450 AMG 4Matic, and it鈥檚 rather straightforward in its mission: to pack an unusual combination of style and ability into one not-too-large package. Under the hood of the GLE450 lies a 362-horsepower, 384-pound-foot twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine. Peak torque is available from 1,400 rpm, essentially eliminating any talk of turbo lag, and a 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission with Dynamic Select helps ensure the 4Matic permanent all-wheel-drive system is always applying that power in the most rational way. Torque distribution is a fixed 40 percent front and 60 percent rear, a slightly more forward-biased solution than the last-generation AMG 4Matic option, but still markedly rear-biased for enhanced dynamics. Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG.

Each mode is fairly self-explanatory, and each seeks to make the most out of the given traction situation. These modes control not only the chassis, steering, powertrain, and suspension settings, but also the engine sounds instrument display, and even the dynamic response of the driving lights. The suspension system being dynamically adjusted by the computer is the Airmatic with ADS Plus system, which offers continuously variable damping鈥攁 first on the Airmatic air suspension system. Mercedes also includes active roll stabilization with its Active Curve System, and Sports Direct-Steer which offers a 17.4:1 ratio. Beyond these new technologies, the GLE Coupe鈥檚 mission is clearly one of aesthetics and design. The 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 AMG 4Matic will be unveiled officially at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show before going on sale later next year. There will be regular GLE Coupe variants too, including a GLE350d 4Matic diesel model, GLE400 4Matic and eventually a high-performance GLE63 from Mercedes-AMG.

I鈥檒l never understand this whole SUV-as-a-coupe subsegment. Never mind the 鈥渆xclusivity鈥?or 鈥減ersonalization鈥?or any other luxury automaker buzzword. You鈥檙e actually just paying more money for less car. In the case of the Mercedes-Benz GLE, the Coupe you see here has less passenger space, less cargo volume, and costs more money than the standard version. That swooping roofline makes it look all sorts of bad, too - it鈥檚 like a giant, puffy armadillo that you can鈥檛 get in or out of without bumping your head. Why would you pay more for that? I know, I鈥檓 in the minority. The GLE Coupe and its key rival, the BMW X6, have carved out their little niche in the automotive landscape, and have led to the creation of similarly shaped, smaller products, like the forthcoming GLC Coupe and BMW X4. But while this weird sport-utility-coupe thing doesn鈥檛 make sense to my practical eye, there鈥檚 still a lot to like here. After all, underneath that curvy new roofline is the very-good Mercedes GLE.

I really like the 3.0-liter biturbo V6 with the AMG tune - it鈥檚 great in the C450, and I can鈥檛 wait to see it proliferate through all the new AMG 43 cars. With 362 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, it doesn鈥檛 make the nearly 5,000-pound GLE450 Coupe feel super quick or anything, but the power delivery is silky smooth and never laggy. I鈥檝e finally found a nine-speed transmission I like; the biggest compliment for the 9G-Tronic transmission is that you don鈥檛 even notice it鈥檚 there. Leave it to Mercedes to design an in-house nine-speed that bests the ZF-sourced unit found in vehicles like the Chrysler 200 or Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. It鈥檚 a little topsy turvy at times, but I like the way the GLE450 Coupe drives. The steering has a nice weight and action and the suspension - even in Sport setting - isn鈥檛 too harsh. Overall, it moves down the road with a pleasant grace and smooth ride. That said, my test car rolls on different 20-inch wheels that Mercedes fitted for use with winter tires. I鈥檓 not sure if/how the standard 21- or optional 22-inch rollers affect the ride quality.

You can probably guess that I鈥檓 also not a fan of the weird BMW X6, but given a choice between the two, I鈥檇 take the GLE Coupe, for sure. The GLE鈥檚 interior looks and feels more special than the X6. The Merc鈥檚 a better steer, too. I鈥檓 not going to harp on the styling again, but I will say that the compromised shape makes the GLE Coupe hard to see out of. You sit really high up, but the roofline is low. And rearward visibility out of the hatch glass is pretty poor. Plus - because it鈥檚 a coupe, remember? 鈥檚 no rear wiper. It would鈥檝e been nice to have that while driving on a rainy day. The interior may be a high-lux experience, but it still feels a generation too old. The standard GLE-Class has this problem, as does the larger GLS-Class. They both have nice materials and are super comfy, but all of the switchgear looks a few years behind the rest of the Mercedes curve. 88,035. That鈥檚 the price you pay for the GLE450 seen here. I don鈥檛 really think that鈥檚 terribly expensive, given how much luxury cars actually cost these days.