SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW: Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its latest niche-filling SUV at the 2015 Shanghai motor show, the GLC Coupe, which was first teased three weeks ago.

Although Benz is calling the vehicle a 'near-production study' the vehicle is guaranteed to go into production given we've previously seen pre-production prototypes in testing.

Designed to take on the BMW X4, which is priced between $70,000 and $90,000 in Australia, the GLC Coupe should enter production next year and arrive here later in 2016, following the release of the new GLC (GLK replacement) on which it's based globally later this year.

The sporty GLC Coupe will be a low-selling but important part of Mercedes' rapidly expanding mainstream SUV range, which includes the small GLA, mid-size GLC and large GLE, which will replace the M-Class in September.

Best described as a smaller version of the GLE Coupe, the new model boasts features the trademark Benz 'twin-blade louvre' grille which adorns its sportier models, along with 'powerdomes' on the bonnet and stylised LED headlights.

Finished in can't-miss-it solar-beam yellow and riding on 21-inch alloy wheels, the show car makes a strong visual statement, capped off via the vehicle's roof line that tapers off toward the rear.

Slim-line tail-light clusters draw the eye to the rear of the vehicle, but it’s the vertically stacked quad exhaust pipes that will be the real conversation starter, not least because they mimic Lexus' signature F-Series exhaust outlets.

Hidden beneath its assertive coupe-like exterior design, the four-seat, five-door medium SUV features all the luxury trimmings you'd expect and is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol V6 that bangs out 270kW and 520Nm.

This drives all four wheels through a nine-speed auto and should be enough to shame many sports cars.

Measuring 4727mm long and 2000mm wide, the GLC Coupe is slightly longer and wider than the X4's 4671 and 1881mm, but when it reaches production the Benz will probably lose a little girth. The Mercedes concept shown in Shanghai is also lower than the X4 by 31mm, at 1593mm.

Mercedes-Benz Australia's public relations and product communications manager, Jerry Stamoulis, explained that if the car was given the green light, it would be considered for the local marketplace.

"This is a concept vehicle for the time being. If it were given the go-ahead for production we'd seriously consider it for the Australian market," he stated.