When Mercedes-Benz CEO Dieter Zetsche announced the other day that 2015 would see the launch of several new models, he didn’t give a clear idea of what those models would be.  Now, a teaser from Mercedes-Benz has revealed that one of the new models will be a crossover vehicle called the MLC.Although the teaser pic does shows a crossover-type vehicle, the sloping rear contour for the roof is reminiscent of the CLS, and, dare we say, BMW’s X6? As with a lot of SAVs nowadays, offroading is not a strong suit of these vehicles. Rather, eye-catching designs seem to be the order of the day. With the proposed MLC, rear space seems to be at a premium because of the sloping roof.  Motive power will come from a range of petrol and diesel engines, from 260 horsepower to a range-topping AMG model that will produce 540 horsepower.

This Mercedes entry presages an overcrowded niche, since aside from BMW’s existing X6, new crossover coupes from Porsche, Land Rover and Audi are also coming into the market. But with sales of more than 100,000 units in two years, BMW has shown that there is a market for these types of vehicles and it’s for manufacturers to ignore this niche at their peril.