Mercedes-Benz GLE300 vs Lexus RZ450E

What's the difference?

Not so long ago, even the idea of 'coupe SUV' would have been considered just a little bit silly.

But not anymore. This almost contradictory bodystyle is well and truly here to stay, as evidenced by the expanding catalog of available models pouring out of premium automakers.

Benz tells us, for example, that coupe versions make up some 25 per cent of its GLE sales in Australia.

Which brings us to this car – the second-generation GLE coupe. We were sent to its international launch to find out what’s new, what’s changed, and what Benz has in store for the Australian market, come its arrival in Q3 of 2020. Read on to find out what we discovered.

Far from just another mid-size SUV offering, the Lexus RZ bares the burden of much of the Japanese premium brand’s future.

While Lexus has been a trailblazer in the past, offering a wide range of hybrid luxury vehicles before every other brand, it’s a little late to the party with this car; it’s first ground-up electric vehicle.

The question is, has all this extra time given Lexus the luxury of perspective, or is it too little too late for the RZ to make a meaningful impact on the mid-size luxury SUV space? Stick with us as we find out.