MG Mg7 vs Mercedes-Benz GLE300

What's the difference?

The Australian market hasn’t truly revolved around a sedan since I was a kid. These days it’s all about SUVs, and anything low-slung is easy to overlook when it comes to family hauling. Add to that the current fixation on hybrid and electric powertrains, and a mid-size petrol sedan feels almost out of step.

And yet, here’s the MG7.

It’s a mid-size fastback with a turbo-petrol engine and just one trim level. Its sharp styling is matched by an even sharper price, and it doesn’t seem particularly concerned about not fitting the current mould.

It lines up against the Toyota Camry SL, Skoda Octavia Sportline and Hyundai Sonata N Line and raises an interesting question. Is this the sedan comeback nobody saw coming? And could it remind modern families why sedans were once king?

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.