SPY PICS: Mercedes-Benz MLC

New spy photos of Mercedes-Benz' latest crossover vehicle, MLC-Class, have been snapped in Germany, confirming the company's plans for a sport SUV are well advanced.

Expected to be production ready in under 12 months, the MLC's design details are difficult to make out beneath the camouflage and padding, however the overall design appears to be a very close replication of the Concept Coupe SUV, previewed at the 2014 Beijing motor show.

These latest spy photos confirm the vehicle is virtually finished, and will go head-to-head with the BMW X6. The five-door SUV boasts a curving roofline that tapers off at the rear, providing the new model with a decidedly sport look and one that appears to draw much inspiration from the BMW X6. But despite the design similarities, Mercedes contends its new MLC is a very different beast from the X6.

The soft-roader will feature Benz's 4MATIC all-wheel drive system paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission. It also rides higher than anything in the three-pointed star's passenger car range.

Based on the Mercedes M-Class SUV platform, Benz says the same philosophy that saw the CLS-Class emerge from the E-Class has been applied, essentially taking a high-volume model and making it sportier (and more expensive). Some of the visible design cues, such as the inset door handles, curved roof line and integrated exhaust pipes, appear to be almost identical to the Concept Coupe SUV's. However the new spy photos reveal less radical brake lights but a much sportier front end, with large lateral air intakes.

The pre-production vehicle spied here also sports large AMG wheels and a pair of bonnet vents, suggesting it's powered by the German brand's big-hitting twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 that belts out 386kW/700Nm. It will certainly give the 4.4-litre turbo-turbo V8-powered BMW X6 M something to think about.

If this is indeed the MLC 63 AMG, it's likely to cost a lot more than the almost $180,000 ML 63 AMG that currently spearheads the M-Class range.