[volkman10]

Half Sports Car, Half Off-Roader: The Era of the SUV Coupé has begun

Beginning with cars from the big brands like BMW, with the X6, and later on with Mercedes-Benz and Audi, this Sports Utility Coupé trend is growing rapidly in the car world.

With the Coupé SUVs, the premium OEMs found the best way to increase their SUV sales and avoid cannibalization.

They share all parts with the classic siblings but they have a hatchback rear end that allow them to have a more sporty look.

Built on the same platform with parts sharing with its SUV sibling and incremental sales, brings the product development cycle to a bare minimum thus maximizing profits.



This trend will soon be catching up in India too. Mahindra has already made its intentions clear on the XUV9OO , the coupe version of XUV7OO.

Though not from a SUV, Maruti is rumoured to bring the Coupé version of Baleno hatchback.

This trend will further grow as more manufactures' will subscribe to this trend in India too.

More coupe SUVs. These are some of the SUVs offered by Volkswagen in China. Each of them has a coupe version and sits in different segments.









SUV Coupés, a recent trend in the world of motoring, but which is your favourite?

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[ashis89]

NO

I would bet otherwise. SUV coupe designs have been around for sometime now. While it got good attention, the sales numbers have been low and I believe, it will remain a niche segment only. For a mainstream model, the volumes would be very low and might not be sustainable.

Most SUV buyers look for space and practicality. This is compromised in a coupe design. IMO, even the stance of coupe doesn't befit a SUV.

I would rather they compare the coupe to sedan crossover like Volvo cross country series.

[avira_tk]

Yes, this is nothing new, youtube channel Alex on Autos has a recent video on this. Basically coupe SUVs replace sedans, SUVs replace the station wagon and 3 row crossovers replace minivans.

[nikhilthegunner]

I certainly hope this trend does not catch on. A coupe body simply does not go well for an SUV in my frank opinion. Even with the BMW and Benz SUV coupes, I prefer the upright looks of the regular SUVs.

[TrackDay]

The coupe version is a mixed bag, which was made popular initially by the X6. From the recent crop although an SUV, I find the lamborghini urus to be more of a coupe style vehicle. While the advantage of handling comes into play, a lot of rear room space is sacrificed. But then the folks who go for this kind of body style are not price sensitive and for them it is more of a statement to stand apart from the crowd.

[Dr.AD]

I would take the "Classic" SUVs any day over the SUV Coupe.

Looks are of course subjective, but in my opinion, SUV Coupes are some of the ugliest looking vehicles designs. It does not matter whether it is the X6 or the GLE Coupe that we are talking about. They all look ugly to me.

I feel the SUV form looks good only in the classic or even somewhat old school shape. Sedans and hatchbacks offer lot more flexibility in the design forms, and there are many attractive sedan and hatchback designs even in the modern coupe form or with other unusual forms. But not in SUVs. SUVs only look good with rectangular boxy shapes!

Again, I know this is all subjective. But that is how it is for this topic anyway.

[SenPai_GTi]

A coupe SUV is a welcome category. It looks pleasing to the eye, gives a more sporty appeal. But it will eat into the premium sedan sales if priced competitively.

But it all depends on how aesthetically it is designed.


This one sparks joy


This one does not. It is literally a S60 on steroids

[sramanat]

I suspect if the coupe design has any benefit for the end user. In the US, I remember a colleague driving X6 in ~2010 and I have never another one in the office parking lot in the next 5 years. Though I liked it at that time and aspired to get one, come to think of it, it is a neither here, nor there type car. Sort of like the station wagon to a sedan, but much worse.

[TaurusSHO]

Since today's world is full of generic crossovers, a little experimenting with the body style doesn't hurt. They do look good if done right.

[volkman10]

If designed aesthetically the SUV Coupé could actually look better than its classic SUV counterpart.

VW'Nivus Vs. T cross is a recent example in the mass market segment. First release in Brazil as a Coupé, now it is coming as Taigo for the European market.

Its SUV Coupé has some advantages too over its SUV counterpart, though compromised in its headroom at the rear:

-The SUV Coupé is longer than the SUV, giving advantage to its interior space and luggage capacity.

- Cheaper in variant-variant to the SUV

T Cross Vs. Nivus

[dhanushs]

Apart from looking good, I dont think a Coupe SUV will have any real benefits.

May be a couple with a dog can enjoy the high ground clearance while looking cool.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Half Sports Car, Half Off-Roader:

Half baked idea!

Jeroen

[viXit]

This post is an opinion, and I hate it.


Wouldn't buy one if I had all the money in the world.

Urus, Cayenne coupe and Q8 look good because they don't follow the fastback sloping line as aggressively as the rest of the cars. Who even came up with the idea and what's the bloody point??

The shape of a coupe improves on aerodynamics for better high speed efficiencies. An SUV with such a high CoG and lifted suspension will be unsafe around corners that even a honda city with good tyres can take in it's stride.

And I don't get the point of making the faster AMG versions only as these ugly SUVs. Totally weird.

[Reinhard]

Well, on a slightly tangent thought - I honestly feel the word "SPORTS" in any car that is not a purposed sports-car - should be dropped. Its high time evolution resulted in this correction.

With various regulations, safety norms, emission norms and refinement in customer requirements - there is noting "SPORTS" in all the mass market cars that have this word in their name. Why drag this along and find justifications for its existence I wonder. Its like we people are desperate to own an SUV and will somehow try to incorporate this word in the car's name.

I laugh umpteen times when I remember my Nexon is addressed as a subcompact SUV (now a days Compact SUV even by some!). When asked what type of a car I have - my answer is always just "a supermini". The now forgotten term used for slightly larger hatchbacks. Thats what it is.

In continuation with this thought - I don't really know whats "sports" in a "sports coupe" body style at all. It only results in more price for the word . The style itself - I have nothing against per se. Doesn't look too bad if executed well. Personal choice - traditional boxy straight lines for me please. Very few get the coupe lines aesthetically and proportionally right.

[DicKy]

To stand out

This is just a continuation of all the roadsters, convertibles, personal coupes, sportscars, mall crawling SUVs, fancy pick-up trucks. People want to distance themselves from the mundane boring bodystyles. From the hatchbacks, sedans, station wagons, MPVs, vans, SUVs and now crossovers.

The four door coupes pioneered by the Merc CLS was the starting point for cars, while the BMW X6 was the one for SUV/crossovers. For me, after the initial attraction of the high haunches and thick road tyres, the BMW X6 seemed pointless. Just existed to stand out. But people loved it!!! And now with everyone buying crossovers, people who wanted to stand out had limited options. Ofcourse you could buy a Superb or Camry and have an image of being self indulgent, instead of buying a family friendly SUV or crossover. Like how the real rich guys couldn't care less and go on to buy an S class instead of buying a practical X7 or GLS. But people don't want to sacrifice the high H-points and easy of entry/exit.

Tadaa!!! COUPE SUV!!! Afterall, a good number of the Cretas, Harriers and Compass end up havin just one or two passengers most of the time. And they wouldn't care even if they get the boot space of an XUV300. With modern cars anyways having poor rear visibility and cameras all around. Why not?

Personally looking forward to the XUV?00 coupe. Can't care less for the crossovers masquerading as SUVs or the hatchbacks on stilts that won't even qualify for being crossovers, let alone SUVs. Let the market have some variety. IMHO, they should have saved the flush door handles for the coupe version and maybe go wild and give it frameless doors.