Riding The Bandwagon: SUV "Coupes"
Everything you need to know about the trending SUV "coupe" style and nomenclature
Can anyone tell me what a coupe is? How many doors? If you answered 2, your wrong by today's standards. Yes, it can be infuriating when automakers like BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, and other brands reinvent traditional automotive nomenclature. Today you see a variety of products predominately on the luxury market listed as "coupes" but this is not a new thing. In fact, BMW has been making their 4 series coupe with 4 doors for a few years now. Audi has been selling the A5 in a "sportback" variant. Mercedes has sold the CLA for two generations now since the 2000s.
With their sweeping body lines and low cut roofs, fastback SUVs that we have seen so far try their best to compromise style with practicality.
But now we see SUVs entering the market with the coupe-esque design. With their sweeping body lines and low cut roofs, fastback SUVs that we have seen so far try their best to compromise style with practicality. Some fail worse than others, but it is nearly impossible to retain interior space of an SUV and abandon the traditional hatch style of an SUV. Unfortunately for the tall folks, this means you will likely lose a lot of headroom in the second row. Third row? Forget it. To some of us, its no surprise this trend caught on. After all, SUVs account for more new car sales than any other segment by margins, and although people like the way traditional coupes look, they want more utility in a daily driver. As many have noted in the past, 2 door SUVs never work out, they're a thing of the past.
Before I use the word "coupe" anymore, I think it should be established that I am no longer talking about 2 doors exclusively, rather any vehicle with a sloped roofline, where the D-pillar meets the roofline, carried all the way to the rear of the vehicle. Aerodynamic and stylish, yes. Practical? Well, we weight practically less and less seemingly, as the days go on and the market continues to devour SUVs.
While this may not be appealing to some of us enthusiasts/traditionalists, the people want what the people want, and automakers have proven they will abandon anything and everything to stay afloat in the cutthroat competition that is the automotive market. Just ask Ford, they know a thing or two about shaking up the industry and making a news headline or two (see Mustang Mach e, sedan slashing). Its also important to note that this "new" trend as I have been referencing it, isn't really all that new. BMW and Mercedes pioneered the dramatic look with their collaborative work on the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE coupe. Whether you like it or not, its the way things are going, so lets take a look at some popular modern SUV coupes and fastbacks.
1) Porsche Cayenne Coupe
Looking good. Small, but handsome. Perhaps Bruno Mars drives one of these?
The Cayenne is the reason we can still buy the 911 today. Lets just establish that before discussing its new little brother. The Cayenne was launched in the early 2000s to hop on the SUV train while sacrificing a little of porsche's heritage to remain afloat. Sales resurged and now we have beautiful things like the Carrera GT, the 918 Spyder, etc. Starting at $75k, the Cayenne coupe aims to attract the SUV buyer who wants a different daily driver. If you want to stand out even more, get the "lava orange" paint. Porsche Executive Oliver Bloom says that the goal is to make the Cayenne its own character, the coupe is aimed to be the sportiest in the mix. As a result you get the sport chrono package standard. A variety of engine options are available, including a high performance PHEV on the Turbo S model. If Porsche isn't your thing, the Audi Q8 is very closely related.
2) Lamborghini Urus
Much better looking than their first SUV attempt, the LM002.
To be honest, we all kinda saw this one coming. Lamborghini was bound to be forced into the SUV market, everyone was dying for them to join the party. What better timing than now, while we stretch the meaning of coupe longer than ever before? Many would consider their LM002 SUV as the first, which is indeed true. This is rather the first modern approach accompanied with a modern coupe-like flare. As sporty as Lamborghini is, they've allegedly made this thing a serious off-roader... although the terrain selector is in Latin. We love to see it, Lamborghini is at least trying to stick to their roots. Plus, they're making an attempt to be the best at what it does which certainly is admirable. It is safe to say the 650hp twin-turbo V8 will still put a smile on your face at the track, which indeed it should costing over $210k.
3) Toyota C-HR
Styling is... interesting
In case you were thinking about how you could sell everything you own to have one of these vehicles, Toyota developed just about the cheapest thing out there money can buy. Starting at just over $21k, you may not think it deserves to be in the same category. Toyota claims its spot however, while lacking sportiness and luxury. Its full name is Coupe-HighRider. Admittedly, it does make a striking appearance for such an affordable car. Primarily designed for city-dwelling millennials, the C-HR is efficient, reliable, and very... Toyota. Leaving it up to you to decide the rest.
4) Range Rover Evoque
Sleek and simple. If only it made sense.
Starting at a reasonable $43k, the Evoque offers affordable luxury at a mid-range price. While not as premium as its German rivals, it certainly has the cool factor. You simply cannot deny everyone seems to love these things. The badges alone are probably worth more than the rest of the car. The car may be luxuriously styled on both the exterior and interior, but has been criticized for quality issues such as panel gaps, laggy infotainment systems, hard interior plastics, and unusable rear seats. Yes, you may think: "of course it doesn't have room, none of them do", however this isn't all that fair. While these coupes sacrifice most of their headroom in the rear, they have gone to great lengths to maximize whatever little space is left, sometimes even surprising us.
5) Jaguar E-Pace
Sharp and sporty. Just like a Jaaaaaaag should be.
This British SUV is a crisp example of what a Jag should look like in modern times. The styling is classic Jaguar, clean and simple yet unmistakably true to themselves. While it also offers decent pricing, starting at just over $40k, interior quality is reportedly poor. Along with questionable reliability, sub-par value, the Jaguar E-pace certainly has its downsides. Car and Driver reports the E-Pace below average in features, but an engaging drive to hold up its reputation for spirited road trips. The E-Pace also has been praised for its throaty exhaust sound. It seems that Jaguar knows where its priorities are, but just has yet to get the rest in place.
In a nutshell
Yes it is frustrating that the definition of "coupe" changes on a day-to-day basis, but if you can get past the word play and get to know the products behind the scenes, you can appreciate a lot of the factors that identify themselves with their respective brands are still there. In a nutshell, the trendy sportback or fastback or coupe or whatever-you-want-to-call-it SUVs have been a success and their story is more than what meets the eye.
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Comments (5)
Standard-designed SUV/CUV’s (whatever) are becoming the minivans of the modern age. Most people like them but they have become mainstream and are no longer the driving statement they used to be. Now, in order to stand out, people are turning to these sloping roofline types because who needs rear-seat headroom or cargo space? Plus, they’re more expensive. Pointless.
That’s a really good point. Most family’s buy a Tahoe or a 4Runner when they have kids, and when they become empty nesters and want to have that “statement car” you mentioned it’s a coupe SUV!! Of course this is not always true, the Honda...
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The CHR, 🤦🏻♀️
Tm a hummer will be a coupe