A coupe SUV is a type of
sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
with a sloping rear roofline similar to those of
fastbacks
Fastbacks were a Seattle, Washington, punk rock band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/guitarist Kurt Bloch (born August 28, 1960), and friends Lulu Gargiulo (guitar and vocals, born October 12, 1960) and Kim Warnick (bass and vocals, born April 7, ...
or
Kammbacks. The sloping roofline is adopted to offer a styling advantage compared to its standard SUV counterpart, which helps increase
profit margins
Profit margin is a measure of profitability. It is calculated by finding the profit as a percentage of the revenue.
\text = =
There are 3 types of profit margins: gross profit margin, operating profit margin and net profit margin.
* Gross Prof ...
as manufacturers are able to raise the price by marketing it as a more premium model.
Since all coupe SUVs ever produced are of the
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
variety, coupe SUVs may also be called "coupe crossovers" or "coupe crossover SUVs".
Although the term "
coupe
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
" itself is supposed to refer to a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two (
or three) doors, traditional two-door SUVs (including
body-on-frame
Body-on-frame, also known as ladder frame construction, is a common motor vehicle construction method, whereby a separate body or coach is mounted on a strong and relatively rigid vehicle frame or chassis that carries the powertrain (the engin ...
SUVs) such as certain models of
Toyota RAV4
The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Considered the first ever compact crossover SUV, it made its debut in Japan and Europe in 1994, and in North America in 1995, being launched in January 19 ...
and
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size four-wheel drive off-road SUVs manufactured by Jeep since 1986 and is currently in its fourth generation. The Wrangler JL, the most recent generation, was revealed in late 2017 and is produ ...
are never considered by such terms, and every coupe SUV by definition (except for the
Range Rover Evoque Coupé) is equipped with five doors. The body style notably gained criticism as some see it as less attractive and less practical than normal crossovers, since the low roofline reduces cargo space and rear passenger headroom.
History
The
BMW X6
The BMW X6 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV by German automaker BMW. The BMW X6 is the originator of the sports activity coupé (SAC), referencing its sloping rear roof design. It combines the attributes of an SUV (high ground clearance, all- ...
is generally considered the first coupe SUV.
It was based on the
BMW X5
The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by BMW. The X5 made its debut in 1999 as the E53 model. It was BMW's first SUV. At launch, it featured all-wheel drive and was available with either a manual or automatic gearbox. The second generatio ...
and has been marketed as a "Sports Activity Coupé" (SAC), as opposed to standard BMW crossovers, which are called "Sports Activity Vehicles" (SAVs). Introduced in 2008, the X6's styling generated some controversy upon its introduction, as it had less cargo space and a higher price.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
followed suit in 2015 with the
GLE-Class Coupe, while
Audi
Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
Th ...
released the
Q8 in 2018.
The
AMC Eagle SX/4
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** AM ...
, which was introduced in 1981, has also been argued to be the first coupe SUV, since it is a lifted two-door liftback with a permanent
all-wheel drive
An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand.
The most common forms of all-wheel drive are:
;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...
system and was marketed as a car that is capable of light-duty
off-roading
Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicl ...
. The
second-generation Lexus RX and the 2003
Infiniti FX
The Infiniti QX70, formerly called the Infiniti FX until 2013, is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by the Nissan-owned Infiniti luxury vehicle brand between 2002 and 2017. The FX replaced the QX4 as Infiniti's mid-size SUV. It shares the ...
had introduced similar sloping roof design elements without being marketed as coupe SUVs.
Due to its roots from the BMW X6, the segment in its early days mostly consisted of vehicles in the luxury segment.
Audi released the coupe version of their
Q5 crossover with the "Sportback" moniker, while Mercedes-Benz uses the "Coupé" designation, both in line with their two-door and four-door coupes or fastbacks. Several manufacturers began offering coupe crossovers from non-luxury segments, for example the
Renault Arkana
The Renault Arkana is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) with a sloping rear roofline produced by the French manufacturer Renault. The car debuted in May 2019 in Russia as a car based on the older Dacia/Renault Duster B0 platform. Another separ ...
, and some China-only models such as the
Mazda CX-4
The Mazda CX-4 is a compact crossover SUV that was introduced in April 2016 at the Beijing Motor Show, and is produced and sold exclusively in China by the joint venture FAW Mazda.
Overview
The design of the Mazda CX-4 production car was pr ...
,
Volkswagen Tiguan X and
Škoda Kodiaq GT
Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to:
Czech brands and enterprises
* Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav
** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...
.
Some crossovers may feature similar fastback roof sloping, but are not explicitly marketed as coupe SUVs. Examples are the
Tesla Model X
The Tesla Model X is a Battery electric vehicle, battery electric Mid-size crossover SUV#Luxury, mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by Tesla, Inc. since 2015. Developed from the full-size car, full-sized sedan platform of the Tesla Model S, ...
and
Model Y,
Toyota C-HR
The is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured by Japanese automaker Toyota since 2016. The development of the car began in 2013, led by Toyota chief engineer Hiroyuki Koba. The C-HR is based on the same TNGA-C (GA-C) platform as the E210 ser ...
,
Nissan Ariya
The Nissan Ariya is a battery electric compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It was introduced in July 2020 as the first battery electric SUV produced by Nissan. It is produced at its Tochigi plant in Japan ...
, and
Volvo C40
The Volvo XC40 is a Luxury vehicle#Premium compact, subcompact luxury crossover SUV manufactured by Volvo Cars. It was unveiled on 21 September 2017 as the smallest SUV model from Volvo, below the Volvo XC60, XC60. Orders started in September of ...
.
Marketing
According to Strategic Vision, an automotive research and consulting company, buyers of coupe SUVs—particularly those from
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
—are four to five years younger than the usual buyers of typical SUVs. This decreases a car brand's average age, which in turn increases the brand's desirability. They also noted that buyers of SUV coupes are less price-sensitive, which means brands can increase the price tag on these vehicles without affecting sales.
For example, the BMW X6 has an
MSRP
The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer ...
which is more expensive by around in the US compared to the comparably-equipped BMW X5, which greatly helped increase revenue for BMW despite being the less popular model.
Criticism
The coupe SUV category has attracted criticism due to being more expensive than its traditional SUV counterpart, despite having reduced cargo space and rear passenger headroom due to their lower rear roof. Like other crossover SUVs, coupe SUVs also offers poorer performance than their coupe/sedan/wagon equivalent due to additional weight and ride height.
Kristen Lee from ''
Jalopnik
G/O Media Inc. is an American media holding company that runs ''Gizmodo'', ''Kotaku'', ''Jalopnik'', ''Deadspin'', ''Lifehacker'', ''Jezebel'', ''The Root'', ''The A.V. Club'', ''The Takeout'', ''The Onion'', and ''The Inventory''.
History
G ...
'' argued that coupe SUVs "aren’t are
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Since its introduction, the exterior design of the BMW X6 has been widely regarded as controversial, as the rear design in particular was said to make the car look "heavy". The first-generation Acura ZDX has received a negative reception from critics and was not a sales success.
Gallery
File:2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 250d 4MATIC AMG Line Pre Plus 2.1 Front.jpg, 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupé (C253)
File:2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 250d 4MATIC AMG Line Pre Plus 2.1 Rear.jpg, Rear view
File:Volkswagen Tiguan X IMG001 (cropped).jpg, 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan X
File:Volkswagen Tiguan X IMG002 (cropped).jpg, Rear view
File:Renault Arkana (CMF-B) IMG 5628.jpg, 2021 Renault Arkana
The Renault Arkana is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) with a sloping rear roofline produced by the French manufacturer Renault. The car debuted in May 2019 in Russia as a car based on the older Dacia/Renault Duster B0 platform. Another separ ...
File:Renault Arkana (CMF-B) IMG 5624.jpg, Rear view
File:2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L front -- 05-19-2010.jpg, 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour
File:2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L rear -- 05-19-2010.jpg, Rear view
See also
*
Kammback
A Kammback—also known as a Kamm tail or K-tail—is an :Automotive styling features, automotive styling feature wherein the rear of the car slopes downwards before being abruptly cut off with a vertical or near-vertical surface. A Kammback imp ...
*
Fastback
A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is a type of fastback style.
Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been specifically marketed as ...
*
Toyota RSC
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 m ...
, a
concept
Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs.
They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by s ...
SUV with a coupe-like roofline and two doors
References
{{Automobile configuration
*Coupe
Car body styles