Coupe SUV

Acoupe SUVis a type ofsport utility vehiclewith a sloping rear roofline similar to those offastbacksorKammbacks.The sloping roofline is adopted to offer a styling advantage compared to its standard SUV counterpart,^[1]^[2]which helps increaseprofit marginsas manufacturers are able to raise the price by marketing it as a more premium model.^[3]Since all coupe SUVs ever produced are of thecrossovervariety, coupe SUVs may also be called "coupe crossovers" or "coupe crossover SUVs".

Although the term "coupe"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 (includingbody-on-frameSUVs) such as certain models ofToyota RAV4andJeep Wranglerare never considered by such terms, and every coupe SUV by definition (except for theRange Rover Evoque Coupé) is equipped with five doors.^[4]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.^[5]

History

Range Rover Evoque Coupé,a three-door coupe SUV

TheSsangYong Actyonis generally considered the first coupe SUV. In Europe, theBMW X6was considered the first of its kind.^[6]It was based on theBMW X5and 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-Benzfollowed suit in 2015 with theGLE-Class Coupe,whileAudireleased theQ8in 2018.^[7]^[8]

TheAMC Eagle SX/4,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 permanentall-wheel drivesystem and was marketed as a car that is capable of light-dutyoff-roading.^[9]Thesecond-generation Lexus RXand the 2003Infiniti FXhad introduced similar sloping roof design elements without being marketed as coupe SUVs.^[10]

Due to its roots from the BMW X6, the segment in its early days mostly consisted of vehicles in the luxury segment.^[6]Audi released the coupe version of theirQ5crossover with the "Sportback" moniker, while Mercedes-Benz uses the "Coupé" designation, both in line with their two-door and four-door coupes or fastbacks.^[11]Several manufacturers began offering coupe crossovers from non-luxury segments, for example theRenault Arkana,^[12]theFiat Fastback,^[13]and some China-only models such as theMazda CX-4,^[14]Volkswagen Tiguan XandŠkoda Kodiaq GT.

Some crossovers may feature similar fastback roof sloping, but are not explicitly marketed as coupe SUVs. Examples are theTesla Model XandModel Y,Toyota C-HR,Nissan Ariya,andVolvo C40.

Marketing

According to Strategic Vision, an automotive research and consulting company, buyers of coupe SUVs—particularly those fromMercedes-Benz—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.^[3]For example, the BMW X6 has anMSRPwhich is more expensive by aroundUS$5,000 in the US compared to the comparably-equipped BMW X5, which greatly helped increase revenue for BMW despite being the less popular model.^[15]

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 offer poorer performance than their wagon/hatch/coupe/sedan equivalents due to additional weight and ride height.^[5]Kristen Lee fromJalopnikargued that coupe SUVs "aren’t are [sic] particularly good at any one thing, "^[16]Other criticisms arise from the fact that coupe SUV contradicts the traditional concept of a coupe which should only have two doors, frameless doors, and2+2 seating.^[17]^[18]

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-generationAcura ZDXhas received a negative reception from critics and was not a sales success.^[19]^[20]^[21]