It started with just the BMW X6, but its success — it surpassed even the most optimistic expectations, according to the brand — meant that, in a few years, the SUV-Coupé segment saw the proposals multiply with the arrival proposals from Mercedes-Benz, Audi and even Skoda and Renault.
But what are the reasons behind the success of this bodywork format, which combines two such disparate concepts as the sportiness associated with a coupé and the versatility of an SUV?
To find out, our colleagues at Autoblog questioned Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision, an automotive consulting firm.
The BMW X6 is one of those responsible for the "boom" of the SUV-Coupé.
buyer profile
According to Strategic Vision, there are demographic and psychological reasons and Alexander Edwards uses the case of Mercedes-Benz as an example that has in the GLC Coupé and GLE Coupé its proposals in this niche.
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According to him, buyers of the German brand's SUV-Coupé are, on average, four to five years younger than the typical customer of a similar SUV.
Furthermore, according to the analyst, they are individuals who are very concerned about the image, less interested in the price factor and like the idea of purchasing a model with a format that is not so widespread.
Renault Arkana
About this, Alexander Edwards says that these customers “see the car as an extension of themselves (…) In addition to wanting the car to represent them, they want it to also be synonymous with their success”.
The reasons behind the brands bet
Taking into account the profile of the typical SUV-Coupé buyer (at least in the case of Mercedes-Benz), it is not surprising that brands continue to invest in this format.
They appeal to a younger age group, which helps to increase visibility and brand image in these layers. Furthermore, as Alexander Edwards points out, the fact that their buyers are less “sensitive” to the asking price — generally a few thousand euros higher compared to the corresponding conventionally-shaped SUVs — allows brands the benefit of higher profitability per unit sold.
Source: Autoblog
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