Crossover Coupe Appeal Fading Fast - What Is The Next Big Trend?

Indeed, sales of crossovers with sharply tapered, coupelike rooflines fell dramatically in September, continuing a yearlong decline.

These crossover-coupes were intended to be a design statement, but styling has been controversial for some of them. And dealers say poor rear visibility, awkward ingress and egress, and limited back-seat headroom also have turned off shoppers.

freeagent - 10/8/2013 3:51:33 PM

-1 Boost

in the end, they serve no real purpose. reduced usability coupled with poor visibility, and often odd styling resulting from the basic shape of "4 door coupes" is not a solid basis for long term viability. all in all, a bad set of compromises

Car4Life - 10/9/2013 1:45:23 PM

+2 Boost

Don't worry, Benz will make the crossover coupe hot again with the MLC...just watch

Sciros - 10/8/2013 4:43:37 PM

+1 Boost

I'm going to totally pull this out of my arse and claim that the next big trend will be companies trying to piggy back on Tesla's good will and make expensive electric or mostly electric cars to be aspirational vehicles for the upper middle class.

BMW is already going down that road, Caddy is following, and I expect more of the same from Lexus, Ford, and so forth.

PUGPROUD - 10/8/2013 7:10:12 PM

-1 Boost

The next big trend is going to take everyone by surprise...though Nissan failed in its execution the coming Evoque small SUV convertible is going to be such a success that BMW, Mercedes and Audi will develop
similar models. The public cannot get enough of SUV's high driving position and AWD format...a well designed convertible SUV is a certainty.

CarCrazedinCali - 10/8/2013 7:56:42 PM

+1 Boost

haha, two posts earlier Mercedes confirms the MLC is coming, too ironic the timing of these articles...

I would love a performance oriented utility vehicle with awd and good ground clearance to go skiing/camping from time to time and a hardtop convertible roof to drop by the beach,

is that too much to ask?

MattDarringer - 10/8/2013 10:12:31 PM

-1 Boost

We have Honda/Acura to thank for killing the segment with their atrocities. And BMW isn't far behind in the pointlessness wars.

cidflekken - 10/9/2013 12:29:41 AM

0 Boost

The segment was never really alive enough to kill. It's a segment that never should have been. And I don't agree that the Infiniti FX or Toyota Venza fit in this category.

saga - 10/8/2013 11:09:26 PM

+1 Boost

Really? Was there ever any appeal?

carsnyc - 10/9/2013 9:32:53 AM

0 Boost

I agree: FX and Venza are different and good looking cars.

gkearns56 - 10/10/2013 4:40:40 PM

+1 Boost

This Acura model was DOA when they introduced it with the "bird-beak". It's fading because when you build something as UGLY as this, no wonder people don't want it. This gets put in the Pontiac Aztec category.