As SUVs dominate India's automotive landscape, Tata Motors and Citroen introduce coupe-styled models to the mainstream market, blending sporty aesthetics with practicality.
19 Aug 2024 | 9460 Views | By Prerna Lidhoo, Ketan Thakkar, and Sergius Barretto
Not long ago, there were distinct body styles with equally distinct hierarchies. The three-box sedan denoted status and prestige, the ubiquitous hatchback was the common man’s car, while the SUV was seen as rugged and utilitarian and MPVs were primarily for fleet operators.
However, over the last three-four years, ...
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Not long ago, there were distinct body styles with equally distinct hierarchies. The three-box sedan denoted status and prestige, the ubiquitous hatchback was the common man’s car, while the SUV was seen as rugged and utilitarian and MPVs were primarily for fleet operators.
However, over the last three-four years, the SUV has become the dominant body style and has found its way into every segment, giving rise to compact SUVs, subcompact SUVs and crossover SUVs. The latest to join this mainstream line-up is the SUV coupe.
The SUV coupe is a bold departure from the traditional SUV form factor. It combines the robust, high-riding structure of the SUV with the sleek, aerodynamic profile of a coupe. These coupe-style SUVs, characterised by their sloping rooflines and sportier profiles, offer a unique blend of SUV practicality and a more dynamic aesthetic.
The design trend first gained traction in global markets more than 15 years ago, particularly in Europe and the United States, where luxury automakers were redefining the SUV concept.
However the coupe, or coupé, has been around for over a century. The term is derived from the French verb couper or "to cut", and originally referred to a short horse-drawn carriage designed for two passengers, lacking rear-facing seats.
Back to modern times, the coupe SUV segment has largely been dominated by luxury models such as the Range Rover Evoque, the Mercedes GLE Coupe, the Audi e-tron Sportback, and the Porsche Cayenne Coupe. These luxury automakers have adopted a range of market positioning for such models. Now, two new models — the Tata Motors Curvv EV and the Citroen Basalt — are taking the SUV coupe into uncharted territory: India’s sink-or-swim mainstream car market.
“We wanted to bring a clutter-breaking product, in line with global trends, and democratise something traditionally associated with luxury,” said Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director at Tata Motors Passenger Vehicle Business and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility. Chandra admits that Indian customers might be a little unfamiliar with the body style, but suggests that the presence of this form factor in the premium segment would create an aspirational pull. “Some will buy for utilitarian considerations, but there will also be a mix of emotive reasons. This segment will grow over a period of time,” he notes.
Forerunning the Curvv.ev in design was the Nexon, which cleverly hid a regular roofline in a coupe-ish profile. Tata Motors, the country’s third largest car maker, had also tried the sloping roof style in its compact sedan ,Tigor, a model which found only modest acceptance. Clearly, the Curvv is not as abrupt a design change as may appear at first.
For his part, Chandra believes that coupes will be bought by discerning customers rather than those who are getting their first taste of four-wheeled personal mobility. “Customers do not think in terms of body styles, but are eager to buy something that is not run-of-the-mill. I believe that this segment of customers is an upgrader. For example, 60% of Nexon buyers are first-time buyers, whereas for this, it could be only 30%,” he says.
The SUV Revolution
To understand the story behind the launch of SUV coupes in India, it is first required to take stock of the remarkable transformation that has taken place in the Indian car market over the last two-and-a-half decades.
The first decade of the millennium, 2000 to 2010, was about giving the basic joy of personal mobility, where the humble hatchbacks ruled the roost — right from the Maruti 800 and Alto to the Hyundai i20 and Volkswagen Polo. The latter part of the decade also saw the emergence of the sub- 4-metre sedans, as the government introduced lower taxes on compact cars from 2007.
The SUVs were around, but were predominantly rural plays, such as the Mahindra Bolero and Tata Sumo. However, some homegrown players did try their hands at lifestyle SUVs — particularly the Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari, but with limited volumes. It was only after 2010 that the segment truly exploded, when several international brands turned their attention towards the compact segment, which was until then dominated by Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor.
The first wave of the SUV rush can be said to have begun in the early 2010s. In 2011, the Mahindra XUV 500 created a soft-roader premium SUV segment. But the real change started in the following year, when the Renault Duster kicked off the era of urban mid-size SUVs. A year later, it was the turn of the Ford EcoSport to set off the sub-4-metre SUV wave. The mid-size urban SUV segment, which the Duster kicked off in 2012, was accelerated to the next level by Hyundai Creta. Similarly, the affordable SUV wave started by Ford was taken to a different level by Tata Nexon and Maruti Suzuki Brezza.
While consumers saw SUVs as an aspirational purchase, carmakers viewed them as a way to challenge Maruti Suzuki's hegemony over India's compact car market. The market got even more frenetic in the late 2010s and early 2020s, as several new players, including Kia, MG and Groupe PSA (Stellantis) tried to ride on Indian consumers’ rising fascination for SUVs.
Several reasons underlie the increasing popularity of SUVs in India during the last five years. With its tall stance, the SUV offers better visibility, higher ground clearance and impressive road presence. Add to the mix, rising disposable incomes and new-age features, the rise of SUVs was almost inevitable.
The segment has ballooned since the Covid-19 pandemic, with the share of SUVs more than doubling to over 50%. Today, in a market of 146 models from 24 different brands — 86 are SUVs. With sub- segmentations, their share is poised to cross 60% in the coming years— higher than even evolved markets globally. With SUVs gaining so much dominance over the market, experts say, it is only natural for carmakers to try various form-factor variations to cater to specific customer segments.
Mixing Sportiness and Practicality
It is in this context that SUV coupes have emerged as a unique blend of the sporty aesthetics of the coupe and the practicality of the SUV.
The sloping roof lines of SUV coupes appeal to buyers seeking style alongside functionality, particularly among younger buyers who also appreciate their sporty performance and luxurious interiors. The trend can be traced back to the BMW X6 launched in 2008, and has expanded to encompass models such as the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe and the Audi Q8. Despite criticisms centred on reduced cargo space and higher costs, the demand for SUV coupes continues to rise globally, influencing automotive designs across the world, including India.
While SUV coupes have been available in the premium market in India for several years, the launch of Tata Motors’ Curvv.ev — starting at Rs 17.49 lakh — and the Citroen Basalt — starting at Rs 7.99 lakh — marks their entry into the mainstream market. The Basalt sits at an interesting meeting point of SUVs, sedans and coupes and is positioned as 'India’s first mainstream coupe SUV.'
Tata Motors, on its part, is keen not to position the Curvv.ev primarily as a style statement but wants it to be appreciated as much for its utility as for its style. “A body style is a very fuzzy customer judgment, but some will stay away, some will experiment more, and eventually, they will start adopting them,” points out Chandra.
He is quick to point out that his coupe does not lack any of the features one expects to find in a typical SUV. “The car boasts ADAS technology, styling, and safety features… Utilitarian benefits and performance are what will give us the initial traction...we want it to be amongst the top-selling cars,” he says.
“Basalt rises from the core of our global values of introducing groundbreaking technologies and designs. As one of the youngest carmakers in India, we're driven by changing customer preference where the coupe fits in perfectly,” Shishir Mishra, Brand Director, Citroen India said. “They are engineered specifically for the Indian market with more than 98% localisation.” In the future, SUVs across various segments, Mishra adds, will create a unique offering with design being the key differentiator.
But will the bets pay off for Citroen and Tata Motors, particularly given that coupes are traditionally associated with two-seater configurations where interior space is not a big consideration? Avik Chattopadhyay, founder of India’s first design house and an automotive consultant at Expereal, calls the models a “commendable attempt” at making traditional boxy-shaped SUVs more “attractive”, and adapt a “very European” form-factor for the Indian market.
“As long as it does not compromise with rear headroom, the post-Covid-19 Indian four-wheeler buyer is ready to try something fresh and distinct,” he says, suggesting that headroom may not be reduced drastically, since SUVs typically come with a higher roofline.
Interestingly, he points out that the two brands have widely differing reasons for experimenting with this new format. “For the Tata brand, it is clearly an attempt to be seen as at par with European brands and thereby more ‘global’ in its DNA.
For Citroen, it is possibly their last throw of the dice in bringing a premium form factor at a very attractive price point to ignite interest in the brand.” Ravi Bhatia, President of Jato Dynamics India, sees the launches as differentiation attempts in an increasingly crowded SUV market.
“The SUV space is getting seriously contested, and vehicle makers need a strong differentiating factor. Form factor innovation in the automotive industry has remained rather slow, unlike other consumer segments like phones, gadgets, or other consumer goods categories. With EVs, there is a significant change happening in the interior space; however, the changes on the exterior have been rather incremental than radical,” he notes.
He appreciates the attempts by the two brands to “break the stereotypes.” “Style is an important consideration for prospective buyers; something different and refreshing in design can create a pull.
It will be interesting to see how Indian consumers respond to these new options, balancing the appeal of distinctive styling against practical considerations like interior space and price premiums typically associated with coupe-styled SUVs,” he adds.
In the end, some part of the success depends on factors outside the companies’ control, such as the maturity of the market to receive a particular product. A senior industry executive pointed to the experience of station wagons such as the Maruti Suzuki Altura, Tata Indigo Marina XL and crossover S Cross — all of which failed to live up to expectations. Similarly, vans and pick-ups remain largely confined to the commercial segment in India. Sometimes, he pointed out, products are simply ahead of their times.
This feature was first published in Autocar Professional's August 15, 2024 issue.