Sportage

Make
Kia
Segment
SUV

Like it or not, SUV Coupes have solidified themselves as their own automotive segment. The most recent additions to the category include the 2020 BMW X6, and the 2020 Audi Q3 Sportback, the latter of which will not be offered in the US. Notice anything about these two? That's right, they both come from luxury automakers. So far, the only SUV Coupes have come from luxury brands like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche, but what if a mainstream automaker jumped in on the craze?

The idea doesn't make a ton of sense because SUV Coupes are a styling exercise and typically cost more than their standard SUV counterparts while offering less practicality. Mainstream automakers sell SUVs based on value, so offering an SUV Coupe with a lower value proposition might not be such a great idea.

But if any mainstream automaker could execute well on an SUV Coupe, we'd say Kia has a good chance to get it right. Rendering artist Nikita Chuiko has taken a stab at imagining what an SUV Coupe from Kia could look like. Chuiko calls it the Sportage Coupe-Crossover and we think the 2020 Sportage lends itself well to the SUV Coupe treatment.

Much like the Porsche Cayenne Coupe, the design doesn't stray too far from the standard SUV shape in order to look more coupe-like. Power would likely come from the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder in the base Sportage producing 181 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque or the optional 2.0-liter turbocharged mill with 240 hp and 260 lb-ft.

Volkswagen is rumored to be working on a Coupe version of the Atlas, which proves a mainstream automaker is thinking about entering the segment. Seeing as Kia is about to release a new SUV called the Seltos, now might not be the best time to add yet another SUV to the lineup, but we still think it could be an interesting idea.