This is why the new Peugeot 3008 is not called a ‘coupé’

The term ‘coupe SUV’ is used inappropriately by car manufacturers. Merely ‘inappropriate’, indeed, because an SUV is of course never a real coupe. After all, all cars called that simply have rear doors. If it were up to the marketing department, the term ‘coupé’ would soon come into the picture. The only ‘criterion’ is a strongly sloping roofline, but that is a shape that we see very often nowadays, especially in the electric car world. After all, such a roofline is good for aerodynamics, especially if it also means that the disruptive rear wiper can be left behind.

When using the term ‘coupe’ (in English without a hyphen), some manufacturers are more confident than others. Some brands only speak of ‘coupé influences’, others simply call their powerful model ‘coupé’. Mercedes is one of the best-known examples of this with the GLC Coupé and GLE Coupé, models that need this addition to distinguish themselves from the regular GLC and GLE. Audi sticks to a more neutral ‘Sportback’, but is not ashamed to refer to a model like the Q8 as an ‘SUV Coupé’. Renault proves that it is not necessary to also offer a variant without a sloping roofline. The brand already had the ‘coupe SUV’ Arkana, and recently added the larger and more expensive Arkana to its range. “The Renault Rafale is an SUV coupe that was born and bred for driving pleasure,” says the press release.

The Renault Rafale (above) and the Peugeot e-3008

If we compare the silhouette of that Rafale with that of the new Peugeot e-3008, it is striking that the roofline is quite similar. The Renault looks a bit more stretched, partly due to its greater length, but the wiperless rear window is at a similar angle on these cars. Yet Peugeot never uses the word ‘coupe’. When asked, Peugeot’s global Product Director Jérôme Micheron indicates that this was a very conscious choice. “Coupé” sounds like something less spacious. The word ‘Fastback’ gives a much better indication of what we want with this car, which must also be spacious and versatile and have a large luggage compartment.”

The fact that the more or less similar, but somewhat lower Peugeot 408 is also not called a coupe, is of course for the same reason. It may be a small step, but an interesting one. Just as we once saw the word ‘SUV’ change to ‘crossover’ and those terms are now more or less used interchangeably, the ‘SUV coupe’ may one day also have a negative connotation. Or better yet: the term ‘SUV coupe’ may eventually also have a negative connotation among car manufacturers. After all, this has been the case with the public for a long time.

Peugeot design

From headlights to grille and from tusks to wheel design: it is almost undeniable that the Renault Rafale has many Peugeot features.

Now that the Renault Rafale has been linked to the Peugeot e-3008: Renault’s most recent designs are strikingly similar to current Peugeots. That is probably no coincidence, because designer Gilles Vidal switched from Peugeot to Renault in 2020. His replacement Matthias Hosann prefers not to comment directly on the striking Peugeot features of the Rafale, but does show a meaningful smile when asked. “We just see it as a compliment,” another Peugeot representative dismisses the matter.