8 Sedans That Should Be Offered as Coupes
The Honda Civic Coupe represents the last of a dying breed: mainstream coupes. For some reason, people either want stylish, practical sedans, or hot performance coupes – but nothing in between.
After our recent review of the new Civic Coupe, it’s clear that two-door, mass-market cars can still look great, be practical, and have a bit of a sporty edge over the sedans on which they’re based. So we put our thinking caps on and decided there are more than a few cars that could look great if we lopped off two doors.
SEE ALSO: 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Review
Cadillac CTS
Cadillac needs a large luxury coupe to compete with its German rivals, and the CTS is the best place to start. Sure, the CTS Coupe used to be offered, back with the second generation of the luxury nameplate. It was cool looking, too, with the Cadillac “Art and Design” language being utilized in full effect. In comparison to the original CTS Coupe, the newer and smaller ATS coupe looks a bit plain, so a new CTS coupe would be a great way to get Cadillac going.
Mazda6
Arguably the prettiest mid-sized sedan on the market, the Mazda6 could look even prettier with two fewer doors. Essentially a modern version of the Mazda MX-6, a Mazda6 coupe would be a showcase of all of Mazda’s best designs, inside and out. The Mazda6 is an obvious candidate for “coupification” because it already has such great driving dynamics. Plus, the Accord Coupe needs some competition now that the Nissan Altima Coupe has been axed.
Ford Fusion
Sure, Ford offers the Mustang as its mainstream coupe, but if buyers want a more efficient and practical front-wheel or all-wheel-drive layout, they’re out of luck. A two-door Fusion could look great, using design elements from the current Fusion and the older Evos concept, while using Ford’s potent EcoBoost engines. It’d be the perfect foil for the V6 Accord Coupe!
Volvo V60, XC90
When Volvo debuted the Estate Concept a few years ago, we were stunned by how pretty a modern two-door wagon could look. Volvo has always had good-looking coupes, so maybe it’s time to take the S60 or V60 and lose two doors. In 2014, the brand even showed us a concept that was essentially a coupe version of the XC90. C’mon now, Volvo, stop teasing.
Audi A3
The Audi A5 is considered one of the prettiest coupes around, so why wouldn’t Audi consider making a bite-sized version of it using the A3 as the starting point? It could compete directly with the BMW 2 Series, but that brings up another good point…
Mercedes-Benz CLA Class
OK Mercedes, stop playing around. If you want to call the CLA a coupe, then it shouldn’t have four doors. Make a two-door version of it already, because those rear seats in the CLA are already nearly useless.
Acura ILX
Now that the Civic Coupe has arrived, could we see the ILX being offered in such a body style? Throw in the ILX’s innovated dual-clutch transmission and the ILX coupe could be quite the hit with young-professional crowd.
Subaru Impreza
We all know the BRZ isn’t quite the perfect two-door Subaru. The design is nothing like any other car in the lineup, it’s not turbocharged, and it isn’t all-wheel drive. So we urge Subaru to take the already awesome WRX and make it a sexy coupe, just like the old 2.5RS days.
Sami has an unquenchable thirst for car knowledge and has been at AutoGuide for the past six years. He has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto and has won multiple journalism awards from the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada. Sami is also on the jury for the World Car Awards.
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i totally agree with you about the Mazda6, Mazda6 coupe would be the shiznit! -here's my 2 cent suggestion: Scion iA. No really. the rear door handles are so out of plane from the fronts. **oh yeah, and the chitty Chevy Impala