Cars are not exactly subtle in naming their types. The words SUV don’t exactly paint a picture in someone’s mind that hasn’t seen an SUV yet. If you are new to learning about cars the names can cause a lot of confusion. Worry not we are here to help with this confusion and explain most of the car type names and why are they called as such.
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Hatchbacks
People usually think a small car curved from the back is a hatchback. Not quite correct, hatchbacks are actually cars that there is a hatch at the rear. By hatch, it means that the opening this hatch it will lead you into the trunk which will always be connected to the rear seats. These rear seats can usually be folded to increase cargo space and thus are marketed as family cars.
Read 10 Best Hatchbacks in India with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
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Sedan
Also known as saloons, sedans are defined as a car with separate passenger and cargo space. They are bit sharper looking than hatchback as well. The sedan usually has a three-box design. The first box features the engine, the second box has the passengers while the last box is the space for cargo. They also have more headroom compared to other types do the slanting roof.
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Compact Sedan
Not quite hard to understand they are simply the smaller version of the sedan. These are identified as a Sedan but it meets a certain size requirement which makes them smaller than a sedan and thus they are given a different category. They can be quite useful to people that live in a place that doesn’t have a lot of parking space.
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Sports Cars
Sports cars are the fastest and coolest looking cars. Mostly two-seaters these cars offer unrivalled performance and unrivalled price tag as well. They can be defined as a small car with a low base and a highly powerful engine. They can reach incredible top speeds and have insane cornering potential.
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SUV
SUVs are a bit vague to categorise as they don’t have a universally accepted definition yet. To give an overall idea of what SUV can be defined as they can be pictured as passenger cars that can be used for offroading. They have a similar rear as a hatchback but are quite big compared to them. They are mostly used for long-distance travel as they are quite comfortable to drive in.
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Compact SUV
Similar to SUVs they don’t have a definition agreed upon by everyone. Just think of them as similar to SUVs but in a smaller size. They are quite famous all around the world as their size and power are what people want for day to day use.
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Crossovers
They are another type of SUVs that have better comfort and better fuel economy at the cost of off-roading capabilities. The only way to actually differentiate between crossovers and SUV is the platform they are made on. Crossovers are built on a Unibody platform while SUVs are made on a body-on-frame platform.
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Cabriolet/Convertible
Convertibles are cars that have a roof that can be removed at will. They go by a lot of names but convertible and cabriolet are the two main names you need to know. Convertibles are cars that are usually made for people with some money to spend and are not cheap. They might appear cool but they are quite structurally weak compared to other cars types. If one were to classify them according to looks they would look similar to a sports car but not as good.
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Minivan
Minivans are an American term to describe vans that are used for personal transportation rather than commercial use. They are quite often used by parents and is good for carrying both kids and items around without much fuss. They can be quite big, sometimes even bigger than an SUV.
Read 10 Reasons Why Maruti Suzuki Eeco Obliterates Automotive Sales Chart!
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Station Wagon
A two-box design similar to hatchbacks, a station wagon is quite easy to spot due to the large cargo area they have. This extended boot space allows them to be identified easily as they quite frankly look out of space. Nowadays they have been taken over by SUV and Minivans that offer better features than a station wagon.
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Pickup Trucks
They are small-sized trucks that have a closed cab space and an open cargo area. They are mostly used in America for both passenger and commercial reasons and are rarely spotted in India.
This was a brief classification of how cars are identified according to car body type. Most other types are either similar or derived from these types. The lines between car types sometimes get a bit blurry but they will mostly follow the definition set beforehand.
Hi am nikkhil iam 12 years old ilove Mahindra brand cars I have some doubt
Hi Nikhil,
Great to see such young lads taking interest in the automobile. We are more than happy to clear your doubts. Share your doubts via mail @gomechanicblog@gomechanic.in