After the first passenger vehicle was made in the 19th century by Amédée Bollée, Cars have evolved from being a boxy tool that takes you from A to B, to a machine that is sculptured in such a way that it has everything you want in your journey from A to B. With the advancement in technology, cars have been so diversified that the definition of a car is not anymore only a "passenger vehicle", it's a toy that reflects the personality of a person who owns that vehicle.
When it comes to buying a new car, there are tons of options with more than 400 different models available globally from different brands belonging to different countries. You are going to have a hard time buying a new car if you are not familiar with their differences. And, the easiest way to differentiate these many cars from one another is by their shape (body styles). So, here is everything that you need to know about the different types of body styles that have been around for quite some time.
Sedan
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| 2018 BMW 7 Series |
A sedan (also called a saloon) is a body style with 3-box configurations. It consists of an engine bay, a closed cabin ( fixed metal roof ) with two rows of seats, and an entirely separated trunk that sticks out at the rear side resulting in an elongated body shape.
The traditional sedan has four doors with a spacious cabin that can accommodate up to 5 people. This type of car body style is generally known for its ride quality, space, and high-tech interior. According to their uniqueness, Sedans are categorized as Notchback sedans, Liftback sedans, Fastback sedans, Coach sedans, and Club sedans. Some popular sedans are,
- Toyota Corolla
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Civic
- Honda Accord
- BMW 3 Series and 7 Series
- Lexus LS 400
- Volkswagen Jetta
- Volvo S60
- Hyundai Elantra
- Tesla Model 3.
Coupe
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| 2018 Subaru BRZ |
The name coupe was derived from the french word which means to "cut" which indicates a car that has been "cut" or made shorter than standard. A conventional coupe has a fixed roof and 3-box configuration but is sportier with only a two-door and more sloping rear roofline than sedans. Most the coupe comes with two seats or additional tiny two seats in the back (known as a 2+2).
Overall, Coupes are a little compact and more sporty vehicles but there are always exceptions. Cars like Mazda RX-8 ( not practically 4 doors but that suicide door still counts), Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class has four doors and is still called a coupe. It is categorized as Berlinetta (lightweight sporty coupe), Club Coupe, Business Coupe, Opera coupe, and Quad Coupe. Some popular coupes are,
- Volkswagen Beetle
- Ford Mustang
- Chevy Corvette
- Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ
- BMW M2
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Nissan Z
- Acura Integra Type R
- Toyota Supra.
Station Wagon
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| 2020 Volvo V90 |
A station wagon (also called Wagon or Estate car) is a 2-box configuration body style with 4 doors and its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger and cargo volume with access at the back with the help of a hatch door instead of the trunk. The station wagon is known for its sedan-like comfort ride with rugged body cladding to make them more like a sport-utility vehicle.
Most of the station wagon has seats for 5 people (some wagons like the 1969 ford Galaxie country squire wagon also has an additional 2 rear/side facing seats). Overall, Station wagons are more spacious and comfortable vehicles with some capability of SUVs and being more agile than SUVs. Some popular station wagons are,
- Ford Mondeo Estate
- Audi A4 Wagon
- Subaru Outback Wagon
- Volvo V60/V90
- Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain
Hatchback
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| 2019 Volkswagen Golf |
Similar to Station Wagon, Hatchback ( also called small station wagon) is another car body style with a smaller 2-box configuration (3-box configurations are rarely available) and a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the cargo area. It comes with 3-door or 5-doors as the tailgate is also counted as a door and with accommodation for up to 5 people. Hatchback looks more or less like a station wagon but is compact in nature. Therefore, It is perfect for city cars where there is more traffic and less space. Some popular hatchbacks are,
- Volkswagen Golf
- Mini cooper
- Ford Focus
- Audi A7
- Hyundai Veloster N
- Volkswagen Polo
- Honda Civic Type R
- Chevy Bolt
Fastback
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A fastback is a body style that looks somewhat between a coupe and hatchback. Like the hatchback, it has a hatch door at the rear side and a single slope from the roof to the tail. It is a 2-box or 3-box configuration. This design is generally used in performance vehicles as it is more aerodynamically superior to others. Some popular fastbacks are,
- BMW Z4 E85
- Lexus LFA
- Ford Mustang
- Toyota 2000GT
- Ford Mustang Fastback
- Mercedes-AMG GT
- Jaguar F-Type
Convertible
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| 2016 Mini Cooper Convertible |
If there is any car body style better suited for vacation trips on the sunny summer days, it is convertible. A convertible, also known as a cabriolet is a car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The roof can be foldable or completely removable, it can be a hardtop, soft top, Targa-top or T-top convertible. Since the rigid roof is replaced by a removable roof that can be folded down, convertibles have less structural rigidity and cargo space.
Convertibles are generally 3-Box configuration body style with sitting for 2 to 4 people and the one with accommodation for only 2 people is known as Roadster or Spyder. The majority of convertible roofs are of a folding construction framework with the actual top made from cloth or other fabric. Other types of convertible roofs include retractable hardtops (automatic removal) and detachable hardtops (manually removal) often constructed from metal or plastic. Some popular convertibles are,
- Honda S2000
- Mazda MX-5/Miata
- Mini Cooper Convertible
- BMW Z3
- Chevy Corvette
- Porsche Boxster Spyder
- Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
- Toyota MR2 Spyder
- Ford Thunderbird
- Mustang Convertible
Micro/City Car
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| 2016 Fiat 500 Abarth |
A microcar (also called a city car) is the smallest size of car body style, it is also referred to as the smaller version of the hatchback. It is a 3-box configuration closed body style with 3 or 4-wheels and accommodation for 1 to 4-people. Microcars are so small, that even a tiny engine can power the vehicle. Since it is a small car powered by a tiny engine and is mainly used for city commute, this body style is the best economical in nature. But that comes with the price of a compact cabin and cargo area. Some popular microcars are,
- BMW Isetta
- Fiat 500
- Mini Cooper
- Berkeley Sports SA322
- Suzuki Alto
- Renault Twizy quadricycle
- Honda Beat
- Smart Fortwo
- Messerschmitt KR200
Limousine
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Whether it is in a movie or in real life when you see people going to a party or a president traveling in a long vehicle, it's a Limousine or limo in short. It is a 3-box configuration body style with a long cabin area with more than 4 actual doors and a partition between the driver's compartment and the passenger's compartment. Limousines are generally not used as a daily drivers, they are more like a car for special occasions. Some popular limousines are,
- Lincoln Town Car
- Chrysler 300
- Cadillac One/XTS
- Rolls Royce Phantom Limo
- Hummer H2 Limo
- The American Dream (world's longest vehicle)
Pickup Truck
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| 2021 Ford Ranger |
It may be confusing to differentiate between the different car body styles and if there is anything easy to distinguish from other body styles is Pickup Truck. Because of its open cargo bed, anyone can differentiate them from distance. A pickup truck is a 3-box configuration light-duty truck with an engine at the front, an enclosed cabin, and an open cargo area with low sides and a tailgate. The cabin area consists of 1 row (Single Cab) or 2 rows (Double Cab) of seats. This type of body style is known for its off-road capabilities and ruggedness as it is generally built with the body on frame configuration, but some modern pickup trucks like Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick are built-in unibody configurations. Some popular pickup trucks are,
- Toyota Hilux
- Toyota Tundra
- Ford Ranger
- Honda Ridgeline
- Mitsubishi Triton
- Ford F-150
- Mahindra Scorpio Pickup
- Chevrolet Colorado
- Ram 1500
- Nissan Frontier
- Tata TL
- Jeep Gladiator
SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle)
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2021 Toyota rav4 |
One of the body styles which is getting more and more popular these days is the sports utility vehicle or SUV. It is a type of body style with a 2-box configuration and lots of passenger and cargo room. SUV has combined elements of a road commuting passenger car (such as comfort, roomy and advanced interior) and some features from an off-road vehicle (such as ground clearance, 4WD, differential locking, and torque vectoring). The chassis construction is generally body-on-frame but nowadays manufacturers are shifting to unibody construction. SUV is known for its practicality and comfortable ride on both on-roads and off-roads. It consists of 4-doors with a capacity for 5/7 people with 2/3 rows of seats. Some popular SUVs are,
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Toyota 4Runner
- Honda Pilot
- Toyota RAV4
- Honda CRV
- Jeep Wrangler
- Land Rover Range Rover
- Nissan Petrol
- Mercedes Benz G Class
- Nissan Pathfinder
- BMW X6
- Subaru Ascent
- Chevrolet Suburban
Crossovers/CUV
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There is not much difference between SUV and Crossover or CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) but if we have to name the car body style family member then SUV would be a big brother (with all the ruggedness of pickup trunk or off-road vehicle) and Crossover would be the little one with all the functionality of SUV but is lighter, more compact and has unibody construction. Similar to the SUV crossover is also a 2-box configuration and has 4-doors and 2 rows of seats with accommodation for 5 people. Some popular crossovers are,
- Toyota C-HR
- Honda HRV
- Ford EcoSport
- Nissan Kicks
- Hyundai Venus
- Jeep Renegade
- Subaru Outback
MiniVan
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| 2022 Toyota Sienna |
Minivan, Van, or MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) is a 1-box or 2-box configuration body style (Volkswagen Type 2 is a 1-box configuration) with a higher roof, flat floor, and two normal doors at the front, and two sliding doors at the back. A minivan consists of three rows of seats, which can fit up to eight passengers. The name Minivan is used in North America and the name MPV is used in Europe and other parts of the world. Some popular minivans are,
- Chrysler Pacifica
- Toyota Sienna
- Honda Odyssey
- Kia Carnival
- Volkswagen Type 2 (The Transporter)
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Automobile