Cars are available in many shapes and sizes. The car industry is now more than a century old and a lot has happened during that time. Mainly thanks to technological progress, but also due to the ever-changing consumer demand. The car designers have introduced all kinds of new models over the years. From sedan to coupé and from convertible to MPV. What distinguishes all those models and when do you use a certain name?
Not always clear?
As with so many things, the use of terms such as sedan, hatchback and MPV is not always consistent. Every year new models appear and most car manufacturers naturally want to be innovative and original. As a result, some cars are not as easy to classify as a particular type. Nevertheless, the same basis is still broadly valid.
In addition, terms from English are often used, especially American terms. Sometimes these have a Dutch synonym, but in other cases there is no Dutch translation. And then there is also sometimes talk of types of cars, which are strictly speaking not linked to a particular body shape. We will mention a few of these names, to give you a good idea.
The sedan
The sedan is one of the most famous car shapes you will encounter. Basically, a sedan has four doors and a trunk. You can also refer to a sedan as a four-door car. In a classic sedan, the trunk is an enclosed space that cannot be reached from the passenger cabin. Nowadays that is often possible, by folding the back seat. That way you can more easily transport large and long items.
The sedan is perhaps the textbook example of what a car should look like. Have a child draw a car and there’s a good chance a sedan will show up on the paper. Yet they are not very popular in the Netherlands. Instead, you will see many more hatchback and station wagon models. You will find a lot of sedans, especially in the more expensive classes.
The station wagon, station wagon or station wagon
The station wagon is also a very popular model. The amount of space is maximized thanks to the high rear of the vehicle. This while the length of the car does not differ significantly from that of a sedan. Especially when you often have to take everything with you, a station wagon is very practical. For that reason they are also popular with families. The back seat is in use for the children and you can still store a lot in the back of the car. For example, just think of a pram or buggy.
Interesting is the name of this type of model. Many brands use their own names for this type. Examples are variant (Volkswagen), sports break (Mazda), Combi (Opel, DAF, Skoda), Wagon (Ford, Holden, Nissan). These brand-specific names also vary per country. And that also applies to the general name for the station wagon. In Russia it is called universal, in Germany and Poland it is a combination, in France it is a break and in Spain and Italy they call this model familiare.
The hatchback
The hatchback is a common model in the Netherlands. A hatchback has no butt, but a luggage compartment that can be reached from the passenger compartment. Since there is no real trunk, the tailgate is also seen as a door. A hatchback is therefore always designed as a 3-door or 5-door. The Volkswagen golf is probably the most popular hatchback ever. As a result, it is sometimes mistakenly thought that this type of model was invented by Volkswagen. However, hatchbacks were already available for the first Golf (1974). Even before the Second World War.
A hatchback and a station wagon are basically very similar. A station wagon is longer and has more space. In many cases, the rear of a station wagon is almost vertical and that of a hatchback is much more inclined. But with the many variations in the automotive industry today, there are also all kinds of models that are in between and are not so easy to classify.
The coupé and cls
There is still some uncertainty about this type of car. A coupé always has two or three doors. That third door is the door to get to the trunk, when the coupe is based on a hatchback. What makes a car especially a coupé is the steeply sloping roof towards the rear of the car. A classic coupé does not have a so-called butt, but there are now variants for sale that still have a small butt. The car is primarily intended as a two-seater. Many models have a rear seat, but space is limited. As an adult you can often not sit comfortably.
The cls is a variant of the coupé. This model does have two extra doors to reach the rear seat. The Mercedes-Benz CLS class is a good example of this. You can think of it as a sedan with coupé features or vice versa. The car has four doors and a sloping roof. In many cases, a small butt is also present. CLS models are sporty cars from the higher segment, where you can still sit with four people.
The coach
The name coach is not very well known, but the body shape is. This model is basically the same as a sedan, except there are only two doors, instead of four. As a result, these cars are often incorrectly referred to as coupé. However, the lines of a coupé and a coach are different enough to distinguish between them. They are relatively small cars. In many cases, the hatchback variants are more practical to use and therefore more popular. Due to the declining popularity, not many are made of it anymore. That is the other reason this type of model is not commonly known by the name of coach.
The convertible or convertible
A convertible is a car that can be driven with or without a roof. Another name you will come across is convertible, which is derived from the English word for convert. The very first cars were all convertibles, because people were used to driving with a horse and carriage. Today, convertibles are primarily a luxury product. Modern convertibles usually have a so-called rollover bar, which offers important protection if the car should roll over.
Most convertibles have two doors. And because these models are often sporty and expensive, rather than bought from a practical point of view, many convertibles offer space for just two people. The roof, which after all can be folded away, must also be stored somewhere. That is a lot easier when there is no back seat in the car. As a result, you also regularly come across the terms coupé cabrio or coupé convertible. But there are also models that have four doors and a rear seat.
The MPV, minivan and bus
MPV stands for multi purpose vehicle, which stands for ‘suitable for multiple applications’. This car model comes in many different shapes. The MPV has become popular in recent years because it offers the possibility to travel with more than five people in one car. Often the only option for families with four children or more. This MPV has been around for years and was initially primarily a minivan with a large loading space.
Examples of full-size MPVs are the Volkswagen Sharan, Ford Galaxy, Renault Espace and Chrysler Voyager. Many people find these cars a bit too big and opt for a smaller mid-size format. Think of cars such as the Volkswagen Touran, Opel Zafira, Renault Scénic and Toyota Verso. Many of these mid-size variants are optionally equipped with a third row of seats, giving you a sixth and seventh seat. These extra chairs can often be folded, so that you can use the space flexibly. When the seats are in use, little or no luggage space is left.
The van
The range of vans is also diverse nowadays. Basically, a delivery van is primarily intended for transporting things. This name includes both the smaller delivery van and the largest format delivery van. Vans are often based on regular passenger cars. Only the rear is extra high and designed as a large luggage compartment.
In a van and most buses, there is only a single row of seats, in order to create the maximum loading space. The cars are usually bought by companies, so that often only one or two people have to drive. However, there are also a number of van models that do have a rear seat. Many van models are available in different lengths. The cars are designed in such a way that this is relatively easy to achieve by the car manufacturer.
The SUV or all-terrain vehicle
The term SUV is relative in the Netherlands and stands for the English sports utility vehicle. The name off-road vehicle is of course much better known and has been known for decades from brands such as Landrover, Jeep and Nissan. Originally these are cars that are suitable for driving on rough terrain and with which you can transport the necessary. Not only is there a lot of cargo space, you can also transport everything on the roof. The cars are therefore really developed for use in areas without paved roads.
However, since the late 1990s, this model of car has also become extremely popular with ordinary people. People who do not so much need or want to drive on rough terrain, but who appeal to the appearance and comfort of the car. They are large and have considerable power. This appeals to many people, despite the significantly higher costs due to weight (road load) and fuel consumption. The large format is also not always practical for parking, for example. Nowadays there are a number of SUVs for sale, which in practice are not very suitable for entering rough terrain.
Within the SUV category you also sometimes come across the term crossover. This is usually not a real full-fledged SUV, but a large version of a normal car (for example, a station wagon). The crossover is higher on the wheels and has large bumpers, but in many respects it is not essentially different.
The microcar or dwarf car
The exact definition of a dwarf car or microcar is not that easy to give. In essence, it is just a very small car. The first models are very old. They used little fuel and required relatively little material to build them. These reasons became obsolete over time and the dwarf cars lost out to small normal cars such as the Beetle (Volkswagen) 2CV (Citroën) and the Mini.
However, the microcar has become very popular since the 1990s. In many ways you can also call these models microcar. These cars have a cylinder capacity of up to 50cc and may be driven with a moped license. Especially the latter is the reason why they are so popular. Another good example of a modern microcar is the Smart. Without a doubt a full-fledged car, only very compact.