The “car” means all types of passenger vehicles. In today’s car market, there are so many options available according to many different models, styles, shapes, and sizes. But it can be difficult to understand all this.
I know that you have questions, like what are the different types of car body styles available to see?
To help you understand and keep it easy, we have described all vehicle options into main categories. This will help you choose the right type of car to make an informed decision.
The first thing you could notice when you look at the car is its shape, body style, size, seating, doors, and more. In this article, we are looking at the vehicles according to their body style.
Also, read the different types of car engine parts and interior parts. Furthermore, we also wrote about what are the types of car headlights available. Let’s start with the main car body style types as described below.
Types of Car Body Styles
#1. Sedan.
The sedan is a closed-body car (fixed metal roof) with engines, passengers, and cargo in separate compartments. It’s a passenger car in a three-compartment configuration, each separate for the engine, passenger, and baggage.
In 1912, the sedan was first used as a name for the car body. The name sedan comes like a litter, a sedan chair, or an individual enclosed box with windows from the 17th-century development. They are driven by the porter.
These vehicles come in many categories. They are available in sizes ranging from small (Nissan Versa and Kia Rio) to compact (Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla) to medium size (Honda Accord, Nissan Ultima) and large size (Toyota Avalon, Dodge Charger).
#2. SUV.
Another type that climbs this list of car types is the SUV, which is becoming more and more popular. The SUV is a large car that can often carry five to seven passengers with three rows of seats. They are basically the same as a crossover, except that they are built on a body-on-frame chassis. They often have 4wd and good terrain capability.
They often come with the latest electronics and are very comfortable to ride in. They also often come with off-road accessories such as improved suspension and large wheels. You can have SUVs in different sizes – compact, medium and full size. A good example of an SUV is the Range Rover, Jeep Cherokee and Suzuki Vitara.
#3. Sports Car.
A sports car is anything that looks sporty to you, and it can be a roadster, coupe, or even a sedan. Sports cars are quite similar to supercars, because a supercar can also be a sports car, but the difference is often that the sports car is a step below the supercar regarding performance and price.
They are often much cheaper than supercars and usually have poorer performance. Sports cars usually have good handling with good road capabilities and a fairly powerful engine to be able to both drive on the streets and take it to the track if you feel like it.
Sports cars are often convertible, but not necessarily. Porsche 911, Mazda MX-5, and BMW M3 could be categorized as sports cars.
#4. Station Wagon.
Station wagons, also called estate cars, are similar to sedans but have an extended roofline and a hatch door at the rear instead of a trunk. Their shape resembles an elongated version of a sedan with extra cargo space or a combination of a sedan and a hatchback.
The Subaru Outback or Audi A4 Allroad are typical examples with high ground clearance and some rugged body cladding giving them a look similar to a sport-utility vehicle (SUV). Still, they are nonetheless closely related to sedans.
Station wagons are considered perfect for large families looking for a reliable hauler. Not only do they provide extra space, but station wagons also offer better fuel economy than their SUV equivalents.
#5. Coupe.
A coupe is a passenger car with a slanted or trimmed rear roof and is typically two-door (although many four-door cars have also been sold as coupes). The coupe was first fitted in horse-drawn trains for two passengers without rear seats.
These types of car models include cars like the Ford Mustang or Audi A5, or two-seater sports cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche Boxster.
More recently, however, car companies have begun to apply the term “coupe” to four-door cars or crossovers with lower, sleeker roofs than they are “coupe-like.”
This includes vehicles as different as the Mercedes-Benz CLS sedan and the BMW X6 SUV, which are coupes with two doors.
#6. Hatchback.
A Hatchback car is basically a mix of a sedan and a station wagon. They often come as a 5-door set and have a hatch that opens upwards. Like the station wagon, a hatchback has door hinges above the rear window.
The difference between a station wagon and a hatchback is often the size, and the station wagon often has a much steeper angle on the tailgate. The Volkswagen Golf and Kia Rio are two common hatchback models. You can also find some high-performance hatchbacks called hot hatches.
Nowadays, there are also larger luxury vehicles categorized as hatchbacks with a steeply sloping tailgate, like the Audi A7, Kia Stinger, and Tesla Model S.
#7. Convertible.
The convertible or cabriolet car models come with a retractable roof. They are the perfect choice for a hot summer day when you are going on holiday to the beach.
Most convertible cars have an automatic system to retract the fabric rooftop, but on some older models, you had to do this manually. Some models even have a retractable hardtop, which makes them look like normal cars when the rooftop is closed.
They can both be two-seaters or four-seaters, and they can basically be any car model with a retractable roof, while the roadster is often its own car type. Sports cars are often available as a convertible type option. BMW Z4, Fiat 500, and Chevrolet are some of the many different car models with a convertible option.
#8. Utility Vehicle.
A utility vehicle is a type of vehicle, usually motorized, designed to perform a specific function with greater efficacy than a passenger vehicle. This sometimes indicates trucks with lower sides.
The armored utility vehicle type of car body style is used by the military and is also known as a military utility vehicle. This includes vehicles such as military tanks, trucks, etc.
These types of car body styles are similar to a station wagon, but they are built on a light-truck chassis and are provided with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, among other off-road hardware.
#9. Minivan.
Minivans are often associated with station wagons and family cars. They are nicknamed the workhorses of the family world due to the size of their cabin space, which is the best at carrying people and cargo in an efficient package.
They’re called minivans, but they are far from “mini.” This is because they have a tall box-like appearance with sliding doors for easy access and a rear hatch door that opens to a vast cargo space.
Most minivans have adjustable reclining second and third-row seats that often can be detached and folded into the floor to create an even bigger open cargo space. The Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica are perfect examples of this car body style.
#10. Pickup Truck.
Pickup trucks have become very common in recent years. A pickup has an enclosed cab with an open cargo area. They can either have space for two passengers or four. Pickup trucks have the cabin mounted on a separate steel frame, with one exception – the Honda Ridgeline.
Pickups are ideal for farmers and transport due to their large cargo areas and the powerful engines that can tow heavy equipment. Most pickup trucks are four-wheel drive or part-time four-wheel drive. However, there are also many models with the option of only 2WD.
Pickup trucks come in two size categories: full-size and mid-size, and there are often many options to choose from, like extended cab, single cab, or crew cab. Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Chevrolet Silverado, and Dodge F150 are some common pickup trucks.
#11. Off-road Vehicles.
An off-road vehicle is a type of vehicle capable of driving on a paved or sand surface. These are determined by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or caterpillar tracks.
Off-road vehicles have huge, intense fans due to their versatility. Many types of motorsports include off-road racing vehicles. The most common use of these vehicles is for viewing in areas far from the asphalt.
In these types of car models, the value of high clearance and high-traction wheels allows access on trails and forest roads, which have rough and low-traction surfaces.
Off-road vehicles are available to see, like the Jeep Wrangler, the Land Rover Range Rover & Ram 1500 Rebel.
#12. Luxury Vehicles.
Luxury vehicles are specially made cars that offer enhanced levels of comfort, performance, equipment, features, quality, and condition relative to regular cars for a pricey sum. These compact models comprise hatchbacks and off-road sport utility vehicles.
They are usually large, but smaller sport-oriented models have always been manufactured. Some less expensive luxury vehicles include Buick Encore, Acura ILX, Lexus UX, Buick Envision, Buick LaCrosse, and many more.
#13. Hybrid Vehicles.
These vehicles commonly use two or more specific types of power, such as submarines. They use diesel when surfaced and batteries when immersed. Other means of energy storage involve pressurized liquids in hydraulic hybrids.
To produce environmentally friendly cars and offer superior performance, car companies have developed hybrid cars. They use basic principles with hybrid vehicles: different motors work better at various speeds.
The electric motor is further capable of producing torque or turning power, and the combustion engine is good at maintaining the high speed of the vehicle. But hybrid cars cost significantly more.
Therefore, car manufacturers offer light-hybrid cars that reduce consumption but are not as popular as pure hybrid vehicles. MG Hector, Toyota Glanza, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord are models of hybrid vehicles.
#14. Limousine.
A limousine, or limo for short, is a long-wheelbase luxury car with two or more doors driven by a Chauffeur and with a partition between the driver’s compartment and the passenger’s compartment.
It is considered one of the most luxurious cars in the world and is usually pre-booked for formal affairs. Movie stars, businesspeople, dignitaries, or politicians are the primary users or owners of limousines.
The Batmobile, The Beast, The American Dream, The Midnight Rider, and Toyota Century Royal are high-end limousines.
#15. Self-driving Car.
A self-driving car is a type of vehicle that is fully automated. In other words, they are cars that can navigate their way around the environment and drive safely without human input.
Self-driving cars are also called autonomous vehicles (AV), driverless cars, or robot cars. They use various sensors to scan their surroundings, such as radar, GPS, LIDAR, sonar, odometry, and inertial measurement units.
Advanced control systems define accurate navigation paths and sensor data to identify obstacles and relevant signals.
#16. Pony Car.
The Pony car is an American car with a sporty and luxurious design. The defining features of this car include a rear-wheel drive, a longer hood, and a shorter decklid.
It has its roots in the Ford Mustangs of the 1940s and 50s and is a favorite choice for those looking for a cheap, compact, and highly styled coupe or convertible. The demand for pony cars grew in the 1960s and even broke sales records in the US.
Common examples of pony cars available today include Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Challenger.
#17. Electric Car.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars powered by one or more electric motors using the energy stored in rechargeable batteries. They were produced with the environment in mind and to reduce carbon pollution.
The first drivable electric cars were manufactured in the 1880s. They grew popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, with the initial models using internal combustion engines, especially electric starters.
However, the mass production of cheap gasoline and diesel engines reduced the demand for electric vehicles. Popular electric cars available today include Tesla Model 3, Kia e-Niro, Jaguar I-Pace, Kia Soul EV, and Hyundai Kona Electric, but most cost a fortune.
#18. Crossover.
A Crossover is a type of sport utility vehicle (SUV) with unibody construction. They are also known as also called crossover utility vehicles (CUVs). Crossovers are usually based on a platform given to a passenger car.
Compared to truck-based SUVs, they typically have good internal comfort, a more relaxed ride, better fuel consumption, and lower off-road capability.
Apart from that, there are discrepancies about whether some vehicles are considered crossovers or SUVs. Therefore, the term “SUV” is frequently used as a catch-all for crossovers and compact SUVs.
As of 2006, in the United States, the crossover model included more than 50% of the total SUV market. Citroen C3 Aircross, Volkswagen T-Cross, Kia Stonic, Mazda CX-3, and Seat Arona are models of crossover.
#19. Truck.
A truck is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks differ greatly in size, power, and shape. Sometimes the truck is also called a lorry. Smaller types may be mechanically related to some automobiles.
Commercial trucks are rather large and powerful and can be configured to be mounted with special equipment, such as refuse trucks, fire trucks, concrete mixers, and suction excavators.
The difference between the truck and tractor is that a vehicle without a trailer or other connection is formally a “truck,” and one designed specifically to pull a trailer is a “tractor.”
Modern trucks are mostly developed with diesel engines, although small to medium-sized trucks with gasoline engines exist in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Dump trucks, Cement Mixer, tractor-trailers, and Flatbeds are the types of trucks.
#20. Microcar.
The Microcar is a term used to refer to the smallest of all car sizes. They come equipped with three or four wheels and two doors and are widely known to have a front-wheel drive and an engine of around 700 ccs (43 FVcu).
Most microcars are powered by petrol or diesel engines, although electric-powered microcars have grown in popularity in recent years. Common microcars include bubble cars, bicycle cars, quadricycles, voiturettes, and the Japanese Kei car.
FAQ.
What’s the most popular type of car?
The most popular type of car is the mid-sized sedan in the US. However, there’s no definitive answer to this question, since it depends on what region of the world you’re looking at. SUVs, Sedans, compacts, and trucks are very popular all over the world.
How many car types are there?
There are over 25 types of cars, depending on how you count them. Car types can be categorized in many different ways, like body style (Sedan), size (Compact), car segment (Muscle Cars), purpose (Family Cars), and fuel type (Electric vehicle). There are also over 400 car models on the market.
What types of cars can pull a trailer?
Any type of car that has a hitch can pull a trailer. Some cars come with a hitch installed from the factory, while others may require you to purchase one as an add-on. However, if you are looking for a car that can pull a heavy trailer, a truck or SUV is your best choice.
What type of vehicle is safest?
There is no definitive answer to this question. Different types of vehicles are safe under different circumstances. That said, large and heavy vehicles are generally considered safer than others. For example, smaller cars tend to be less safe in a collision than larger cars, and SUVs offer more protection in the event of a collision than most other types of vehicles.
What type of car is best for learners?
Most learners find it easiest to learn in a smaller car, which is easy to control and has good visibility. However, larger cars are usually safer, so it’s important to choose a car that makes you feel comfortable and safe while you’re learning.
Cars can be divided into probably hundreds of different car types, depending on how far you want to stretch them. However, these cars listed above are the most common car types you will come across when you are looking for a car at any marketplace.
I hope this list gives you a good starting point when trying to determine which car type you should get. If you’re still unsure after reading this post, feel free to reach out to us in our community, and we can help steer you in the right direction.