The purpose of this text is to make it easier for car buyers and sellers to choose the right body type when searching or placing an ad.
The purpose of this text is to make it easier for buyers and sellers of cars – to choose the right body type when searching or placing an ad.
We will not go into the “small intestine”, since manufacturers have overcomplicated the whole story.
We will explain the basic types of vehicles according to the body shape and how they should be placed in ads.
Let the marketing departments of manufacturers invent new categories as much as they want – in our ads, a 4-door coupe is a sedan.
Just as a 3-door hatchback is not a coupe, even if it has the word “Coupe” in its model name.
After all, manufacturers themselves constantly brag about how their new model stands out from the competition due to its unique body design that makes it “such and such”, combines “this and that”, takes the best of “both worlds”, etc.
So – we are doing this for the sake of buyers and sellers, to simplify the search.
Sedan (sedan)
It has 4 or 5 doors – depending on how we count the trunk lid. The luggage compartment does not have to be separated from the passenger compartment by a fixed partition - in many it is possible to fold down the back of the rear seats to allow longer objects to be inserted.
In some, the rear window lifts together with the metal part of the trunk lid, in others it does not. Many sedans are available in both versions.
In order to attract customers, sedans increasingly look like coupes. Manufacturers have long convinced us that some of their sedans are actually 4-door coupes. They can also call them wingless airplanes, but in advertisements they should be classified as sedans.
If there are rear doors - then it is a sedan.
Examples: VW Passat, Renault Laguna, Citroen C5, Opel Vectra...
Hatchback
It has a cut-off rear end, where the rear window can be literally vertical (especially in smaller models) or beveled at a fairly large angle.
There are different design solutions, so it is sometimes difficult to define which category it is.
It can have 3 or 5 doors (including the boot lid that lifts together with the rear window). The boot is not separated from the passenger compartment by a fixed partition.
Often, 3-door versions are called coupes – it is still a hatchback, even if the model name itself contains the word “Coupe”!
Examples: VW Golf, Ford Focus, Opel Astra, Ford Fiesta, Škoda Fabia, Fiat Punto...
Estate
Many hatchbacks and sedans have a station wagon version. A station wagon is a version with more luggage space thanks to the raised roof in the rear. It can be longer than the basic version, but it doesn’t have to be – there are no rules.
It has an additional designation in the name such as: Avant, Sportwagon, Wagon, Touring, ST (Station Wagon), Tourer, Variant... Note - if the manufacturer describes it as a “shooting brake”, according to our rules it also belongs to the station wagon. “Shooting brake” is just another “fancy” name for a station wagon.
Coupe
It has 2 doors or 3 depending on how we count the doors/trunk lid. There are no rules about the trunk – it can be in the front like a Porsche. It looks sporty, it’s low, it usually has a back seat, and the passenger space in the back seat can be literally useless or it can be enough for two adults to sit comfortably.
There are many “fake” coupes – manufacturers call their sedans and hatchbacks coupes or even insert the word “Coupe” into their model name. In our ads, they are not coupes – they should go in the appropriate category: sedan or hatchback.
So – a hatchback with three doors is not a coupe!
Examples: Opel Calibra, Audi TT, Toyota Celica, Fiat Coupe, Mercedes CLK...
Convertible/roadster
Any car with a removable roof, manual/automatic, fabric/hard, regardless of whether it folds into the trunk or has to be left in the garage. We also classify “targa” vehicles here, which we can call semi-convertibles. In them, the rear window is fixed, and only the upper part of the roof is removed.
Examples: Peugeot 207 CC, Audi TT Roadster, Audi A5 Cabriolet, VW Eos, Ford Focus CC...
Minivan (minivan or MPV)
It looks like a raised station wagon, with a shortened engine compartment and a high and upright seating position, in order to make the most of the length and width of the body. Some models also have a third row of seats.
Examples: Chrysler Voyager, VW Sharan and Touran, Renault Scenic, Opel Zafira, Citroen Xsara Picasso, Ford S-MAX, Mazda5...
Jeep/SUV
Here we classify all vehicles that give the impression that they are well-versed off-road, regardless of whether it is a thoroughbred SUV (Land Rover Discovery), an urban stunner without all-wheel drive (Nissan Juke) or a classic member of the SUV family (BMW X5).
Here we also include the so-called crossovers, such as station wagons with higher ground clearance and various “off-road” features and looks. For example, Audi’s “all-road” versions, Opel Insignia Country Tourer, Volvo “Cross Country” models, VW Passat Alltrack...
We do this in order not to complicate matters further, since there are so many crossovers and there is no rational way to draw clear boundaries. Their “territory” overlaps with the “territories” of almost all other categories.
For example, if you think that there are specific and invincible arguments that determine the difference between an SUV and a crossover (CUV), you are very mistaken. For example, there are SUVs that do not have a classic chassis, such as Pajero, Grand Cherokee, Range Rover...
In general, a jeep/SUV or crossover does not have to have all-wheel drive, a reduction gear, a differential lock, high ground clearance, etc. It is only important that it looks like an "off-road" vehicle.
In the automotive world, there are no clear standards on this issue.
So, when it comes to ads, if it looks like a "jeep", then it is a "jeep/SUV".
Examples: Audi Q7, Q5, Q3, BMW X5, X3, X6, Dacia Duster, Mercedes ML, Ford Kuga, Honda CR-V, Hyundai ix35, Opel Antara, Škoda Yeti...
Pickup (pickup)
Practically an SUV (SUV/Jeep) with an open cargo area. Robust and durable, as it is expected to carry a serious load, tow a heavy trailer and make its way through the wilderness. There are versions with one or two rows of seats and all-wheel drive or only rear-wheel drive.
Misunderstanding about the name pickup truck: let's help with a common misunderstanding. In our country, the term "pickup truck" is common for light delivery vehicles - e.g. Zastava Poly, VW Caddy, Citroen Berlingo, Fiat Doblo, Peugeot Partner... However, we do not classify them as passenger vehicles.
They are located in the section of the site where there are transport vehicles, which you reach when you click on the truck thumbnail. If you are placing an ad for a "van" or light delivery vehicle, when placing an ad, click on the truck thumbnail under which it says "Transport vehicles". Then new options appear below, including a van thumbnail under which it says "Van/Light delivery vehicles".
A pickup truck, or truck, as some also call it, can be registered as both a passenger and a cargo vehicle, which opens up a whole new story...
