The text is based on a translation and a rewrite of an article by the Swedish magazine Teknikens Värld published in the online newspaper Expressen 02/06/2024. All credit are theirs. Images are our customers' cars tinted with EVOFILM window tint film, all credit to them.

Car bodies and car types

Car bodies and car types - we sort it out

The fact is that the car industry is the world's best at platitudes and pretentious advertising texts. There is not a car today that is not dynamic and inspiring and that offers a unique driving experience while solving your life's puzzle. Knowing what is fact, exaggeration or pure advertising is not always easy for the common man.   

The car industry is also one of the most globalized and internationalized industries there is. This results in different markets around the world becoming more and more aligned, all so that planning, manufacturing and marketing will be as cost-effective as possible. The fact that, for example, a hatchback is no longer called a hatchback, but a sportback or some other English expression, is a consequence of that.  

But even if you ignore all the mumbo jumbo, the automotive world is still a quagmire of concepts, expressions and technical terminology. That's why we now thought we'd set out to sort out the definitions of body shapes and car types. But before you continue reading, we have a small caveat: we know that many of the car types and concepts presented here overlap, and the boundaries are not always clear, but we have done the best we can. Please enjoy.

Station wagon

The estate car or station wagon has been king on the throne in the nordic countries for many decades. The benchmark for everyone has been the classic and super practical Volvo V70 followed by the Volvo V90. The combination has lasted a long time and it is really only in recent years that it has lost popularity in favor of the compact SUV and the popular coupé design.

Sedan

Sedan or saloon in English is actually the term for how a car should look and has always been considered the most classic and elegant body shape. The sedan is associated with a three-box configuration with separate spaces for engine, passenger and luggage and where there is a distinct slope from the roof of the car down to a horizontal tailgate. A three-door sedan is usually called a "notchback" in English.

Sportback

The sportback is a design compromise between a hatchback and a sedan where the hinges sit above the rear window instead of below as on the sedan. Hatchbacks don't sound so sexy these days, so instead they often go by more trendy names such as Sportback.

Hatchback

The body is characterized by the fact that the luggage compartment is not an isolated part of the car but an extension of the passenger compartment. An over-engined hatchback, such as the VW Golf GTI , is sometimes called a hot hatch.

SUV

We make a distinction between SUVs and SUVs, which means that the Ford Bronco , early Jeeps and Mercedes Geländewagen should not be classified as SUVs. What is the forerunner of the suv trend we see today instead started in the 90s with cars like the Ford Explorer , Range Rover generation two and the Jeep Grand Cherokee . In 1999, the Germans got the first BMW X5, which was the starting point for an avalanche of SUVs such as the Volvo XC90 , Mercedes M-class and Audi Q7 . Today, the car type comes in all sizes, but they are usually characterized by a raised driving position, high ground clearance and four-wheel drive.

Crossover

A crossover is a hybrid between a traditional passenger car and an SUV, i.e. a car primarily intended for city driving but with the SUV's higher ground clearance and elevated driving position. The car may have four-wheel drive but not necessarily, and the focus is primarily on comfort and fuel economy rather than off-road capabilities.

Fastback

On a fastback body, the lines of the tailgate are a continuation of the slope of the rear window. The purpose of a fastback body is often to signal elegance, power and performance and is typical of GT cars.

Coupé

A classic coupe is a long two-door car with a sloping roofline and sporty character, but these days manufacturers throw the word coupe on almost any car, even SUVs. Examples of classic coupes are the Peugeot 406 Coupé, Volvo C70 Coupé and BMW 6-series 

Roadster

A roadster is the very definition of a summer car – an open and sporty two-seater with a removable or fold-down convertible top. Mazda MX-5 , Porsche Boxster , BMW Z3 and Z4 and Mercedes SLK are examples of traditional roadsters. It has long been discussed whether the car type has a future, something that we can really hope for.

Sports car

Sports car is a loose and vague term, but for most people it means a car with good performance, fast acceleration and a sporty driving experience. All sports cars are engineered with a focus on slick design, responsive steering, low center of gravity and sporty suspension, although size and body shape may vary.

Muscle car

Muscle cars are known for their powerful engines and a broad, boxy shape. Classics muscle cars are the 1970 Dodge Challenger, 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, and 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. They stood out with long, boxy hoods to contain larger-than-usual engines.

MPV

MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) is a type of passenger car designed to be versatile with generous space for passengers and cargo. There are usually three rows of seats and flexible interior configurations. The flip side of the coin is that they are often quite boring both in terms of design and performance. Dominated in the 90s and 00s.

All-terrain vehicle

An all-terrain vehicle (off-road vehicle) is specially designed with high ground clearance, four-wheel drive, stronger suspension and tires and a powerful engine. Not infrequently, they have design elements that flirt with the progenitor Willys Jeep. 

Pickup

In the pickup's home country of the United States, they sell better than ordinary passenger cars, which from a Swedish perspective is completely bizarre. Jumping into a pickup truck is like stepping back ten years in time when it comes to interior design, material selection and safety. With a "double cab" you have room for the whole family and with a lock to the flatbed you have good storage options.

Van/Minivan

A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. Mini MPVs, compact MPVs, and MPVs are all small vans usually used for transporting people in small quantities. Larger vans with passenger seats are used for institutional purposes, such as transporting students. Larger vans with only front seats are often used for business purposes, to carry goods and equipment. 


Picture : Wikipedia

Cabrio coach

This image of a Fiat 500 is a brilliant example of a cabrio coach solution. Instead of removing the entire upper part of the body, the b- and c-pillars are kept intact and only the roof itself is folded back. An advantage of that solution is that you retain a higher degree of rigidity throughout the construction.


Picture : Wikipedia

Convertible

The word cabriolet (also "convertible" in English) needs no further explanation. Everyone knows that it is an open car, with or without a back seat, where the roof can be manually or automatically folded back and allow the passengers to enjoy nature and the wind. Painfully enough, the usefulness and joy of a convertible for us Swedes is limited. Kudos to those who still buy one.

Hard-top

The word hardtop is one of those words that people have different definitions of. Some use the word to describe a removable sheet metal roof and some simply mean a sheet or vinyl roof that cannot be removed. The original meaning of the word comes from when hard roofs were put on old cars without b-pillars for increased safety.

Picture : Wikipedia

Hypercar

An extreme sports car can be called a super sports car, but in addition to that there is also the term hypercar, or hypercar. This means cars with extreme performance such as Ferrari LaFerrari , Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ and Lamborghini Sián FKP 37. Cars that often cost tens of millions of kroner.

Picture : Wikipedia

Kammback

A kammback (or kamm tail) is when the rear of the car slopes downwards before abruptly cutting off almost completely vertically. The basic idea with the camback was to improve aerodynamics while maintaining a practical body shape.

Limousine

Everyone knows what a limousine is, a car with an extended body and room for many passengers and with a separate driver's compartment. There are companies that offer limousine service for festive occasions or for professional transport for customers looking for an extra degree of comfort and style. Now if you think it's stylish and flamboyant.

Shooting brake

Shooting brake is a body type that combines features of both a sports coupe and a station wagon. It has a longer, sloping roofline that extends rearward to a slightly raised tailgate. Mercedes has used the name shooting brake extensively for many years.

Spider/Spyder

Among alfistis, the additional name Spider is synonymous with Alfa Romeo 's two-seater sports cars without a roof. But the name Spyder is also frequently used by manufacturers, for example in the cases of the Porsche 918 Spyder and the Audi R8 Spyder. The origin of the word spider is said to be the rain cover above the cars that looked like spiders.

SUV coupé

Vulgar or stylish? Opinions differ when it comes to coupé-shaped SUVs, such as the BMW X6 and X4 . Even Mercedes has embraced the SUV coupe with models such as the GLC and GLE Coupé. The flatter roofline steals a lot of space in the cabin so looks seem to be more important than practical aspects for buyers.

The Laundaulet

A type of car where the roof over the driver's compartment is fixed, while the roof over the rear passenger compartment is retractable or removable. This means that the passengers can enjoy an open sky while the driver has a closed compartment. The Landaulet was common as a ceremonial car in the early 20th century but there are modern variants.

The SUV convertible

It's not the world's most common sight on the streets, but there have been a few over the years. The Range Rover Evoque Cabriolet is perhaps the most common, but Nissan also released an SUV convertible under the name Murano Crosscabriolet. Maybe it was a fly, we'll see if they ever come back.

Targa

Targa is a Porsche term introduced in 1966 with the launch of the 911 Targa. The name "Targa" comes from the Targa Florio, a historic car race held in Sicily, Italy. The term is used to describe a roof design that has a removable center section and a fixed rear window, although Porsche has stretched the term.

T-top

You can almost hear from the name what it is about. The roof consists of two parts that extend from the windshield to the rear and meet in the middle in the shape of a "T". These two parts can be removed separately to create an open roof area above the driver and passenger seats. In this way, the car's structural support is kept intact.