Knowing Your Cabriolet from Your Crossover
Once upon a time there were probably only a few types of cars to choose from, but as competition amongst car manufacturers got fiercer more and more new model variants have entered the arena. And it doesn't look set to stop anytime soon, so if you want to know your coupe cabriolet from your cross cabriolet or your estate from your saloon read on.
Cabriolet
A cabriolet is a convertible car with a soft-top, which is usually made of vinyl or canvas. Sometimes a Cabriolet is called a Spyder, for example the Audi R8 V10 Spyder. Cabriolet is French for convertible.
Convertible
A convertible car features a roof that can be retracted and folded away, the roof cannot usually be taken off entirely. They are often referred to as open top and can have two or four doors. Convertibles are popular for their sporty looks.
Coupe Cabriolet
A coupe cabriolet or CC is a convertible car with a retractable hard top, as opposed to a cabriolet which is a convertible with a soft top. The roof is normally made of steel, aluminium, carbon fiber or plastic materials. A CC has four seats and only two doors; everyone from Renault and Ford to BMW has coupe cabriolet models.
Coupe Roadster
A coupe roadster is similar to a coupe cabriolet as it has a retractable hardtop but instead of four seats a roadster has only two. The Renault Wind Coupe- Roadster is a good example.
Cross Cabriolet
A cross cabriolet is a fusion of SUV and cabriolet. The 2011 Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet is currently the only model of this type. The car is based on the four-wheel drive Murano crossover and features a soft top roof and two doors.
City Car
As the name suggests a city car is a car designed for use in urban areas, they are compact and highly manoeuvrable. ‘City cars' is sometimes used as an umbrella term for a small car, also known as subcompacts or superminis.
Compact
Size wise a compact car fits between a supermini and a mid-sized car, such as a saloon or hatchback, in Europe they would fall into the C-Segment category.
Crossover
A crossoveris a combination of two different types of vehicle, normally a SUV is crossed with a hatchback, city car or MPR. Crossovers are relatively new additions to the car market, but there are many examples, including the Nissan Juke, a compact SUV, and the Peugeot 3008 a mix of hatchback and SUV.
Estate
An estate car, or station wagon as it is known in the US, is a saloon car with an extended boot area. Due to the amount of boot space estates make good family cars.
Hatchback
A hatchback is similar to a saloon except access to the boot is through a large rear door, that often incorporates the window, whilst a saloon has a lift up boot lid. Hatchbacks are available as three or five doors, and many hatchback models, such as the Volkswagen Golf, Peugeot 207 and Ford Focus, have saloon versions to.
Hot Hatch
Hot hatch is an informal term for a hot hatchback, a three or five door hatchback that is considered to be a ‘high performance' car, i.e. they are fitted with turbocharger and offer a sporty driving experience. The Volkswagen Golf GTI is commonly touted as the original hot hatch, and is still very popular today.
MPV
MPV is short for Multi-Purpose Vehicle, a MPV is a large car that can seat 7 or more people. Seating is generally flexible and storage space is ample so they are perfect for families. They are also called minivans or people carriers.
Roadster
A roadster is a two seat car that has a retractable roof, normally a soft top. A coupe roadster is the hard top version.
Saloon
A saloon car is described as having an enclosed boot space, it is similar to a hatchback but does not have a window in the rear. Known as a sedan in the US, the saloon has an elongated body, the Renault Megane and BMW 3 Series are good examples of saloon cars.
Supermini
Smaller than a hatchback but bigger than a city car, superminis have become increasingly popular. Superminis is a European term, whilst subcompact is the North American equivalent. The supermini class includes the BMW Mini, Citroen C1, Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris, you might also find these called hatchbacks though.
SUV
A sports utility vehicle, or SUV for short, is a combination of a MPV and 4x4. They are designed with off-roading capabilities but have become popular with mums on the school run. Key features are the high riding position, spacious interior and powerful engines.
Four by Four
Often shortened to 4x4, a four by four vehicle is designed so the power from the engine is transferred to all the cars wheels, as opposed to traditional two wheel drive cars. They are made for off-roading and are ideal for adverse weather like snow and ice. A Land Rover Discovery in Kent is a good example.
Cabriolet
A cabriolet is a convertible car with a soft-top, which is usually made of vinyl or canvas. Sometimes a Cabriolet is called a Spyder, for example the Audi R8 V10 Spyder. Cabriolet is French for convertible.
Convertible
A convertible car features a roof that can be retracted and folded away, the roof cannot usually be taken off entirely. They are often referred to as open top and can have two or four doors. Convertibles are popular for their sporty looks.
Coupe Cabriolet
A coupe cabriolet or CC is a convertible car with a retractable hard top, as opposed to a cabriolet which is a convertible with a soft top. The roof is normally made of steel, aluminium, carbon fiber or plastic materials. A CC has four seats and only two doors; everyone from Renault and Ford to BMW has coupe cabriolet models.
Coupe Roadster
A coupe roadster is similar to a coupe cabriolet as it has a retractable hardtop but instead of four seats a roadster has only two. The Renault Wind Coupe- Roadster is a good example.
Cross Cabriolet
A cross cabriolet is a fusion of SUV and cabriolet. The 2011 Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet is currently the only model of this type. The car is based on the four-wheel drive Murano crossover and features a soft top roof and two doors.
City Car
As the name suggests a city car is a car designed for use in urban areas, they are compact and highly manoeuvrable. ‘City cars' is sometimes used as an umbrella term for a small car, also known as subcompacts or superminis.
Compact
Size wise a compact car fits between a supermini and a mid-sized car, such as a saloon or hatchback, in Europe they would fall into the C-Segment category.
Crossover
A crossoveris a combination of two different types of vehicle, normally a SUV is crossed with a hatchback, city car or MPR. Crossovers are relatively new additions to the car market, but there are many examples, including the Nissan Juke, a compact SUV, and the Peugeot 3008 a mix of hatchback and SUV.
Estate
An estate car, or station wagon as it is known in the US, is a saloon car with an extended boot area. Due to the amount of boot space estates make good family cars.
Hatchback
A hatchback is similar to a saloon except access to the boot is through a large rear door, that often incorporates the window, whilst a saloon has a lift up boot lid. Hatchbacks are available as three or five doors, and many hatchback models, such as the Volkswagen Golf, Peugeot 207 and Ford Focus, have saloon versions to.
Hot Hatch
Hot hatch is an informal term for a hot hatchback, a three or five door hatchback that is considered to be a ‘high performance' car, i.e. they are fitted with turbocharger and offer a sporty driving experience. The Volkswagen Golf GTI is commonly touted as the original hot hatch, and is still very popular today.
MPV
MPV is short for Multi-Purpose Vehicle, a MPV is a large car that can seat 7 or more people. Seating is generally flexible and storage space is ample so they are perfect for families. They are also called minivans or people carriers.
Roadster
A roadster is a two seat car that has a retractable roof, normally a soft top. A coupe roadster is the hard top version.
Saloon
A saloon car is described as having an enclosed boot space, it is similar to a hatchback but does not have a window in the rear. Known as a sedan in the US, the saloon has an elongated body, the Renault Megane and BMW 3 Series are good examples of saloon cars.
Supermini
Smaller than a hatchback but bigger than a city car, superminis have become increasingly popular. Superminis is a European term, whilst subcompact is the North American equivalent. The supermini class includes the BMW Mini, Citroen C1, Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris, you might also find these called hatchbacks though.
SUV
A sports utility vehicle, or SUV for short, is a combination of a MPV and 4x4. They are designed with off-roading capabilities but have become popular with mums on the school run. Key features are the high riding position, spacious interior and powerful engines.
Four by Four
Often shortened to 4x4, a four by four vehicle is designed so the power from the engine is transferred to all the cars wheels, as opposed to traditional two wheel drive cars. They are made for off-roading and are ideal for adverse weather like snow and ice. A Land Rover Discovery in Kent is a good example.