On the type of body depends on the practicality of the dynamics, speed of the car. This is not only a question of the technical characteristics of the vehicle, but also of personal preferences. Sixty percent of drivers with experience can name 3-5 types of bodywork, but in fact there are many more. We will consider only the most popular and basic body types.
Table of Contents
Types of car bodies
In our review of the most popular body types:
- Sedan
- Universal
- Hatchback
- Liftback
- minivan
- Coupe
- Universal
- SUV
- Minibus
Sedan
A body type that is divided into three zones. If you look at the car from the side, you can distinguish the underbelly, the trunk and the interior. There are different sizes and classes: from compact, about 4 meters long to executive, the dimensions of which are within 5 meters.
The luggage compartment in sedans is insulated, i.e. the trunk door does not give access to the passenger compartment. Dust and odor from the cargo area do not get into the cabin, which is an advantage of this layout. However, the aperture through which the trunk can be loaded is smaller in sedans than in hatchbacks, so a washing machine or stroller will not fit into every sedan.
The roof line of sedans drops below the heads of rear-seat passengers, so taller people may feel uncomfortable. This is particularly pronounced in sport sedans, where the silhouette changes more rapidly and the roof is much lower.
The sedan is one of the most sought-after body types on the aftermarket as well. If you are considering the purchase of a used vehicle, visit the online auction https://plc.auction/auction/from-kr, where you can buy a car from Korea.
Universal
A passenger car with the largest luggage compartment. As a rule, they use the same base as sedans and hatchbacks, but the shape of the station wagon body is different. To increase the trunk in this body type, the rear overhang is lengthened. The roof in station wagons is parallel to the floor, so passengers in the rear seats are always comfortable.
Most often in this type of body fold the rear seats, so the useful volume of the luggage compartment increases significantly, and it is possible to transport even very large things in it.
Universals are always more expensive than sedans and hatchbacks. However, the situation may be different on the used car market, but it can be quite difficult to find a station wagon here.
Universal – an ideal choice for those who love traveling, moves mainly on asphalt roads, often transports cargo.
Hatchback
Small cars for the city, the interior of which is combined with a luggage compartment. Most cars of this type have a body about 4.5 meters long, which is an advantage in a tight city and allows you to park in any conditions.
Hatchbacks have a large trunk opening, so you can load large items into them. The trunk volume may be small, but if necessary, the rear seats can be folded down to enlarge it.
The trunk lid is also a door, so hatchbacks come in three-door and five-door versions. The former are not quite convenient if you often carry passengers or have a child seat installed.
The hatchback will be a good choice for traveling groups of up to four people, for transportation of oversized cargo within the city.
Liftback
The liftback is a type of hatchback with a rear overhang very similar to that of a sedan. At the same time, the luggage compartment door opens in the same way as in a hatchback. Is there a need for a hybrid of the two body types? Yes, because the liftback has a larger trunk volume than the sedan and hatchback.
The main difference between a liftback and a hatchback is the shape of the rear overhang, which is similar to that of a sedan. It can be both two-volume and three-volume, while hatchbacks are only two-volume. The liftback is often longer than the hatchback.
Overall, this is a comfortable and roomy car that will suit practical drivers.
Minivan
These are cars with a high roof on an extended platform, which allows you to increase usable space in the cabin. In large models, you can even place an additional row of seats for transportation of 2-3 passengers. This allows you to carry up to 8 passengers.
This makes the minivan a versatile vehicle. You can add an extra row of seats for passenger transportation, and if you need to transport a large cargo, you can remove the rear seats. This is a distinctive feature of minivans.
A car with such a body is not always suitable for beginners, because its dimensions worsen the maneuverability of the car during turns, turning, parking. It is more difficult for a large car to find a parking space in the city. A minivan has poor aerodynamics, so fuel consumption and noise level at high speeds are higher.
Coupe
A car with a three-volume body like a sedan, but without rear doors. These cars have wide front doors that allow access to both rows of seats. You can get into the rear seats by folding down the front seat.
This is a comfortable car for two people: the driver and a passenger in the front seat. Coupe is quite often referred to sports cars, but in this case much depends on the stuffing.
The basis for coupes can be ordinary sedans and the difference in them will be only in the number of doors and design. The powertrain, transmission, drive train, and interior are the same.
There are coupes that are adapted for dynamic driving. They have a different body layout, they do not have a rear row of seats, different units than in mass-produced cars.
You may have heard of grand tourismo coupes? These are expensive cars that are designed for comfortable traveling on good roads for ultra-long distances. They are similar to executive sedans in many ways, but they have comfortable conditions, first of all, for the driver.
SUV
The difference between crossovers and SUVs is implicit. Externally, they are very similar, but the main difference is in the technical characteristics. Any SUV is equipped with an advanced all-wheel drive system, which is the key to its high cross-country ability. In all-wheel drive crossovers, most often the rear axle is connected at slippage, and in a four-wheel drive SUV you can connect it manually, distribute the traction between the axles or even the wheels.
Compared to passenger cars, off-road vehicles are much heavier, have poorer aerodynamic performance and higher fuel consumption. The center of gravity of off-road vehicles is quite high, so they are less controllable in corners and may sway under acceleration.
Minibus
Minibuses are vehicles with up to eight seats and a body length of about 5 meters. They differ from small class buses by their length (it is less than 5 meters), and from minivans by the number of passengers carried.
The minibus is built on the chassis of small class trucks. Due to their low cost, they have become very popular with entrepreneurs and people who need a vehicle with good cargo capacity.
