Different Types Of Cars List For The Global Market

Sales have been booming for the global car market, but Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says he now expects the yearly growth for the automotive industry to be placed around 3%. Although initially, the representative of this largely known German car manufacturer had estimated that the market would see growth up to 5%, he now claims that the demand for automobiles has slightly decreased, and the Ukraine-Russia current crisis is to blame.

To better understand the qualities and specifications of various types of cars, we’ve put together a short, yet valid classification, which can help any eager car buyer make a satisfactory choice.

What are the different types of cars that currently exist in the world?

Automobiles can be ranked depending on multiple criteria: size, weight, power and economy. Other than that, people can choose between various brands of cars, depending on the country they are manufactured in, on the history of the producer or on which type of vehicle the manufacturer is specialized in developing.

The most common generic classification on the car market today is the one that usually relies on automobile size and shape. Since smaller vehicles are known to have higher fuel economy, it’s with these ones that we’ll begin our presentation.

1. Microcars are the smallest which exist in the world. They can be placed somewhere between a motorbike and a car, particularly because they have low-capacity engines. Microcars come in different variants – buyers can choose from classic internal combustion, electric and hybrid engines. This type of vehicle was widely popular after the second world war in Europe, going under the name of “bubble cars”. The most famous recent example belonging to this class is the Tata Nano, also known as the cheapest car in the world.

   

2. Next come hatchbacks. As their name suggests, the main feature of this type of car consists of the rear door swinging upward. The hatchback category is chiefly composed of small-sized vehicles, such as the ultracompact, the city car, the sub-compact, the compact, the mid-size and the hot-hatch.
   Examples: Suzuki Swift, Volkswagen Golf and Fiat 500.

   

3. Sedans are a little larger in size, which is why they are classified in the following models: mid-size, compact executive, full size, executive, full-size luxury and sports sedan.
   Examples: Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, Lexus IS and the BMW 5 series.

   

4. Yet another addition to this list of cars are station wagons. These are basically a combination between sedans and hatchbacks. Station wagons have become less popular during the last years, which is why manufacturers aren’t particularly focused on developing them.Examples: Audi A4 Avant and Renault Dacia Logan MCV 1.5 DCI.

   

5. Sports cars and grand tourers are mostly known for their speed and design. They come in all shapes and sizes: supercars, muscle cars, pony cars, you name it. Examples: Maserati GranTurismo, Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, Pontiac GTO and Ford Mustang.

   

6. Convertibles, also known as cabriolets and roadsters, are also a noteworthy mention, because they’re highly popular during the summer. Almost any car producer in the world has at least one convertible on the market. Youngsters from all over the world dream of owning one roadster at a point in their lives. Examples: Ferrari California and Mazda MX Miata.

   

7. Off-roaders are predominantly related to sport utility automobiles and to crossover SUVs. Examples: Nissan Rogue and Opel Meriva.

   

8. Minivans, vans, minibuses & RVs are a category of vehicles known for their large size and their ability of transporting both people and goods. Examples: Minivans: Opel Meriva, Nissan Note, Opel Zafira Tourer and Mazda5; Vans: Volkswagen Transporter, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Dodge Ram Van and the Ford E-series.

   

This is our classification of the different types of cars that currently exist on the global car market. As we already stated in the beginning, most automobile buyers considerably rely on their personal needs when they choose a model or a particular size. Some choose family cars, singles go for compacts or coupes, and adventurers usually pick off-roaders or SUVs. Either way, it’s the manufacturers’ responsibility to make sure everybody gets their cake and eats it.