Car body types explained
Confused about which type of car is best for you? We're here to help...
Ok, so you need a new car for the family. You would love a saloon but mum is insistent on an MPV. Your son needs a hot hatch. Your neighbour then suggests a 4x4, whatever that is? We’ve helped make your decision easier with descriptions of the most popular car body styles.
Hatchback
A Hatchback car has a sloping back with a hinged rear door that opens upward. The rear deck lid and window lift open as a unit. The rear door leads into the car. This does not apply to MPVs, SUVs or vans as these are larger.
- Read our full Ford Focus review
- Read our guide to the best hatchbacks
SUV
SUV is short for Sports Utility Vehicle and their high driving position and chunky looks has made them one of the most popular car body types available today. While they look like they can tackle most types of terrain, SUVs have limited off-road capability. That said, some do offer all-wheel drive (4x4), though if you're going to be regularly going off-road, you might want to take a look at a dedicated 4x4. SUVs come in a variety of sizes, from small SUVs to rival a hatchback, to larger family offerings that pack in seven seats.
- Read our full Audi Q3 review
- Read our guide to the best SUVs
Estate
An Estate car is a car body style similar to a saloon, but with an extended rear cargo area. Most estate cars are modified saloon-type car bodies, having the passenger area extended to the rear window (over the normal boot area of the vehicle). An estate car is distinguished from an MPV by still being a car, sharing its forward bodywork with other cars in a manufacturers range.
- Read our full Skoda Octavia review
- Read our guide to the best estate cars
Convertible
A convertible (sometimes called cabriolet) is a car body style with a folding or retracting roof (aka soft top). The collapsible roof section is typically made from flexible canvas or vinyl, although plastic, aluminium and steel have occasionally been used in elaborate folding designs. Convertibles are usually 2 door models, only a few 4 door models exist.
- Read our full Mazda MX-5 review
- Read our guide to the best convertible cars
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Coupe
A coupé or coupe (from the French verb couper, to cut) is a car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time. Coupés are often sporty variants of saloon body styles, with doors commonly reduced from 4 to 2, and a close-coupled interior offering either two seats or 2+2 seating.
- Read our guide to the best coupe cars
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MPV
(Multi Purpose Vehicle) A minivan, minibus, people carrier, multi utility vehicle (MUV), or multi purpose vehicle (MPV) is a type of vehicle which has a body that resembles a van, but which has rear side doors, rear side windows, and interior fittings to accommodate passengers similar to a station wagon. Minivans are higher than normal saloons and Estate cars, and are designed for maximum interior room MPVs often feature three seat rows and can seat 7 people or more.
- Read our guide to the best MPVs
Saloon
A saloon car used to be one of the most common body styles, but is now disappearing as people switch to SUVs. At its most basic, the saloon is a passenger car with a separate bonnet covering the engine in the front, and a separate boot for luggage at the rear. A saloon seats four or more and has a fixed roof that is full-height up to the rear window.
- Read our full BMW 3 Series review
