Over the past two decades, auto industry designers have developed a considerable number of new body types, for example, in the 90s there were half as many of them. More and more often we meet bodies that combine the most best qualities several standard types. After all, it is the type of car body that very often determines it.

Currently, experts have about 15 varieties of car bodies. Not every car enthusiast can boast of knowing their names, not to mention the advantages or disadvantages of one type or another. And if - who owns the information, he will make a good purchase.

What is it, what are its functions and types

So, for starters, let's deal with the purpose of the car body.

The body is the main part of the car, so to speak, a certain form that allows you to move people, goods, etc. in it. It is the shape of this integral part of the car that determines its functionality, the number of passengers who can be seated in the passenger compartment, etc.

The main advantage of the universal large volume trunk!

The tailgate of this body type is tilted at a slight angle along with the glass. Hatchbacks are the most popular among Europeans. Today you can find a car of any class with this type of body. It's more compact than a sedan and not as bulky as a station wagon.

Additional cargo space can be obtained by removing the shelf that covers the trunk and folding the rear seats.

In fact, a hatchback is a great option for a car that can carry cargo and still look quite presentable. It is small and functional, and what else is required from a good car.

This type includes cars in which the trunk lid is equipped with a small protrusion and opens with. This allows the body to be similar to the sedan, which increases the sales of the model.

This body is equipped with five or six large doors, one or two of which are rear. The car has two or three rows of seats. In fact, this is a universal, which is distinguished by the presence all-wheel drive, large overall dimensions, high ground clearance. On you can easily.

This type of closed car body differs from an SUV in height ground clearance and compactness. are increasingly popular with urban citizens, as they allow you to move around our low-quality pavement with the least loss.

One-volume

The classification of cars by body type also includes one-volume bodies. These include minivans, microvans and compact vans.

Minivan

It is characterized by three rows of seats and large overall dimensions. Very often they are equipped with sliding side doors. They were first produced in the 80s. They are considered very popular among European and American family men.

An enlarged copy of the hatchback with. It does not have a third row of passenger seats. Cars with this body will soon ride on our roads quite often.

Something in between and a microvan. Can be equipped with a third row of seats. A compact van looks neater than a minivan. It was launched in the mid 90s.

Abbreviation SUV

Very often you can find SUV class cars. When creating this class, it was assumed that its representatives would be recommended to lovers of active family vacation. To date, the body type is characterized by high ground clearance, roomy trunk, so it is great for small trips to nature.

Note that this car does not have to be all-wheel drive.

Truck bodies

Truck body types can be either closed or open. The first type includes:

• tilt van,
• curtain side semi-trailer,
• truck,
• container,
• refrigerator,
• isothermal van.

Between themselves, they differ in the material from which they are made, overall dimensions and special properties (for example, isothermal).

Open bodies include:

• side body,
• dump truck,
• scow,
• container ship,
• low frame.

Remember that the spaciousness, compactness, comfort and much more depend on its body type. Before choosing, think carefully and weigh the pros and cons!

All at a glance or body types cars in modern world. The article will be of interest to the category of persons without a specific age limit, since both young and old sometimes cannot really answer the question about the types of car bodies. Most can give as an example the most common 2, 3 types, but no more. But the purchase of a car in the future, or rather its appearance, may depend on this. To date, there are 15 varieties, and only less than half are actively used.

In order to broaden our horizons, in our article today we will carefully consider each of the types.

Classification of bodies by parameters

Types of passenger car bodies primarily differ in shape, functionality, passenger capacity, and comfort.

Criteria:

• Scope of destination;
• Design;
• Functionality;
• Load capacity.

Frame type: Frameless and semi-framed.
By layout:

• One-volume: the common space is shared by the engine, passengers, luggage;
• Two-volume: - passengers, luggage in the cabin, and the engine under the hood;
• Three-volume: - passengers in the cabin, the engine under the hood, and luggage in the luggage compartment.

According to the degree of loading:

• bearing - various loads are acceptable;
• semi-supporting - loads only on the frame;
• unloaded - only the cargo and the weight of the passengers themselves.

Body types

• Sedan: we started with the most popular and demanded type with 2 rows of seats, with 2 and 4 door compartments. For example, VAZ, GAZ, ZAZ, Volvo, BMW;
• Wagon: practically the same sedan, just add a body at the rear at the level of the rear bumper and install a sunroof. VAZ, GAZ -24, Mercedes-Benz, Ford. They can be produced with both two and three rows of seats, very convenient and practical for transportation. oversized cargo or a large number of passengers. Cost by 10-12% more expensive than a sedan. For the first time, the station wagon was talked about in the West in 1930 by the Ford company. Until now, cars of this type are consistently sold in the United States.
• Van: the same station wagon, only without windows and doors, only the rear ones. As an example, "Moskvich" from the times of the USSR or "Dodge" in the USA. The car has a clear purpose - the transportation of goods in accordance with its carrying capacity. As a rule, it is no more than 500–700 kg. maximum;
• Hatchback: with the advent of this type the whole story is connected. Some were satisfied with the station wagon version, while others were sedan, but it was not possible to translate it into one. For the first time, engineers have made this dream a reality in the Reno 16 model. In this way, the machine ceased to resemble cargo variant and became more attractive, although in fact cargo purpose so it remains. Behind a small body kit, the luggage compartment disappeared altogether, a hatch appeared. Modern options available in both 3-door and 5-door versions. Example, vases "eight", "nine";
• Coupe: popularly known as "2/2". I mean parents and two kids. Since there is plenty of space in front, and a little beveled in the back, so that an adult of average build will feel uncomfortable. These cars are less intended for families, they are required to show the status and prestige of their owner and his choice in terms of car. Age category up to 30 or 50 and above. bright representative can serve as a "Mustang" in the US, except for other artisanal homemade products.
• Phaeton: similar to a coupe, the only difference is that there are no windows at the rear and the roof folds. The model is a little outdated and smells of old fashioned, but, nevertheless, adherents remained. Very popular in the USA in the 19th century. To protect against the weather, various lapels made of waterproof material were used.
• Roadster: also a coupe prototype, only one row of seats and a convertible top. Demanded in countries with a hot climate.
• Cabriolet: prototype "Phaeton" only now the windows rise and are available, the roof is folding. Bright representative of "Victory". Agree strength. Sometimes the uninformed confuse a roadster with a convertible;
• Limousine: a sedan with many rows of seats, at least 2 and a glass movable partition between the driver and an important person. ZIM, ZIS,
• Mercedes. Differ in non-standard dimensions;
• Brougham: to date, production has already been discontinued, but occasionally it can be found on the closed part of the roof for the rear row of passengers and open for the front;
• Landau: analogue of Brogam, only the opposite is true. Sometimes called a pleasure carriage;
• Targa: also very rare and is an open removable middle part with a capital back. Something reminiscent of Porsche - 911;
• Pickup: something between a car and a truck. There they cut it out, and there they finished it. Moskvich, until they stopped producing Dodge, RAM in the West. Especially loved by young people and farmers;
• Minivan: or wagon with cross-country ability. Combines the transportation of luggage and passengers. There is good comfort and convenience. often the class is used as a fixed-route taxi;
• Hartop: a model that did not take root all over the world, as it could not meet safety requirements. On the side, when the windows were lowered, the frame was also lowered, there was no rigidity, when it rolled over, the body crumpled like a cake;
• Combi: the European name for a limousine, translated as a sedan with an additional door;
• Crossover: SUV but baby,

The classification of passenger cars by body type is based on overall dimensions and cannot claim to be unique. Despite the clear principles, confusion in the names exists.

The most obvious criterion for classifying body types is spatial composition, a combination of three volumes: passenger compartment, engine and luggage compartment. The presence of a roof and a central pillar, the number of seats and doors are also important.

Types of body structures

Closed bodies are called bodies with a fixed roof. There are nine main types in this group.

	- three-volume passenger body with two or three rows of seats, two, four or six side doors.
	- two-volume or three-volume passenger body with two side doors and two rows of seats. back row may have tight fitting dimensions.
	- a two-volume or three-volume passenger body without a central side pillar, with two (hardtop coupe) or four (hardtop sedan) side doors and two rows of seats.
	- a two-volume passenger body with a roof smoothly descending back. The trunk lid starts from the lower edge of the rear window. Bodies of this type were common in the thirties of the last century. Currently, they are practically not used.
	COMBI(hatchback) - a two-volume cargo-passenger body with a roof smoothly descending back and a large back door. The rear row of seats and the shelf behind them, as a rule, can be folded, increasing the usable volume of the cargo compartment. A liftback can be seen as a kind of hatchback, which differs in the shape of the rear end, made like a sedan, only much shorter.
	- a two-volume cargo-passenger body with a door in the rear wall of the body, having a permanent cargo space not separated from the passenger compartment by a stationary partition.
	- a three-volume passenger body with four to six side doors, having a partition behind the front row of seats. With a three-row interior layout, the second row of seats is either foldable or turned back in the direction of travel.
	- two-volume cargo-passenger body with one or two rows of seats. Side doors - two or three. One of them is designed for access to the cargo compartment, separated from the driver's seat by a stationary partition. In the back of the body is another door. The part of the body reserved for the cargo space may be higher than the cab.
	SINGLE-VOLUME(wagon) - a one-volume cargo-passenger body. As a rule, the center of the steering wheel is in front of the front axle of the car.
	- a passenger body without a roof with one row of seats and two side doors. In some designs, side doors may be absent. The windshield is minimal in height, folding or may not be installed at all.
	ROADSTER(spider) - a passenger double body with a folding cab top. There are options with two rows of seats (2 + 2) and a removable hard top.

Passenger cars without a roof, with a folding top or a removable hard top are called open. This group includes four types of bodies.

	- a passenger body with a folding top and lowering side windows. Modifications are possible: cabriolet limousine - with a partition behind the first row of seats, cabriolet - with a retractable pillar between the side windows.
	- passenger body with folding top and removable side windows.
	- a passenger body with a folding or removable part of the roof over the front row of seats. Has four or six side doors.

Cars with a partially folding or partially removable top are called combined. These include four body types.

	- a passenger body with a folding or removable part of the roof above back row seats. A smaller version with a back seat for two is called a landaulet.
	- a coupe-type passenger body with a folding or removable part of the roof over the first row of seats.
	PICKUP - a cargo-passenger body with a closed cabin for the driver and passengers and an open platform for cargo. The cabin can be single or double row. cargo platform has a folding tailgate, soft or hard top.

The above classification by body type is understandable and quite simple, but cannot be considered universal, if only because in other countries these types of bodies may have their own names.

Any car produced in the world is a set of mechanisms and systems that perform a specific function and are fixed to the frame. This frame is called the bearing part.

At first, on cars, the role of the supporting part was performed by the frame, but over time, in the production of cars, the use of the frame was abandoned, preferring it. But the frames are still used on trucks.

If we take into account passenger cars produced on this moment, then there are a great many types of their bodies.

What are the body types

Each type of car body is designed for its own segment of buyers. This article will discuss what types of car body types are.

Body types

The types of car bodies differ from each other in their design, and each of them has its own name.

Cars are produced in coupe, sedan, hatchback, station wagon, limousine, pickup, crossover, van, minivan, SUV bodies. These types of bodies are used both on passenger cars, and on passenger, cargo-passenger, and trucks, as well as on off-road vehicles.

coupe

This body type as a coupe is in most cases used by manufacturers who produce sports cars. It is a three-volume body, that is, the design provides for the allocation of a separate volume of the body for the engine, a separate volume for passengers and a volume for luggage compartment.

All coupe-type bodies are equipped with two doors for passengers. Design feature coupe is that the body is designed for two, rarely four, people. Moreover, the space for passengers sitting in the back is very limited. A prominent representative of cars that use a coupe-type body is the Porsche 911 (pictured below).

One of the most popular car body styles is the sedan.

This body type, like the coupe, is three-volume. But it differs in that the sedan-type body is structurally longer and has two rows of seats and allows passengers to sit comfortably in both the front and rear seats.

In most cases, the sedan has four doors, but models with two doors were also produced. AT domestic production representatives of the four-door sedans are VAZ-2101, 2103, 2105, 2106, 2107, Volga, and the representative of the two-door sedan is Zaporozhets. AT model lines foreign manufacturers, such as volkswagen bmw Audi Toyota Ford and others, there are also both two and four-door sedans.

hatchback

Recently, along with sedans, hatchback-type bodies have become popular.

A design feature of hatchbacks is a two-volume body. The body structure does not provide a separate space for the luggage compartment. The role in the hatchback is played by a special niche in the passenger compartment, which is accessed through a rear-mounted door.

The design of the hatchback provides for the presence of two or four doors for passengers and an additional rear door for loading cargo. Representatives of three-door hatchbacks include VAZ-2108, Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai i30, etc. Five-door hatchbacks are VAZ-2109, Volkswagen Golf, Hyundai Getz and etc.

station wagon

For people who need a passenger car, but with the ability to transport goods, cars with a station wagon body are produced. Cars with such a body are two-volume, like hatchbacks, but the station wagon has a much longer body length.

station wagon

They are designed to carry both passengers and cargo, but after a slight transformation of the cabin, in which the seats for passengers are folded, thereby increasing the volume for cargo. Mainly produced five-door station wagons (VAZ-2104, Opel Astra, Volkswagen Passat) but there are also three-door ones (Opel Record, Ford Sierra).

Limousine

Nowadays, cars are also produced, the body of which is similar to a sedan, but this type of body is called a limousine. Like the sedan, the body structure of the limousine is three-volume. But this body is designed for comfortable accommodation of passengers in the rear seats, for which the length of the body is significantly increased compared to sedans.

It is also possible for limousines to separate the passengers in front from those who are behind with the help of a special partition. Cars with a limousine body include the Seagull, Imperial Crown, Lincoln Town Car.

Pickup

Cars with a pickup body type are also used for the transportation of goods. Pickups are notable for the fact that the body has a cabin for accommodating passengers and an open platform for cargo, and this platform is structurally connected to the cabin.

Pickup cabs can be equipped with two doors and one or two rows of seats for passengers, or four doors. Pickups include VAZ-VIS, Dacia Logan Pickup, Mitsubishi L200 (photo below).

crossover

Recently, cars have become popular, in the design of which such a body type as a crossover is used.

In fact, this body is a symbiosis of station wagon and SUV bodies, which will be discussed below. Just like the wagon, crossovers use a two-volume layout using three or five doors. From the SUV, crossovers got increased ground clearance and.

SUV

But unlike full-fledged SUVs, crossovers do not have high cross-country ability, for which the people received the nickname "SUV". Representatives of crossovers are Toyota RAV 4, Land Rover Freelander, .

Van

Another vehicle designed for the transport of goods is a van.

The van-type body is a one-volume, one-and-a-half-volume or two-volume all-metal structure in which the cabin for passengers is combined with cargo compartment, the only thing is that they can be separated by a partition. The vans are Lada Largus, Volkswagen Caddy, Fiat Doblo(photo below).

Minivan

Very similar in appearance to vans are cars with a minivan body type, since they use the same platform in their production. Cars with such bodies differ in that they are designed to carry passengers, for which the car interior is equipped with several rows of seats.

The features of the minivan is the use of a single-volume and one-and-a-half-volume design. Minivans are VAZ Nadezhda, Volkswagen Sharan, Opel Zafira.

SUV

Also, automakers produce cars high cross- SUVs.

Body types

Closed

• Sedan: the most common body type, can be two- or four-door. Distinctive feature- the presence of two rows of full-size (that is, suitable for a fairly comfortable accommodation of adults) seats and the absence of a door in the rear wall. Representative - VAZ-2101.
  • Including - two-door sedan, or (obsolete) Tudor: it differs from the coupe in full-fledged two rows of seats and a normal (like a four-door sedan) base. The representative is a two-door Zaporozhets.
• station wagon: usually a two-box, five- or less commonly three-door cargo-passenger body based on a sedan with a door in the tailgate, rear overhang like a sedan or longer. Representatives - VAZ-2104, GAZ-22.
• hatchback: usually, a two-volume cargo-passenger body, with three or five doors, is related to the station wagon, but differs in a shorter length of the rear overhang, respectively, less carrying capacity. Representatives - VAZ-2109, Moskvich-2141.
• coupe: two-door three-volume body, with one row of seats, or with back seat limited capacity (for children, or for brief, inconvenient accommodation of adult passengers); often with a pronounced sporty look, but there are also luxury (executive) coupes that provide maximum comfort to the driver and passenger on front seat. Representatives - Porsche 911, Cadillac Eldorado. Often the commercial name "coupe" is carried by cars with other bodies that have two side doors, for example, three-door hatchbacks.
• Limousine: closed car body upper class based on a sedan with an extended wheelbase and a partition behind the front seat. It should be distinguished from a simple long-wheelbase sedan without a partition.
• Minivan: usually, one-volume, or two-volume with a half-bonnet layout, a body, an intermediate option between a station wagon and a minibus. Sometimes in the domestic literature it is called UPV (wagon with increased capacity). May have sliding doors for the second row of seats. Can be equipped with a third row of seats. Representative - Opel Combo, Fiat Doblo.
• hardtop: not a separate type, but rather a design option for a sedan, coupe, station wagon and other bodies; a hardtop is usually devoid of a B-pillar and glass frames for better appearance, visibility and ventilation, which greatly reduces the rigidity of the hardtop body and has caused its rarity since the 1980s. The most common were hardtop modifications of sedans (both two- and four-door) and coupes.
• town car: passenger car with a high roof. Typically, this type of body is used in taxis. Representative - MetroCab.
• Combi: in German-speaking countries, this is the name of any body with a door in the rear wall, including station wagon, hatchback and liftback; in the USSR "Kombi" was called the car IZH-2125, which is very similar in type to the liftback.
• liftback: hatchback with a long, like a sedan, rear overhang; it can have two volumes and a sloping roof like most hatchbacks, or three volumes (“Slavuta”).
• fastback: refers to different types car bodies with a special sloping roof shape, smoothly, without a step, passing into the trunk lid.

open

• Cabriolet: open car body, two- or four-door, usually with a soft or hard folding roof, having lifting side windows; in the folded position, the roof is placed in the trunk or in the space between the trunk and passengers; Hardtop convertibles are often referred to as coupe cabriolets (English coupé cabriolet, Amer. English coupé convertible). Usually in the names of such cars there is a prefix "CC", for example, Peugeot 206 CC.
• Roadster: double body with folding soft top without lifting side windows; at present, such cars are not produced, and the term "roadster" is sometimes used as a commercial designation for sports two-seater convertibles; initially, the term did not imply any sportiness.
• Phaeton: a four-door car body with a soft folding roof for five to six seats without side windows; at present, this is sometimes called the four-door convertibles of the highest class, like the ceremonial ZIL convertibles.
• Landau: a car whose roof above the passengers is soft folding (Representative - 1929 Chevrolet International Series AC Imperial Landaulet) or hard removable.
• Brougham: a type of passenger car body having a removable or retractable roof portion over the front row of seats. Also, this type of body is known as the "coupe de ville".
• Targa: car body type of a passenger car, a type of sports 2-seater roadster with a rigidly fixed windshield, a tubular frame (roll bar) behind the seats, a removable roof and rear window(not always). (Representative, the first and one of the few - Porsche Targa).
• Spider: open two-door car body. Unlike the roadster, the top edge windshield is located significantly below the eyes of the driver (more precisely, the pilot) or is absent altogether.

Cargo-passenger

• Pickup: cargo-passenger body with an open platform, structurally and stylistically integrated with the cab (as opposed to trucks with a separate platform).
• Van: cargo-passenger body with a solid metal part of the body behind the passenger cabin; is usually produced on the basis of a station wagon, or is performed on truck chassis with the use of a separate passenger cabin, body and fabric or metal awning; can also be made on the basis of a pickup truck.

"Volume" of the body

Volumetric… - component terms used in the classification of car body types by the number of volumes - monocab, one and a half volume, two-volume, three-volume.

The volume is determined by the number of clearly expressed geometric shapes (volumes, bulges), into which the silhouette of the car breaks up, if you look at it from the side.

The silhouette of a monocab is a convex or almost convex figure, while a sedan, as a rule, has three pronounced “bulges” - hood, interior, trunk.

An example of a two-volume can serve as a hatchback or station wagon with a pronounced hood, a one and a half-volume - a hatchback with a slightly pronounced, but still noticeably protruding hood on the silhouette.

Single-volume

• Toyota Avensis Verso

One and a half volumes

• Honda HRV

2-volume 3-volume

see also

Links

• Car body type on avtoavto.ru

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