It seems that automakers have intentionally made it difficult to classify vehicles. Why? They want their cars to stand out, and will often try to market a vehicle as a new category.
Mercedes-Benz advertises its CLS class sedan as a “four-door coupe.” It’s a great-looking car with a diving roof line, but the four-door coupe category doesn’t really exist. BMW was also guilty of this sort of colorful naming when it presented the X5 as a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) rather than as a more recognizable SUV.
To help you sort through this auto industry jargon, we’ve gathered the various vehicle categories on our site and translated them into user-friendly terms. Keep in mind that these are broad definitions, meant to ease the confusion of shopping for a vehicle. Some categories will be open to interpretation and, in some situations, a vehicle can occupy multiple categories. For example, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is offered as a sedan, coupe, wagon, diesel and convertible.
Ultimately, the name of the category isn’t as important as the utility that a vehicle provides you. Take the time to research and find the right car for you
Convertible:
If you can drop the top to feel the wind in your hair, the car is a convertible. Convertibles, sometimes called cabriolets or roadsters, come with either a soft folding top or a retractable hardtop. A few examples of convertibles are the Audi A5 cabriolet, Ford Mustang convertible and the Mazda MX5 Miata.
Coupe:
A coupe has two doors and a conventional trunk or a sloping back with a hinged rear cargo hatch that opens upward. Cars with removable roof panels like the Chevrolet Corvette are still considered coupes rather than convertibles.
Crossover:
Crossovers are tall wagons and SUVs that are based on a passenger-car platform’s architecture (as opposed to a truck’s) for improved ride, comfort and fuel economy. They come in all sizes, and many offer a third-row seat. A light-duty four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive system is usually optional. A few crossover examples are the Acura MDX, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape and Toyota Venza
Hatchback:
A hatchback is a car with a two- or four-door body configuration and a sloping back with a hinged rear cargo hatch that opens upward. The Honda Fit and the Volkswagen Golf are some examples. One way to differentiate a hatchback from a wagon is to see if its roof line suddenly dips past the doors. If it does, it’s a hatchback.
Minivan:
A minivan has a short hood and a box-shaped body enclosing a large passenger/cargo area. You can’t go to a kids’ soccer game without seeing one of these. Commonly known minivans are the Dodge Grand Caravan,Honda Odysseyand Toyota Sienna.
Sedan:
A sedan has four doors and a conventional trunk or a sloping back with a hinged rear trunk lid that opens upward. Sedans can be as small as a Chevrolet Sonic or as large as a Rolls Royce Phantom.
SUV:
Sport-utility vehicles offer available four-wheel or all-wheel drive and raised ground clearance in combination with a two- or four-door body. Most SUVs, like the Chevrolet Tahoeand the Toyota 4Runner, are traditionally based on truck platforms.
Truck:
A truck has two or four doors and an exposed cargo bed. They can range in size from the midsize Toyota Tacoma to the full-size Ford F-150.
Wagon:
Wagons have all the same passenger room and driving characteristics as the sedans they’re based on, but offer more cargo room. A few of the larger wagons even offer a third-row seat. Automakers sometimes come up with names like “Avant” or “Sportback” or avoid the term wagon altogether. Here’s an easy way to determine whether a vehicle is a wagon: The roof line of a wagon continues past the rear doors. A few wagon examples are the Bmw 3 series wagon, Ford Flex and Volkswagen Jetta sportswagen.
Source: Edmunds