The function of car other than as a personal vehicle that facilitates travel, is also used for collections. For rich people, collecting expensive and unique cars is a pleasure for them.
As the times progressed, the types of cars also increased. Here are some of them:
1. Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
Sport-Utility Vehicle or better known as an SUV, uses a body-on-frame design. That means the frame and body are made separately and then put together during the manufacturing process. These truck-based vehicles are generally more robust and can be used to transport larger loads.
SUV or sport utility vehicle is a classification of cars that combines the elements of a passenger car on the highway with the features of an off-road vehicle, such as elevated ground clearance and four-wheel drive gear.
Several other definitions state that an SUV is a car built on a light truck chassis. SUVs are also synonymous as tough vehicles equipped with off-road design features.
The predecessor to the SUV from military vehicles from the late 1930s, the 1984 Jeep Cherokee is considered the first SUV in modern style. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the popularity of SUVs greatly increased.
Recently, SUVs with smaller, mid-size, and crossover types are becoming more and more popular. SUVs are currently the largest automotive segment in the world, or the best-selling type and accounted for 36.8% of the world car market in 2017
2. Mini Van
A mini van (sometimes simply referred to as a van) is a car classification for vehicles designed to carry passengers in the rear seat row, with seats that can be reconfigured in two or three rows.
Mini vans are also known as MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) or Small MPV multi-utility (MUVs). Mini vans often feature boxy body designs, higher roofs, flat floors, and sliding doors for rear passengers.
Since the 1990s, MPV Compact and MPV Mini sizes which are smaller than mini vans have also become popular. This type of vehicle is primarily designed to transport passengers. These vehicles have become popular mainly because of the convenience they offer in terms of the number of people or cargo capacity.
Usually, Multi-Utility Vehicles have two or three rows of seats that can accommodate 6 to 8 passengers. This is the most important advantage of this vehicle.
In addition, they have a flexible interior space so that it can be adjusted according to needs. If you want to carry more cargo, just fold up a few seats. This way, you will have enough space to store all your belongings. In addition, the upright design style allows interior spaces to feel more spacious and airy.
Furthermore, thanks to technological advances, the performance of an MPV car is almost on par with other vehicles. Generally, this vehicle uses a unibody construction so it is lightweight.
Improved construction and reduced weight result in better handling and fuel economy. Due to its upright body style, the multi-purpose vehicle has better ground clearance.
3. Hatchback
The hatchback is a car body configuration with the rear door swinging upwards to provide access to the cargo area. Hatchbacks usually have a second row of foldable seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume.
The early hatchback car was invented in 1930, the hatchback body style has been marketed worldwide on cars ranging in size from small family cars, executive cars, and some sports cars.
The hallmark of a hatchback is the rear door that opens upwards and hinges at the height of the roof as opposed to the sedan’s trunk lid which hinges under the rear window. Most hatchbacks use a design style where the cargo or luggage area and the passenger area are one volume.
The rear seats can often be folded to increase the available cargo space. Hatchbacks are usually having flexible roll-up covers to cover the cargo space behind the rear seats.
Sedans and hatchbacks have very similar characteristics. Both generally have a seating capacity of up to five people, and both provide storage space with luggage.
The hatchback is able to offer more storage than most sedans. Especially when the back seat is folded down.
Sedans are generally more expensive than hatchbacks, because they have a more powerful engine. But the average hatchback is able to provide better fuel mileage than sedans.
But sedans tend to be longer than hatchbacks, so they can offer more legroom for passengers inside.
4. Station Wagon/Estate
Also called a wagon, this car is characterized by a body that is longer than usual, has a large carrying space behind the seat and has an extra door at the back for easy loading of cargo.
This car has an automotive body style variant with the roof extending backwards with access to the rear through a third door instead of the trunk/boot cover.
They are called station wagons because they were originally designed to carry people to and from stations. At first, these vehicles were made with handmade wooden bodies then steel materials became more common.
It has lower ground clearance than SUVs, and usually has reliable off-road suspension.
5. Sedan
A sedan is a passenger car with separate compartments for engine, passenger and cargo. The first use of Sedan as a name for a car body was in 1912.
The definition of a sedan is a passenger car with four doors and a separate trunk. The basic difference between a hatchback and a sedan is the trunk.
Generally, the cargo of a sedan is a separate compartment. The hatchback has no bulkhead between the rear seat and cargo space which allows for greater storage.
6. Convertible
The word convertible is a term more widely used in the automotive industry that refers to a sedan with a retractable roof. This car offers a cool roofless driving experience. The disadvantages of this car are the loss of structural strength and also the small size of the trunk.
7. Coupe
The word coupe means a two-passenger horse-drawn carriage from the French “cut”. Recently, automotive manufacturers have begun to apply the definition of a coupe to the sporty variants of their sedan range.
Most people would define a coupe as a two-door vehicle whereas a sedan is a four-door. Not really true, because coupes can have four doors and sedans can also have two doors
The real difference lies in size, the coupe has larger front row doors than the sedan, which gives the driver and front row passengers more room to get in and out of the vehicle.
Wider door frames on a coupe make the driver’s seat more accessible by allowing more room to get in and out.
According to the Society of Automotive Engineers, a coupe is defined as a car that has less than 33 cubic feet of interior space while a sedan is equal to or greater than 33 cubic feet.
Coupes are generally considered sportier than sedans. Cars with only front row seats (like most sports cars) will often have less space in the interior which automatically places them in the coupe category if they are under 33 cubic feet.
A sedan, on the other hand is considered more of a family car as it has more space than a coupe.
8. Double Cabin
Double cabin is a term used to describe a pickup truck that has four doors. This car is often used as a patrol car.
This car also has another name called Crew Cabin. The concept of this car was invented in 1962.
9. Sports Car
It is a car with a low ground clearance body and is designed for high speed performance. Sports cars are designed with dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, or driving sensation.
Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and today are produced by many manufacturers around the world. Sports cars generally only have two passenger seats.
10. Off-Road Car
Off-road vehicle or All-Terrain Vehicle is a type of vehicle capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surfaces. Generally, have large tires with deep groove tread and flexible suspension.
This car has great torque and all four wheels can rotate independently. This car is designed to provide a firm and consistent grip.
The most important thing in off-road vehicles is that all-terrain tires are designed to grip surfaces such as sand, rocks, wet grass, or mud, whereas road tires are only designed to grip the pavement. The right tires help provide traction when braking and cornering.
11. City Car
A city car is a car with a compact and efficient body design with smaller dimensions than other car classes.
City car is the smallest type of car suitable for urban use on busy city streets and easy to park.
This car is suitable for drivers who do not need a lot of space to store things or for everyday vehicles to the office. And because of its low operating costs, the city car makes a perfect car for new drivers as your first car. Not only that, city cars tend to be cheap, economical and environmentally friendly.
12. Electric Car
In contrast to cars in general, this car uses electricity as its fuel instead of gasoline or diesel. Electric cars use large battery cells that are connected to an electric motor to turn the wheels.
Other car functions such as lights, temperature control, and speakers are all included in the system that uses electricity.
13. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car
A hydrogen fuel cell car is an electric car with power generated by a series of chemical reactions that combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity.
The technology is still being developed but is basically aimed at the same goal of combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce water and electricity.
Hydrogen fuel cell technology is seen as a more environmentally friendly transportation solution for the future because the only waste product that emerges from car exhaust is water.
14. Hybrid
A hybrid car is a car that uses more than one drive, which means it combines a gasoline or diesel engine with an electric motor.
The main advantages of hybrids are that they consume less fuel and emit less CO2 than conventional gasoline or diesel-engine vehicles.