20 Types of Cars and Body Styles Explained

Just like diving deep into any topic, the car world gets way more intricate the closer you look. Even though some old-school body styles have faded away this century, there are still about 20 main types of cars out there, each coming in different sizes and sub-varieties.

These names originally came from what the cars were built for or how they looked, like sedans for everyday family hauls or coupes for sporty vibes, but brands love tweaking the terms to sound edgier and more irresistible, even if it bends the classic definitions a bit.

Types Of Cars

Here are the top 20 cars on the market, sorted by body style.

Sedan	Coupe	Sportscars	Station wagon
Hatchback	Convertible	Sport-utility vehicle (SUV)	Minivan
Pickup truck	Jeep	Electric car	CUV/Crossover
Spyder	Hot hatch	Limousine	UTE
Pony car	Sports sedan	Military vehicle	Dragster

#1. SEDAN.

Sedans are the classic four-door cars you see everywhere, perfect for families or daily commutes.

Most have that familiar three-box shape: one for the engine up front, one for passengers in the middle, and a trunk in the back. This setup spreads the weight evenly, making them handle corners and highways with confidence.

Their one-piece unibody frame shaves off pounds compared to old-school body-on-frame designs, boosting gas mileage without skimping on safety or comfort.

Sure, SUVs and crossovers are stealing the spotlight these days, but sedans hang tough across sizes, from zippy subcompacts like the Nissan Versa or Kia Rio, to sporty compacts such as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, or Mazda3.

Midsize models dominate showrooms with reliable picks like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, and Nissan Altima. Full-size sedans are rarer now, but heavy-hitters like the Dodge Charger, Toyota Avalon, and Chrysler 300 keep the flame alive.

Luxury full-size sedans? They’re thriving. Think plush rides like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS, and Genesis G90—still a top choice for those who want ultimate comfort and tech.

#2. COUPE.

When you hear “coupe,” picture a sleek two-door ride with a trunk and a solid roof, think compact and stylish, like a sporty sedan that’s all about that swooping roofline for a fast, aggressive vibe.

These cars aren’t just pretty; they’re packed with fun features like razor-sharp steering, turbocharged engines pumping out serious power, and tech that makes driving a thrill.

Take the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, or Porsche 718 Cayman; they nail the classic coupe formula. Even some pure sports cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata or Subaru BRZ blur into this category with their two-door excitement.

Things get quirky with “four-door coupes,” which are basically sedans or hatchbacks with a stylish, slanted roof that brands love calling coupes anyway. Models like the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe or Audi A5 Sportback fit here.

It gets even wilder with SUV-based coupes, such as the BMW X4 or Porsche Macan, raised crossovers with that signature sloping rear for a sporty twist on family hauling.

#3. SPORTS CAR.

Sports cars are built for excitement. They usually offer strong acceleration, sharp handling, and a design that looks fast even when parked.

In the past, the term mostly referred to small two-seat convertibles made for open-air driving, such as the Mazda MX-5 Miata or BMW Z4.

Today, the category is broader. It can include cars like the Chevy Corvette, as well as models with small rear seats, such as the Ford Mustang and Porsche 911.

We also often group in exotic performance cars, which are more expensive, more powerful, and more exclusive, like the Ferrari Roma, McLaren GT, and Aston Martin DBS.

#4. STATION WAGON.

Station wagons, sometimes called estate cars, are basically stretched-out sedans with more room in the back. A simple way to picture them is as a mix between a sedan and a hatchback, giving you extra cargo space without moving into full SUV territory.

They’re a great choice for families who need a practical and dependable vehicle. Compared with similar SUVs, wagons often use less fuel, which makes them a smart option for everyday driving.

Some wagons, like the Subaru Outback and Audi A4 Allroad, sit a little higher off the ground and have rugged styling that makes them look more like SUVs. Even so, they’re still closely tied to the sedan family.

Wagons used to be much more common, but they’ve become less popular over the years, especially in the United States, where only a few are still sold.

#5. HATCHBACK.

Hatchbacks stand out because of their big rear hatch that lifts up like a trunk on steroids, giving you easy access to load stuff in. Most have two or four side doors plus that handy hatch, no separate trunk lid needed. They’re basically cousins to sedans, both great for everyday driving and passengers.

The real game-changer? Cargo space. Fold down the rear seats in a hatchback, and you’ve got a massive open area that swallows way more gear than a sedan’s boxed trunk ever could, think bikes, furniture, or a pile of groceries without the Tetris struggle.

They’re also champs at sipping fuel, making them perfect if you want practicality without guzzling gas.

Picture models like the zippy Honda Civic Hatch, rugged Toyota Corolla Hatchback, electric Kia EV6, or sporty Mazda3 Hatch, they’re all crowd-pleasers.

Sure, some classics like the tiny three-door Fiat 500 keep it old-school, but today’s hatchbacks have leveled up with sleek beasts like the Volvo V60 wagon or BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe that scream luxury.

#6. CONVERTIBLE.

A convertible (or cabriolet) is basically a car with a roof you can fold away or retract, letting you feel the wind in your hair on a sunny drive. Roofs come in two main flavors: hardtops and soft-tops.

Hardtops are made from sturdy stuff like aluminum or reinforced plastic, and they usually fold at the touch of a button for that seamless open-air vibe. Soft-tops, on the other hand, use flexible fabrics like canvas or high-tech vinyl that you can manually crank up or down, super easy and lightweight.

These rides scream luxury, thanks to their sleek lines and that unbeatable sense of freedom. Most modern convertibles rock two doors, like the Porsche 911, BMW Z4, or Fiat 124 Spider.

But four-door versions exist too, blending family practicality with top-down fun, think the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class cabriolet or the rugged Land Rover Defender convertible.

There’s plenty of crossover with sports cars, where zippy performance meets drop-top thrills.

#7. SUV.

A Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) is defined by its off-road capabilities and roominess. These types of cars are built with a long journey in mind. It boasts a comfortable ride in rough, rugged cross-country terrain. It offers a relatively high seating position, which allows a better view of the road.

These functionalities have been made possible by its sturdy body-on-frame construction, which is borrowed from trucks.

Hence, if you are one of those who enjoy outdoor adventure and expect to tow dirt bikes, an SUV might be best suited to you.

They include a station wagon-like cargo space accessed through a flip-up hatchback door, and many offer all-wheel drive.

The larger ones have three rows of seats. Sizes start at small cars (Hyundai Kona, Nissan Kicks), ranging from medium to full-size (Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe). Luxury brands offer many SUV models in most of the same size classes.

#8. MINIVAN.

When designing minivans, the focus is usually on the size of the cabin space rather than the size of the storage space. These types of cars are often associated with station wagons and family cars.

It was made with the specific idea of accommodating a whole family in it. It has a lot of cargo space, but not much compared to the hatchback.

Minivans are the workhorses of the world of family cars, the best way to move people and cargo in one efficient package.

They are called minivans, but they are far from “mini”. That’s because they’re tall boxes on wheels with sliding side doors for easy access and a tailgate that opens up to a large cargo space.

Most minivans have reclining second and third-row seats that can often be removed or even folded into the floor to create huge open cargo space. The Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica are great examples of this breed.

#9. PICKUP TRUCK.

A pickup is one of the most recognizable types of cars in the world. It is distinguishable from other automobiles due to its distinct design.

Its cargo space is completely divided from its cabin space, and it usually seats no more than 3 or 4 individuals at a time.

A pickup truck has a passenger cab and an open cargo bed in the rear. Virtually all pickups offer some form of all-wheel drive or part-time four-wheel drive, the latter for off-road use only. With one exception, the mid-sized Honda Ridgeline pickup bodies are cabs mounted to a separate steel frame.

The Ridgeline is more like a crossover with the rear section of the roof lopped off to expose a cargo bed. Currently, pickup trucks come in two size categories: full-size and mid-size.

#10. JEEP.

Jeep is like Kleenex. It’s a product model that’s become synonymous with an entire product line. Jeep, as a model, is designed and built by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The Jeep hit the scene in November 1940, just before the USA entered WWII.

They were widely used throughout the war and subsequent wars due to their ability to travel on all kinds of terrain.

In 1987, Chrysler bought the Jeep brand and has expanded the models ever since. While the traditional design is still popular, Chrysler also developed the SUV model Cherokee.

#11. ELECTRIC CAR.

For now we treat fully electric cars as their own category, but all indications point to just about every type of car going electric at some point in the next few decades.

Electric vehicles, or EVs, take full advantage of the dramatic efficiency advantages of electric motors.

EVs have already begun to make every car type better: They are quicker yet more efficient, much cheaper to “fuel” yet capable of charging at home, and allow for inventive packaging solutions that enhance interior space, safety, and handling.

Lingering challenges include the high cost and weight of batteries and the lack of common, reliable charging infrastructure, though these are all in the process of being addressed by the industry as a whole.

#12. CROSSOVER.

If we had to summarize crossovers in a single phrase, it would be “a combination of an SUV and a hatchback”. Crossovers have the practicality of an SUV but also come with superb fuel efficiency like hatchbacks do, as they are built on a unibody construction that is lighter and consumes less fuel.

#13. SPYDER.

The Spyder is a type of car that has two seats and the appearance of a sports car. It has many variants, one of which is the popular Lamborghini Spyder. Its use has spread all over the world and is recognized as a luxury car.

There was a time when it was used as a racing car in the United States Auto Club during the 50s and 60s. The Spyder is also often called the Roadster, which was originally used to describe a horse that is suitable for traveling on open roads.

Originally, the Spyder was only fit for one person to ride, but it has gradually adapted to the two-seater model that is internationally known.

#14. HOT HATCH.

The hot hatch car is a high-performance car that takes its design from the hatchback. It has the same door that swings open in the back and a similar shape.

Though not as spacious or large as the hatchback, it can still fit up to 5 passengers and quite a bit of cargo. It began being manufactured in the late 1980s and is a favorite among consumers in Europe and Asia.

#15. LIMOUSINE.

A limousine is considered one of the most luxurious cars in the world. These types of cars are noted for their large length and the partition between the back and the front.

The limousine is driven by a chauffeur in most cases and is pre-booked for formal affairs. Limousines are usually owned or used by movie stars, businessmen, dignitaries, or politicians.

#16. UTE.

A UTE, an abbreviation of utility, is a term for a car typically purchased in Australia and New Zealand for cars with a standing behind the passenger cabin.

It can be driven with a regular driver’s license. It was originally used to refer to cars built on passenger car chassis with the bed attached to the passenger body.

Any vehicle with an open cargo area at the rear is now referred to as a UTE in the New Zealand-Australia region.

#17. PONY CAR.

The Pony car has its roots in the Ford Mustangs of the 1940s and 50s. These types of cars were wildly popular in the 1960s and even broke sales records in the US. It created the pony car craze and was designed as an affordable, compact, and highly stylized alternative for Americans.

It was a direct consequence of customers’ interest in small cars that had sporty and luxurious designs.

#18. SPORTS SEDAN.

The Sports Sedan or the Sports Saloon is a very subjective term for a car. It is designed for great performance and impeccable handling features. The term goes back to the 1930s and includes the Rover 14 and 16 cars.

Sports Sedan was a term that began being applied to sports versions of cars for different manufacturers in the 1960s.

The originals used manual transmissions and rear-wheel drives. However, as time passed, a number of other transmission types and layouts became common.

Some important cars that fall into the category are the BMW M5, the Jaguar XJR, the Maserati Quattroporte, and the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

#19. MILITARY VEHICLE.

Military vehicles are designed for combat and endurance on the battlefield. They are designed to withstand bullets and blasts and are equipped with extensive armor and protection. Capable of transporting soldiers, ammunition, and lots of cargo, they run at top speed while transporting cargo.

#20. DRAGSTER.

Dragsters are modified racecars. With modified engines, they are specially built for drag racing. They were first built during the 1960s and fitted with front-engine rails and slingshots. Dragsters can be supercharged or turbocharged based on their designs.

They can run on alcohol, natural gas, or a mixture of nitromethane and gasoline. Rear-engine dragsters have now become the standard dragster design because of their durability and performance benefits.

#21. SHOOTING BRAKE.

The Shooting Brake is a term for a vehicle with a specific body shape. It was once used for horse-drawn wagons used to transport rifle squads to their hunting grounds. The first with automotive capabilities was developed in the early 1900s.

They are known for their elongated sterns and large cabin spaces. They take several clues from the tailgate. One of the most commonly manufactured Shooting Brake cars is the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

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