Car body types explained with examples and key differences
A reference of car body types, what defines each one, and where the lines between sedan, hatchback, crossover, and SUV actually sit.
A car’s “type” almost always refers to its body style: how many doors it has, how the roof and trunk are shaped, and what the cargo area looks like. Drivetrain (FWD, RWD, AWD), fuel type (gas, diesel, hybrid, EV), and segment (luxury, sport, etc.) are separate axes.
Here’s the field, grouped by what each body actually looks like.
Quick reference
| Body type | Doors | Roof shape | Defining feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | 4 | Separate trunk | Three-box design |
| Hatchback | 3 or 5 | Sloping rear glass | Rear glass is part of the door |
| Wagon | 4 (+ liftgate) | Extended flat roof | Long rear cargo area |
| Coupe | 2 | Sloping rear | Two-door, sport orientation |
| Convertible | 2 (usually) | Folding/removable | No fixed roof |
| Crossover (CUV) | 4 (+ liftgate) | Tall, often sloping | Car-based unibody, raised ride height |
| SUV | 4 (+ liftgate) | Tall, boxy | Truck-based body-on-frame (traditionally) |
| Pickup | 2 or 4 | Cab + open bed | Separate cargo bed |
| Minivan | 4 (sliding) | Tall | Sliding side doors, 7+ seats |
| Roadster | 2 | Open or removable | Sports car, no rear seats |
Sedan
Four doors, three-box layout: hood, cabin, separate trunk. The trunk lid hinges below the rear glass, which sets it apart from a hatchback. Modern examples: Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Nissan Altima, Tesla Model 3.
Sedan sales have shrunk dramatically since 2015. Ford, GM, and Stellantis pulled most of their sedans from the US market. Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and the German brands still sell them.
Hatchback
Three or five doors counting the rear hatch, which is hinged at the roof and includes the rear glass. Compared to a sedan, you trade a bit of cabin elegance for much better cargo access and the ability to fold the rear seats for long items.
Examples: VW Golf, Mazda 3 hatch, Honda Civic hatchback, Kia Forte5, Mini Cooper. Most EVs (Tesla Model S, Polestar 2, Hyundai Ioniq 5) are technically hatchbacks even when they look like sedans.
Wagon
Sedan from the front, extended roofline all the way to a flat rear hatch. Bigger cargo volume than a hatchback, more car-like driving than an SUV. Subaru Outback, Audi A4 Allroad, Volvo V60, Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain.
Wagons are nearly extinct in the US market. Manufacturers raised them slightly, added cladding, and sold them as crossovers instead.
Coupe
Two doors, sportier proportions, often a fastback or sloping rear roofline. Back seats exist on some coupes but are usually cramped. Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Porsche 911, Toyota Supra, BMW M4.
Manufacturers also use “coupe” to describe four-door cars with low rooflines (BMW Gran Coupe, Mercedes CLS). Purists call this marketing, but the category sticks.
Convertible
Roof either folds (soft top or retractable hard top) or comes off (Targa, T-top, removable panels). Often a two-door coupe with the top taken off. Mazda MX-5 Miata, BMW Z4, Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Ford Mustang Convertible, Jeep Wrangler (counts as a convertible SUV).
Crossover (CUV)
A unibody platform shared with a car, raised ride height, often AWD, liftgate at the rear. Drives more like a tall hatchback than a truck. This is now the biggest-selling category in the US.
Examples: Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Escape, Tesla Model Y.
SUV
Originally meant body-on-frame trucks with enclosed bodies (Suburban, Tahoe, Bronco, 4Runner, Wrangler, Land Cruiser). Modern usage blurs into crossover. The technical line: SUVs have body-on-frame construction (the body bolts to a separate ladder frame); crossovers have unibody construction.
Body-on-frame SUVs tow more and handle rougher terrain. Crossovers ride better, get better fuel economy, and are cheaper.
Pickup truck
Two- or four-door cab with an open cargo bed at the rear. Sizes: full-size (F-150, Silverado, Ram, Tundra), mid-size (Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado, Frontier), compact (Maverick, Santa Cruz). Cab styles: regular, extended/SuperCab, crew/SuperCrew. Bed lengths: 5’5” to 8’.
Minivan
Four doors (two of them sliding), tall roof, 7 or 8 seats, low floor for easy entry. Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival. The Sienna and Pacifica are hybrid-only or hybrid-optional in 2026.
Roadster
Two-seat convertible, often with no real cargo space. Distinct from a coupe-convertible because it never had a fixed roof in the design. Mazda MX-5 Miata, Porsche 718 Boxster, Jaguar F-Type Roadster.
Cargo and passenger vans
Full-size vans split into two paths. Passenger vans (Chevy Express, Ford Transit Passenger, Mercedes Sprinter passenger) have windows and seats for 12 to 15. Cargo vans are the same body without windows or rear seats, used as work vehicles.
Camper vans are cargo vans converted with kitchens, beds, and sometimes bathrooms. Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit, and Ram ProMaster are the three common platforms.
Supercar, hypercar, muscle car
These describe purpose, not body shape. A supercar is a high-performance two-seater (typically $200k to $500k): Lamborghini Huracan, McLaren 720S, Ferrari 296. A hypercar is the next rung up ($1M+): Bugatti, Koenigsegg, Pagani. Muscle cars are American V8 coupes built for straight-line speed: Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang GT, Chevrolet Camaro SS.
Microcar and kei car
Sub-compact vehicles, usually under 3.5 meters long, often with engines under 1.0L. Common in Europe and Japan, almost nonexistent in the US market. Smart Fortwo, Fiat 500, Honda N-Box, Suzuki Alto.
Limousine
A stretched version of a luxury sedan. Limousines aren’t built that way from the factory; coachbuilders cut sedans in half and weld in extra cabin sections. Stretched Cadillac DeVilles, Lincoln Town Cars, Chrysler 300s, and Hummers are the common bases.