A compact (North America), small family (European) or c-segment car is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini and smaller than a large family car. The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact / Compact cars produced by the Japanese Automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly referred to as ASEAN, ˈɑːsiːɑːn AH-see-ahn in English (the Official language This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any A supermini is a British Car classification term that describes Automobiles larger than a City car but smaller than a Small family car. A large family car is a European classification of cars which are larger than a Small family car and smaller than an Executive car
Current compact cars are between 4,100 mm (161 in) and 4,450 mm (175 in) long if they are hatchbacks, or between 4,400 mm (173 in) and 4,600 mm (181 in) if they are cabriolets, sedans or station wagons. Hatchback is a term designating an Automobile design containing a passenger cabin with an integrated Cargo space accessed from behind the vehicle by a single A cabriolet is a light two-wheeled Carriage drawn by a single horse with a folding hood seating two people facing forward one of whom is the driver A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate Multi-purpose vehicles and sport utility vehicles based on small family cars, which are called compact MPVs and compact SUVs respectively, have become popular since the early 1990s. A minivan, multi-purpose vehicle (abbreviated MPV) people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle (shortened A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis A Compact MPV is a Car classification used in Europe to describe Multi-purpose vehicle versions of Small family cars (sometimes also referred Compact SUV is a class of small Sport utility vehicles with a length roughly between 4
Common engines are 1. 5 to 2. 4-litre straight-4s, either petrol or Diesel, with a range between 100 bhp (75 kW) and 170 bhp (127 kW). The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders A Petrol engine or Gasoline engine is an Internal combustion engine with spark-ignition designed to run on petrol ( Gasoline) and similar volatile A diesel engine is an Internal combustion engine which operates using the Diesel cycle (named after Dr Some models also have economical 1. 3 or 1. 4-litre units. High-performance versions, called hot hatches or sport compact sedans, may have turbocharged 2. A hot hatch is an informal or slang term for a high-performance derivative of a three (or sometimes five -door Automobile. A sport compact is a high-performance version of a Compact car or a Subcompact car. A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. 0 or 2. 5-litre engines, or even V6 3. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders 2-litre units, ranging maximum outputs from 170 bhp (127 kW) to 300 bhp (224 kW). Small European family cars include the Ford Focus, Opel Astra, Peugeot 307, Renault Mégane, and Volkswagen Golf. This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus See also Vauxhall Astra and Holden Astra for the usage of the nameplate by other General Motors subsidiaries The Peugeot 307 is a Family car produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001 The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen Japanese branded examples include Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Subaru Impreza, and Toyota Corolla. The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact / Compact cars manufactured by Honda. The Mazda Axela is a Compact car manufactured by the Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan. The Subaru Impreza' is a Compact car that was first introduced by Subaru in 1993 The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact / Compact cars produced by the Japanese Automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout The Chevrolet Cobalt is an example of a compact made in the United States. The Chevrolet Cobalt is a Compact car introduced by Chevrolet in 2004 for the 2005 model year
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European market
After the Second World War, European manufacturers usually featured two vehicle types: small cars (or superminis) and large saloons. The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A supermini is a British Car classification term that describes Automobiles larger than a City car but smaller than a Small family car. In the 1960s, some brands found that many middle class buyers wanted something larger than superminis, and built small family cars. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. These were usually saloons, with the first successful hatchback in this class being the 1974 Volkswagen Golf, which moved the layout of the smaller supermini Renault 5 to this segment. Hatchback is a term designating an Automobile design containing a passenger cabin with an integrated Cargo space accessed from behind the vehicle by a single The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen The Renault 5 (also called the R5 was a supermini produced by the French automaker Renault in two generations between 1972 and 1996 This proved popular and by the end of the decade, several other manufacturers launched hatchbacks like the Fiat Ritmo, Citroën GSA, Renault 14, and Opel Kadett. The 1978 Fiat Ritmo, styled by Bertone of Italy was the most distinctive looking Small family car in Europe on its launch in 1978 Turin Motorshow The Citroën GS (1970–79 and Citroën GSA (1980–86 were Small family cars produced by the French automaker Citroën. The Renault 14 is a Small family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault between 1976 and 1983 The Opel Kadett is a Small family car produced by the German automaker Opel between 1937 and 1940 then from 1962 to 1992
The 1980s began with the launch of two more front-wheel drive hatchbacks: the Ford Escort Mk III and the Lancia Delta. Front-wheel drive (or FF layout) is a form of engine / transmission layout used in Motor vehicles where the engine drives the front Wheels The Ford Escort is a Small family car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 1967 to 2003 Lancia Delta S4The Lancia Delta is a Small family car produced by Italian automaker Lancia with the first generation being produced between 1979 and 1994 the second Similar cars such as the Renault 11, Peugeot 309, updated Opel Kadett, Renault 19, Fiat Tipo, and second generation Rover 200 followed over the course of the decade. The Renault 9 and Renault 11 are two Small family cars produced by the French manufacturer Renault between 1981 and 1988 The Peugeot 309 is a Small family car designed and manufactured by Peugeot between 1985 and 1993 and between 1994 and 1997 in India by PAL-Peugeot Ltd The Opel Kadett is a Small family car produced by the German automaker Opel between 1937 and 1940 then from 1962 to 1992 The Renault 19 is a Small family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1988 and 2000 The Fiat Tipo is a Small family car designed by the IDEA design house and produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1988 and 1995 The Rover 200-series / 25 is a small Car which was produced by the Austin Rover Group, and latterly the Rover Group and MG Rover. Alfa Romeo's venture into this market, the Nissan-based Arna, was one of the few unsuccessful European small family hatchbacks of the 1980s. The Alfa Romeo Arna was a subcompact Automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 1983 and 1987
The 1990s saw small family cars firmly pitch themselves as the most popular class of car in Europe. The Volkswagen Golf Mk III was launched in 1991 and elected European Car of the Year. The European Car of the Year award was established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. Citroën replaced the GSA with the large family car BX and later the small family car ZX. Citroën (pronounced See-Troh-Enn is a French Automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën. The Citroën BX is a Large family car that was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1983 and 1994 The Citroën ZX is a Small family car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1991 and 1998 The ZX's chassis spawned the Peugeot 306 in 1993. The Peugeot 306 is a Small family car built by the French Car manufacturer Peugeot from 1993 to 2002 Fiat replaced the Tipo in 1995 with the distinctive Bravo and Brava (three-door and five-door hatchbacks, respectively). The Fiat Bravo and Fiat Brava are Small family cars produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1995 to 2001 In 1998, Ford launched the all-new Ford Focus, completing sales of run-out Escort versions in 2000. This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus
Some small family cars have also spawned compact MPVs, the first of which was the 1996 Renault Scénic. A Compact MPV is a Car classification used in Europe to describe Multi-purpose vehicle versions of Small family cars (sometimes also referred The Renault Scénic is a Compact MPV produced by French automaker Renault, the first to be labelled as such in Europe. The Opel Zafira, Citroën Xsara Picasso, Ford Focus C-MAX, Volkswagen Touran, SEAT Altea and Fiat Multipla followed and are becoming increasingly popular. The Opel Zafira is a Compact MPV produced by KPK and Opel a General Motors subsidiary The Citroën Xsara is a Small family car produced by French automaker Citroën since 1997 The Ford C-Max is a Compact MPV produced by Ford in Saarlouis for the European market since 2003 The Volkswagen Touran is a Compact MPV based on a vertically-stretched fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5, and sold in The SEAT Altea is a Compact MPV produced by Spanish automaker SEAT and named after Altea, Spain. For the earlier Fiat 600-based Multipla produced between 1956 and 1965 see Fiat 600. In few years they outsold estates and saloons in many countries. A more recent trend is to build coupé cabriolets with components from these vehicles. Examples of this are the Peugeot 307, Opel Astra TwinTop, Renault Mégane CC, and Volkswagen Eos. The Peugeot 307 is a Family car produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001 See also Vauxhall Astra and Holden Astra for the usage of the nameplate by other General Motors subsidiaries The Volkswagen Eos is a four-seater Retractable hardtop coupe convertible introduced in 2006 as the successor to the Volkswagen Cabrio.
UK market
1970s
Small family saloons had a strong following among car buyers in the UK as the 1970s dawned, and enjoyed a popularity similar to that of larger family cars such as the enormously successful Ford Cortina. The Ford Cortina is a mid sized family car built by Ford of Britain in various guises from 1962 to 1982 These two sectors were in fact dominant of the new car market at this time, as the Mini and - to a lesser degree - the Hillman Imp were the only popular mini-cars at this time. The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and its successors from 1959 until 2000 The Hillman Imp is a compact rear-engined saloon car that was manufactured under the Hillman Marque by the Rootes Group (later Chrysler The Morris/Austin 1100/1300 had been Britain's best selling car for most of the time since its launch in 1962, and rival British products included the Ford Escort, Vauxhall Viva and Hillman Avenger. ADO16 is the codename for the development of what became the Morris 1100, a small family car built by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and later Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models The Viva was produced by Vauxhall Motors in a succession of three versions between 1963 and 1979 The Hillman Avenger was a rear-wheel drive Small family car originally manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group between 1970 and 1976 Cars such as the Citroen GS, Peugeot 304, and Datsun Sunny 120Y were also being imported. The Citroën GS (1970–79 and Citroën GSA (1980–86 were Small family cars produced by the French automaker Citroën. The Peugeot 304 is a Small family car introduced to the public at the Paris Motor Show in September 1969 by the French automaker Peugeot. The Nissan Sunny is a small car from Nissan. It was launched in 1966 as the Datsun 1000 and although production in Japan ended in 2004 it remains in production today
British Leyland replaced the 1100/1300 with the Austin Allegro in 1973. British Leyland was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd (BLMC The Austin Allegro is a Small family car that was manufactured by British Leyland under the Austin name from 1973 until 1983 Ford updated the Escort in 1975. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The Vauxhall Viva finished production in late 1979 on the launch of the all-new Astra - which abandoned the traditional rear-wheel drive saloon in favour of the front-wheel drive hatchback format that was gradually spreading across Europe. The Viva was produced by Vauxhall Motors in a succession of three versions between 1963 and 1979 See also Opel Astra, Holden Astra Astra is a model-name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors The Allegro was front-wheel drive but only came as a saloon or estate, while the Escort was still a rear-wheel drive saloon in 1979 but was due for an imminent replacement by an up-to-date third generation model. The Hillman Avenger continued to sell well as a Chrysler following the 1976 rebranding and as a Talbot after the sale of Chrysler's European operations to French carmaker Peugeot in 1979, in spite of the 1978 launch of the Horizon front-wheel drive hatchback. Chrysler LLC is an American Automobile manufacturer that has been producing Automobiles since 1925 Talbot is an Automobile brand whose history is one of the industry's most complex This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. The Horizon, was a Subcompact automobile developed by Chrysler Europe and was sold in Europe between 1977 and 1985 under the Chrysler, Simca
One of the first foreign cars to have a major impact on this sector in the UK was the Golf - a Giugiaro-styled front-wheel drive hatchback launched in 1974. The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen Giorgetto Giugiaro (born August 7, 1938) is an Italian Automobile designer He was born in Garessio, Province of Cuneo The sporty GTI version sparked a huge demand for "hot hatchbacks" in the UK and many other countries. Other foreign competitors during this era in the UK included the Renault 14, Fiat Strada, Honda Civic, and Mazda 323. The Renault 14 is a Small family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault between 1976 and 1983 The 1978 Fiat Ritmo, styled by Bertone of Italy was the most distinctive looking Small family car in Europe on its launch in 1978 Turin Motorshow The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact / Compact cars manufactured by Honda. The Mazda Familia is a long-running nameplate used by Mazda for their Small family cars manufactured between 1964 and 2003 with 10589052 sold worldwide
1980s
The MK3 Ford Escort went on sale in the autumn of 1980 ditching the rear-drive saloon format in favour of hatchbacks and front-wheel drive. Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models It was Britain's most popular car for most of the decade and also spawned XR3i and RS Turbo "hot versions, as well as the Orion saloon that was launched in 1983. The Ford Orion was a saloon car built by the Automaker Ford for the European market from 22 July 1983 until 19
Vauxhall's new Astra also joined the market with an aerodynamically-styled 1984 MK2 model that carried off where the 1979 original left off. Vauxhall Motors is a British automobile company It is a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation (GM and is part of GM Europe. See also Opel Astra, Holden Astra Astra is a model-name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors The GTE 16v, with a top speed of nearly 140 mph (230 km/h), was the fastest hatchback in the world in the late 1980s.
British Leyland called time on Allegro production in early 1983 and replaced it with the all-new Maestro. British Leyland was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd (BLMC The Austin Allegro is a Small family car that was manufactured by British Leyland under the Austin name from 1973 until 1983 The Austin Maestro is a mid-sized 5-door Hatchback Car that was produced from 1983 to 1994 initially by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Successor organisations Austin Rover and Rover Group kept the Maestro on the price lists in spite of its disappointing sales. The Austin Rover Group ( ARG) was a British motor manufacturer Rover Group plc was the name that was given by the British government, in 1986 to the state-owned vehicle manufacturer British Leyland or BL The venture with Japanese carmaker Honda had seen the launch of the Triumph Acclaim, a four-door saloon which set new British benchmarks for reliability and build quality. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. The Triumph Acclaim was a Front wheel drive medium-sized Family car made by British Leyland (BL from 1981 to 1984 It was succeeded by the Rover 200 in 1984 and this model was even more popular. The Rover 200-series / 25 is a small Car which was produced by the Austin Rover Group, and latterly the Rover Group and MG Rover.
History was made just before the end of 1985 when the first Peugeot car - a 309 - rolled off the Ryton production line. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. The Peugeot 309 is a Small family car designed and manufactured by Peugeot between 1985 and 1993 and between 1994 and 1997 in India by PAL-Peugeot Ltd Ryton-on-Dunsmore is a Village and Civil parish in the Rugby district of Warwickshire, and is south-east of Coventry, England The Talbot marque was ditched soon afterwards so Peugeot could concentrate on producing some of its own range in the UK, and the 309 was a popular small family car in the late 1980s. Talbot is an Automobile brand whose history is one of the industry's most complex
The MK2 Volkswagen Golf went on sale in the UK at the start of 1984 and maintained the success and popularity of its predecessor. The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen Other foreign small family cars to succeed during the 1980s included the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda 323, and Nissan Sunny. The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact / Compact cars produced by the Japanese Automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact / Compact cars manufactured by Honda. The Mazda Familia is a long-running nameplate used by Mazda for their Small family cars manufactured between 1964 and 2003 with 10589052 sold worldwide The Nissan Sunny is a small car from Nissan. It was launched in 1966 as the Datsun 1000 and although production in Japan ended in 2004 it remains in production today 1988 saw the arrival of two more impressive foreign imports - the Fiat Tipo and Renault 19. The Fiat Tipo is a Small family car designed by the IDEA design house and produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1988 and 1995 The Renault 19 is a Small family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1988 and 2000
1990s
Ford began the 1990s by replacing its 10-year-old Escort (and the Orion saloon version) with an all-new model. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models The Ford Orion was a saloon car built by the Automaker Ford for the European market from 22 July 1983 until 19 The Escort was Britain's best selling small family car throughout the decade. Its eventual successor - the Focus - went on sale in September 1998, but Ford hedged its bets with this radical new design and kept the Escort in production for two more years. This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus
Vauxhall rejuvenated its Astra with the launch of an all-new model in October 1991, and in early 1998 with a new version. Vauxhall Motors is a British automobile company It is a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation (GM and is part of GM Europe. See also Opel Astra, Holden Astra Astra is a model-name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors
Rover's 200 Series was launched during the autumn of 1989, and its successor was launched in 1995. Rover Group plc was the name that was given by the British government, in 1986 to the state-owned vehicle manufacturer British Leyland or BL The Rover 200-series / 25 is a small Car which was produced by the Austin Rover Group, and latterly the Rover Group and MG Rover. Later, a facelift transformed it into the Rover 25 and re-positioned as a supermini. The Rover 200-series / 25 is a small Car which was produced by the Austin Rover Group, and latterly the Rover Group and MG Rover.
As well as the Volkswagen Golf (which entered its third incarnation in 1991 and its fourth in 1997). The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen The Pininfarina styled 1993 Peugeot 306 was built in England at Ryton near Coventry. See also Battista Farina, founder of the company his son Sergio Pininfarina and grandson Andrea Pininfarina. The Peugeot 306 is a Small family car built by the French Car manufacturer Peugeot from 1993 to 2002 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Ryton-on-Dunsmore is a Village and Civil parish in the Rugby district of Warwickshire, and is south-east of Coventry, England
Renault's Megane, which replaced the successful Renault 19, arrived on the UK market in early 1996. This is about the company for other uses see Renault (disambiguation. The Renault 19 is a Small family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1988 and 2000 It received a mild makeover midway through 1999.
Other foreign brands included the Citroen ZX, its successor the Xsara, the Fiat Brava/Fiat Bravo, the Nissan Almera, as well as the latest incarnations of the long-running Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 323. The Citroën ZX is a Small family car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1991 and 1998 The Citroën Xsara is a Small family car produced by French automaker Citroën since 1997 The Fiat Bravo and Fiat Brava are Small family cars produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1995 to 2001 The Nissan Almera was a Small family car built by Nissan from 1995 to 2006 The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact / Compact cars manufactured by Honda. The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact / Compact cars produced by the Japanese Automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout The Mazda Familia is a long-running nameplate used by Mazda for their Small family cars manufactured between 1964 and 2003 with 10589052 sold worldwide
2000s
The Renault Megane II was launched in November 2002 with styling quite unlike any other offering in this sector at the time. By 2005, the Megane II was Britain's fourth most popular new car.
The Volkswagen Golf entered its fifth incarnation at the beginning of 2004. The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen The Vauxhall Astra entered with an all-new fifth generation model in March 2004. See also Opel Astra, Holden Astra Astra is a model-name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors The Ford Focus second generation model was launched in December 2004. This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus The Focus was the top seller in this segment, followed by the Astra.
Other offerings in the small family car sector included the Peugeot 307, Fiat Bravo, Honda Civic, Toyota Auris, Citroen C4, and Mazda 3. The Peugeot 307 is a Family car produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001 The Fiat Bravo and Fiat Brava are Small family cars produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1995 to 2001 The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact / Compact cars manufactured by Honda. The Toyota Auris is a compact 3 door and 5 door Hatchback which shares the same E platform with the Toyota Corolla. The Citroën C4 is a Small family car produced by French automaker Citroën since autumn 2004 The Mazda Axela is a Compact car manufactured by the Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan. The small family sector is now firmly establishd as Britain's most favoured sector. In 2004, five of Britain's 10 best selling cars were in this sector - compared to just three in 1992. Back in 1992, the top 10 in the UK featured three larger family cars, but from 2001 to 2006 has featured just one.
American market
Compact car is a largely North American term denoting an automobile smaller than a mid-size car, but larger than a North American subcompact car, similarly recognized in much of the world as a "C-segment" (between B- and D-segment) vehicles. The Oldsmobile Cutlass was an Automobile made by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors. The Rambler American was an automobile manufactured by the American Motors Corporation (AMC between 1958 and 1969 The AMC Concord was a Compact car made by the American Motors Corporation (AMC starting with model year 1978 and continuing to 1983 A mid-size car (occasionally referred to as an intermediate) is the North American and Australian term for an Automobile with a size between A subcompact car is an Automobile in a North American Vehicle size class, encompassing vehicles smaller than Compact cars According to the A supermini is a British Car classification term that describes Automobiles larger than a City car but smaller than a Small family car. A large family car is a European classification of cars which are larger than a Small family car and smaller than an Executive car Compact cars usually have wheelbases between 100 inches (2,540 mm) and 105 inches (2,667 mm). In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a "Compact" car as measuring between 100 cubic feet (2. 8 m³) and 109 cubic feet (3. 1 m³) of combined passenger and cargo volume capacity. Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, Vehicle class size is defined in the U. S. by environmental laws in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40--Protection of Environment, Section 600. 315-82 Classes of comparable automobiles. Passenger car classes are defined based on interior volume index or seating capacity, except automobiles classified as a special vehicle such as those with only two designated seating positions.
Although compact cars had been made in the United States before World War II, the compact class was introduced in 1950 when Nash introduced a convertible Rambler. Also see Kelvinator and American Motors Corporation Nash Motors was an Automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha Wisconsin, in A convertible is a type of automobile in which the vehicle's roof can retract and fold away converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle It was built on a 100-inch (2,540 mm) wheelbase to which a station wagon, hardtop, and sedan versions were added. A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate A hardtop is a term for a rigid rather than canvas Automobile roof
Several competitors to the Nash Rambler arose from the ranks of America's other independent automakers, although none enjoyed the long-term success of the Rambler. Other early compact cars included the Henry J from Kaiser-Frazer (and its Sears, Roebuck and Company marketed variant the Allstate), as well as the Willys Aero and the Hudson Jet. The Henry J was an American Automobile built by Kaiser-Frazer Corporation and named after its Chairman, Henry J The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was the result of a partnership between autombile executive Joseph W Sears Roebuck and Company, commonly known as Sears, is an American mid-range chain of International Department stores founded by Richard The Allstate Corporation is the largest publicly held personal lines insurer in the United States and the second-largest of all personal lines insurers in the The Willys Aero was a line of passenger cars manufactured first by Willys-Overland and later by Kaiser-Willys Corporation from 1952 through 1955 The Hudson Jet was a compact automobile produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit Michigan during
The modern compact class was greatly expanded between 1958 and 1960 when the Studebaker Lark, Chevrolet Corvair, Ford Falcon, and Plymouth Valiant were brought to the market previously dominated by the Rambler American. The Lark was a pioneering " Compact car " designed and built by Studebaker and introduced as a 1959 model The Chevrolet Corvair was an Automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors from 1959 to 1969 for the 1960&ndash1969 Model The Ford Falcon was an Automobile produced by Ford Motor Company from 1960 through 1970 The Plymouth Valiant is an Automobile manufactured by the Plymouth division of Chrysler Corporation in the United States from 1960 to 1976 The Rambler American was an automobile manufactured by the American Motors Corporation (AMC between 1958 and 1969 These models also gave rise to compact vans that were sized similarly to the Volkswagen Type 2 microbus and were based from the Falcon, Corvair, and Valiant automobile platforms. A compact van is a type of Van characterized by a flat front design mechanicals based on a Compact car, an engine placed either at the rear or between and behind The Volkswagen Type 2 (also known as Transporter) was the second automotive line introduced by German automaker Volkswagen. An automobile platform is a shared set of common design engineering and production efforts as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of
Within a few years after that, the compacts had given rise to a new class called the pony car, named after the Ford Mustang, which was built on the Falcon chassis. The pony car is a class of Automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964 The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon At that time, there was a distinct difference in size between compact and full-size models, and an early definition of the compact was a vehicle with an overall length of less than 200-inch (5,080 mm), much larger than European designs.
During the 1960s, compacts were the smallest class of North American cars (and much bigger than those elsewhere), but they had evolved into only slightly smaller versions of the 6-cylinder or V8-powered two-bench six-passenger sedan. A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other They were much larger than imports by makers such as Volkswagen and Datsun, which were typically five-passenger 4-cylinder engine cars, even though ads for the Ford Maverick and Rambler American would make comparisons with the popular Volkswagen Beetle. The Ford Maverick was compact car manufactured from April 1969-1977 in the USA, Canada, Mexico and from 1973 to 1979 in Brazil &mdash employing a The Rambler American was an automobile manufactured by the American Motors Corporation (AMC between 1958 and 1969 The Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the type 1 and originally called ‘Käfer’ is an Economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen In the early 1970s, the domestic automakers introduced even smaller subcompact cars that included the AMC Gremlin, Chevrolet Vega, and Ford Pinto. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles A subcompact car is an Automobile in a North American Vehicle size class, encompassing vehicles smaller than Compact cars According to the The AMC Gremlin is a Subcompact car that was made by the American Motors Corporation (AMC for nine model years The Chevrolet Vega was a Subcompact car sold from 1971 through 1977 The Ford Pinto was a subcompact manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market first introduced on September 11, 1970
The 1977 model year marked the beginning of a downsizing of all vehicles, so that cars such as the AMC Concord and the Ford Fairmont that replaced the compacts were re-classified as mid-size, while cars inheriting the size of the Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega (such as the Ford Escort and Chevrolet Cavalier) became classified as compact cars. The AMC Concord was a Compact car made by the American Motors Corporation (AMC starting with model year 1978 and continuing to 1983 See Ford Fairmont (Australia for the Australian built vehicle of the same name The Ford Pinto was a subcompact manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market first introduced on September 11, 1970 The Chevrolet Vega was a Subcompact car sold from 1971 through 1977 Over the years the name 'Ford Escort' has been used for several models The Chevrolet Cavalier was Chevrolet 's version of the compact GM J platform.
| Class | Minicompact car | Subcompact car | Compact car | Midsize car | Large car | Small station wagon | Midsize station wagon | Large station wagon |
| Interior volume index (cubic feet) | under 85 | 85-99. 9 | 100-109. 9 | 110-119. 9 | 120 or over | under 130 | 130-160 | over 160 |
In the 1985 model year, compact cars classified by the EPA included Ford's Escort and Tempo, the Chevrolet Cavalier, Toyota Corolla, Acura Legend, Mercedes-Benz 300, Nissan Maxima, and Volvo DL.
In North America, the compact segment is still discernible as a class smaller than the average car but larger than the smallest models on the market. The Chevrolet Cobalt would be an example. The Chevrolet Cobalt is a Compact car introduced by Chevrolet in 2004 for the 2005 model year The term has also been adopted to describe small SUVs, such as the Ford Escape. Compact SUV is a class of small Sport utility vehicles with a length roughly between 4 The Ford Escape (designated U204) is a Crossover (automobile sold by the Automaker Ford Motor Company introduced in 2000 as a 2001 model year
See also
- Vehicle size class
- Compact MPV
- Compact SUV
- Economy car
- Hot hatch
- Minivan
- Small family car
- Sport compact
- Supermini car
References
External links
Vehicle size classes are a way of classifying cars The common North American parlance is word-based while English-speaking European writers also use words to describe car sizes A Compact MPV is a Car classification used in Europe to describe Multi-purpose vehicle versions of Small family cars (sometimes also referred Compact SUV is a class of small Sport utility vehicles with a length roughly between 4 An economy car is an Automobile that is designed for Low cost operation A hot hatch is an informal or slang term for a high-performance derivative of a three (or sometimes five -door Automobile. A minivan, multi-purpose vehicle (abbreviated MPV) people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle (shortened A compact (North America small family (European or c-segment car is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini A sport compact is a high-performance version of a Compact car or a Subcompact car. A supermini is a British Car classification term that describes Automobiles larger than a City car but smaller than a Small family car. Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. British English or UK English ( BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP is a European Car safety performance assessment programme founded in 1997 by the Transport Research A microcar is an extremely small Automobile, popularly referred to as Cyclecars in the 1910s and 1920s and Bubblecars in the 1950s and 1960s many of which A microcar is an extremely small Automobile, popularly referred to as Cyclecars in the 1910s and 1920s and Bubblecars in the 1950s and 1960s many of which For the modified American sedans also called "bubbles" see Hi-Riser (automobile. Aixam - Mega is a French automobile manufacturer based in Aix-les-Bains, Savoie. The smart fortwo is a rear-engined two-seater It was first shown at the 1998 Paris Motor Show. A city car (or urban car) is a small moderately powered Automobile intended for use in Urban areas It is comparable in size and features to a A city car (or urban car) is a small moderately powered Automobile intended for use in Urban areas It is comparable in size and features to a "Fiat 500" can also refer to the former Fiat 500 "Topolino", Fiat 500 or Fiat Cinquecento (500 The Renault Twingo is a City car built by French automaker Renault, first presented at the Paris Motor Show in September 1992 and sold in A subcompact car is an Automobile in a North American Vehicle size class, encompassing vehicles smaller than Compact cars According to the A supermini is a British Car classification term that describes Automobiles larger than a City car but smaller than a Small family car. A supermini is a British Car classification term that describes Automobiles larger than a City car but smaller than a Small family car. The Hyundai Accent (sold in some regions as the Verna and until 2000 in Australia as the Excel) is a Subcompact car produced by Hyundai The Opel Corsa is a supermini that has been produced by General Motors' European Subsidiary Opel since 1982 and has also been sold under a variety A compact (North America small family (European or c-segment car is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini A compact (North America small family (European or c-segment car is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini This is the article about the European and worldwide Ford Focus The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen A mid-size car (occasionally referred to as an intermediate) is the North American and Australian term for an Automobile with a size between A large family car is a European classification of cars which are larger than a Small family car and smaller than an Executive car A large family car is a European classification of cars which are larger than a Small family car and smaller than an Executive car The Opel Vectra is a Large family car produced primarily by Adam Opel GmbH (commonly known as "Opel" the German subsidiary of General The Volkswagen Passat is a Family car built by Volkswagen through six design generations since 1973 Compact executive car is a mainly British Car classification term applied to premium cars smaller than Executive cars. Compact executive car is a mainly British Car classification term applied to premium cars smaller than Executive cars. The Audi A4 is a Compact executive car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1994 The BMW 3 Series is a Entry-level luxury car / Compact executive car manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975 The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a Compact executive car produced by the Mercedes Car Group division of Daimler AG. A full-size car is a Marketing term used in North America for an Automobile larger than a Mid-size car. Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an Automobile larger than a Large family car. Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an Automobile larger than a Large family car. The Chrysler 300 is a Full-size car designed by Haitian-Canadian Ralph Gilles. A mid-size car (occasionally referred to as an intermediate) is the North American and Australian term for an Automobile with a size between Luxury vehicle is a marketing term for a vehicle that provides luxury &mdash that which is beyond strict necessity &mdash in exchange for increased cost to the buyer The Audi A6 is an Executive car produced by the German Automaker Audi. The BMW 5 Series is a Mid-size Luxury car / Executive car manufactured by BMW since 1972 E-Class redirects here For Chrysler 's rebadged version of the Dodge 600 sold from 1983-1984 see Chrysler E-Class. A full-size car is a Marketing term used in North America for an Automobile larger than a Mid-size car. Luxury vehicle is a marketing term for a vehicle that provides luxury &mdash that which is beyond strict necessity &mdash in exchange for increased cost to the buyer Luxury vehicle is a marketing term for a vehicle that provides luxury &mdash that which is beyond strict necessity &mdash in exchange for increased cost to the buyer The Audi A8 is a Full-size luxury Executive car built by the German automaker Audi, to replace the Audi V8 The BMW 7 Series is a line of Full-size Luxury vehicles produced by the German automaker BMW. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of the largest Sedans produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. A sports car is a term used to describe a class of Automobile. Model details Compared to the fifth generation the "C6" gets an overhaul of the suspension geometry all new bodywork with exposed headlamps (for the first time since 1962 The Porsche 911 (pronounced as Nine Eleven, Neunelfer is a Sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany A grand tourer ( Gran turismo) ( initialised GT) is a high-performance Automobile designed for long-distance driving The Jaguar XK series ( XK8 and XKR) is a Grand tourer produced by British carmaker Jaguar since 1996 The Maserati Quattroporte is a luxury four-door sedan made by Maserati of Italy. Supercar is a term generally used for a high-end Sports car, whose performance is highly superior to that of its contemporaries The Bugatti Veyron 164 is a mid-engine Sports car produced by Volkswagen Group subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS introduced in 2005 The Ferrari F50 was a mid-engined range-topping Sports car made by Ferrari. A convertible is a type of automobile in which the vehicle's roof can retract and fold away converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle A convertible is a type of automobile in which the vehicle's roof can retract and fold away converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is a Mid-size rear-wheel drive Coupé / Convertible. The Volkswagen Eos is a four-seater Retractable hardtop coupe convertible introduced in 2006 as the successor to the Volkswagen Cabrio. A roadster, also known as a spyder or spider, is a two-seater car traditionally without a roof (or with a detachable roof and no side or rear windows The Audi TT is a Sports car manufactured by Audi since 1998 in Győr, Hungary, now in its second generation &mdash and available as a 2+2 The BMW Z4 is a Rear-wheel drive Sports car by the German Automaker BMW, known as the E85 in roadster form and E86 in coupe Generations and overview Now in its third generation the MX5's first generation the NA, sold over 400000 units from 1989 to 1997 &mdash with a Straight-4 A leisure activity vehicle (abbreviated LAV) is a small Van, generally related to a supermini or Subcompact car, with two or three seat The Peugeot Partner is a Van and Leisure activity vehicle made by the French car manufacturer Peugeot. The Škoda Roomster is a Leisure activity vehicle produced by the Czech Automaker Škoda Auto. Mini MPV (MPV stands for Multi-purpose vehicle, although the full name is rarely used is a Car classification used to describe superminis or The Opel Meriva is a Mini MPV based on the platform of the third generation Opel Corsa and sold under that name on all of the European markets with The fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5 (VW Typ 1K) built on the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35 platform was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in A Compact MPV is a Car classification used in Europe to describe Multi-purpose vehicle versions of Small family cars (sometimes also referred The Mazda Premacy is a Compact MPV built by the Japanese manufacturer Mazda since 1999 The Opel Zafira is a Compact MPV produced by KPK and Opel a General Motors subsidiary The Volkswagen Touran is a Compact MPV based on a vertically-stretched fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5, and sold in A minivan, multi-purpose vehicle (abbreviated MPV) people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle (shortened A minivan, multi-purpose vehicle (abbreviated MPV) people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle (shortened See also the Ford Galaxie full-size car of the 1950s and 1960s For the Ford Galaxy built in Argentina in the 1990s see Volkswagen Passat. The Toyota Previa, also known as the Toyota Estima (エスティマ in Japan and the Toyota Tarago in Australia is an MPV or Multi-purpose vehicle (known Mini SUV is a class of small Sport utility vehicles with a length under 4100 mm (165 in) The Suzuki SX4 is a Compact car developed by Japanese and Italian automakers Suzuki and Fiat and produced since 2006 The Toyota RAV4 (pronounced "rav-four" is a compact Crossover SUV built and marketed by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Compact SUV is a class of small Sport utility vehicles with a length roughly between 4 The Audi Q5 is a compact crossover SUV to be released by German automaker Audi for the 2009 model year "Cr-V" redirects here It is also a shorthand referring to chromium-vanadium alloy Tool steels The Honda CR-V is a compact A mid-size car (occasionally referred to as an intermediate) is the North American and Australian term for an Automobile with a size between A Crossover &mdash variously called XUV or CUV, for crossover utility vehicle &mdash is a marketing term for a vehicle that derives from a car while borrowing The Audi allroad quattro is a Mid-size Executive car; an estate car/station wagon, produced by German automaker Audi since 2000 The BMW X3 is a compact Crossover SUV (BMW advertises it as an SAV or Sport Activity Vehicle produced by the German Automaker BMW A mid-size car (occasionally referred to as an intermediate) is the North American and Australian term for an Automobile with a size between A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis The BMW X5 is a Mid-size Crossover SUV sold by BMW since 1999 The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a Mid-size unibody Sport utility vehicle produced by the Jeep division of Chrysler. A full-size car is a Marketing term used in North America for an Automobile larger than a Mid-size car. A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis The Audi Q7 is a Full-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV produced by German automaker Audi The Cadillac Escalade is a Full-size luxury Sport utility vehicle (SUV sold by the General Motors luxury brand Cadillac The Chevrolet Suburban is a large Sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic