Car Bodystyles Explained: Which is the Best For Me?

Buying a new car can be an enjoyable experience for many. Electric or hybrid? German or Chinese? Family-oriented or performance? Or perhaps a bit of both?

However, when it comes to bodystyles, it can be a bit confusing. What's the difference between an SUV and a crossover? Aren't an estate and a shooting brake the same? While the terminology can be confusing, a lot of these answers are simpler than you think.

This guide is designed to add clarity to each bodystyle type, the variations of each, and what type of driver it may suit. From recognisable hatchbacks, saloons, and coupés to modern styles such as SUVs, superminis, and crossovers, it expands the choice of bodystyles available today.

Each bodystyle has different characteristics and will sometimes sit in multiple car classes. For example, executive-focused cars can have the SUV, SUV-coupé, saloon, estate, and coupé bodystyles, with each one offering something unique for everyone's individual lifestyle. City cars and superminis typically use hatchback bodystyles, while family cars come in several bodystyles to reflect the demands of modern family life.

• Hatchback
• Saloon
• Estate and Shooting brake
• SUV
• Crossover SUV
• SUV Coupé
• Coupé
• Convertible
• Supermini
• City Car
• MPV
• Pickup
• Frequently Asked Questions

Hatchback

One of the most popular bodystyles, the humble hatchback has been made famous by cars such as the Vauxhall Astra, Audi A3 and, of course, the Ford Focus. Practical and mid-sized, hatchbacks usually have a rear door that hinges from the roof and includes the rear windscreen, allowing the entire rear section to open together, providing easy access for loading and unloading.

With the seats down, it acts like a small van, allowing you to transport larger items, giving it a level of practicality that rivals mid-sized SUVs and other larger bodystyles. Hatchbacks offer enough space for passengers and luggage while remaining compact enough to navigate busy cities and park with ease.

And for those who love the practicality of a hatchback but want more performance, there is always the hot hatch. These are sporty, race-tuned versions of the hatchback, combining everyday usability with sharper handling and increased power. The Volkswagen Golf GTI and Renault 5 GT Turbo are notable examples that helped define the hot hatch era from the 1970s and 1980s.

Today, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is still one of the most recognisable hot hatches available, while all-electric high-performance models such as the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N are ushering the hot hatch formula into a new electric era.

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Saloon

The saloon bodystyle has been around for decades, defined by its distinctive three-box design, consisting of the front engine bay, middle cabin area and a rear, extended boot. Often associated with comfort and refinement, the saloon body shape has been the staple design of many executive brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, andBMW.

The way they're designed makes them comfortable and quiet on the road, with the rear wheels further back than a hatchback, away from the rear passengers, and their sleek profiles reducing wind noise over, say, larger SUVs They balance the comfort of an SUV with driving performance, making them a balanced option for those who want both.

Popular premium models include the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, while the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and Porsche Taycan hold the high-performance end of the market. Electric models, such as the BYD Seal 6 and Tesla Model 3, bring the saloon bodystyle into the electric age, while theFord Mondeo cements itself as one of the defining family saloons of the last few decades.

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Estate and Shooting Brake

Estates and their sportier variant, the shooting brake, blend the saloon's front and passenger cabin with a hatchback-style rear. This keeps much of the comfort and refinement of a saloon, but opens up the boot space to being much more practical.

With their longer, more upright profile, estates change the rear, protruding boot and instead extend the roofline, before dropping down at the back, like a hatchback. This creates additional boot space, making it excellent for families and those who want the premium features of a saloon but often need to carry lots of luggage or transport large items around.

Many manufacturers have estate variations of their popular saloon models, with the Skoda Superb Estate and the all-electric Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer being prime examples, and newer brands like BYD offering the BYD Seal 6 Touring as an estate variant of the Seal 6.

Shooting brake bodystyles offer a sportier take on the traditional estate frame, featuring a lower roofline and a slightly sloping rear design. Examples include the Genesis G70, Mercedes-Benz CLA, and Volkswagen Arteon shooting brake variants.

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SUV

The SUV is arguably the most popular bodystyle in the UK at the moment. SUV stands for Sports Utility Vehicle and leans toward the upright silhouette of traditional 4x4 and off-road vehicles. They typically have a high ride height and are quite spacious inside, with many models featuring four-wheel drive (4x4) or all-wheel drive (AWD). Most traditional SUVs also tend to be quite boxy in shape, which prioritises everyday practicality and interior space the Hyundai SANTA FE embodies this styling in a seven-seater SUV.

However, there are lots of variations in the SUV market, with some leaning into the utilitarian off-road segment, like the Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender. In contrast, others focus on luxury, strong equipment levels, and performance, including models like the BMW X5. There are also variations in bodystyles, including crossover SUVs and coupé-SUVs, which we'll discuss in detail below.

The SUV category spans the spectrum with almost every size and price point available. From compact and affordable models such as the Dacia Duster and MG HS to large, executive seven-seat vehicles like the Hyundai Santa Fe, there is an SUV to suit almost every type of driver.

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Crossover SUV

The crossover SUV, or CUV, is an offshoot of the traditional SUV, combining the high ride height and interior space of an SUV with the driving experience and footprint of a conventional car.

Unlike more rugged SUVs, most crossovers are built on passenger car platforms, making them suited to everyday driving with improved ride comfort and on-road handling. They are generally designed for lighter duties and can be easily driven around the city, leaving heavy towing or serious off-road use to more traditional 4x4 SUVs.

Crossover SUVs land in a wide range of sizes and styles, from subcompact SUV models such as the all-electric Renault 4 E-Tech and Ford Puma, through to more mid-sized options like the Renault Scenic, Nissan Qashqai, and Chery Tiggo 8. Crossover SUVs' bodystyles, powertrains and equipment levels vary considerably, meaning there is a crossover SUV to suit every type of driver and lifestyle.

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SUV Coupé

The SUV Coupé brings together the raised ride height, interior space and muscular bulk that people love about the traditional SUV with a sleek, sloping roofline of a coupé. This offers a more desirable sporty bodystyle, while retaining the commanding driving position and practical features that make the SUV so popular.

Unlike most traditional coupés, the SUV Coupé profile comes with four doors, adding to its practical element. On the flipside, because the roofline comes with a sloping, aerodynamic flow, you lose that functional boot-space height while reducing rear passenger headroom that you'd more likely have with a traditional SUV bodystyle.

The SUV Coupé bodystyle is popular right across the car market, offering drivers different options to suit every lifestyle and price point. Family SUV coupés include the Renault Rafale, Ford Capri and the Changan Deepal S07. In contrast, the BMW X6, Porsche Cayenne Coupe, and Cupra Tavascan add performance and executive appeal to the SUV coupé class.

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Coupé

Coupé bodystyles prioritise style over practicality. Often based on a manufacturer's saloon, although sometimes developed as standalone models, they typically feature two doors, a sleek, sloping roofline, and either a traditional saloon-style boot or a fully opening hatchback-style tailgate.

They tend to have a lower profile and a sportier silhouette than standard saloons, while rear seating, if any, is usually limited and designed for shorter journeys.

They're also set up for performance driving, with agile handling and punchier powertrains. Examples include the iconic Audi TT and popular BMW 2 Series Coupé, while the market ranges from affordable models such as the Volkswagen Scirocco to grand tourers like the Bentley Continental GT.

Four-door coupés are also available, offering a higher level of practicality incorporated into traditional coupé DNA, with examples such as the Hyundai IONIQ 6 and BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé, with BMW badging its four-door coupé models as 'Gran Coupé'.

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Cabriolet / Convertible

Often based on coupé and saloon models with their roof removed, convertibles, sometimes known as cabriolets, are any car where the roof can retract so you can enjoy the open air during the summer. The roof can be either a folding hard or soft top, with soft roofs helping to reduce weight and maintain a lower centre of gravity.

Convertibles span the entire market, with accessible options such as the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet and MINI Convertible sitting alongside luxury and performance models like the classic Ferrari California. Both four-seater convertibles, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet, and focused two-seater models known as roadsters, including the iconic Mazda MX-5 and all-electric MG Cyberster.

There are also semi-convertible cars available known as targa tops, which feature a removable roof section and a roll bar behind the seats. Although less common than in previous decades, modern examples of targa top models include the Porsche 911 Targa and Lotus Elise.

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Supermini

Like a smaller-sized hatchback, supermini models balance city-friendly driving with everyday practicality. Most modern supermini bodystyles feature five doors and tend to have enough space for at least four, sometimes five, adults, while maintaining a more compact footprint and a useful boot capacity.

Light steering and usually able to turn in a tight circle, supermini bodystyles are ideal for city-driving where easy parking and manoeuvrability are essential. They tend to have smaller powertrains and batteries, where range isn't always prioritised.

Prime supermini bodystyle candidates include the iconic Ford Fiesta, with modern examples including the Renault 5 E-Tech, Peugeot 208 and Škoda Fabia.

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City Car

The smallest bodystyle on this list, city cars are primarily engineered for city driving. They have an ultra-small profile, with a short length and narrow width, and small powertrains or motors and batteries if electric.

You can fit four adults in, and they usually feature a modest boot space, not always ideal for taking a lot of gear or luggage on long trips. Like the supermini bodystyle, their compact size makes for easy parking and driving around and about the urban streets.

Notable models include the retro-inspired Fiat 500e, the entry-level EV Dacia Spring, and the favourite among young drivers, the Kia Picanto. There have also been modified, high-performance city cars, with the Abarth 695 transforming the Fiat 500 into a pocket-sized performance car.

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MPV / People Carrier

Designed for carrying lots of people and cargo, a Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) or people carrier is a tall, box-shaped vehicle with lots of interior space that features a van-like bodystyle. Unlike large SUVs, with rugged looks and a high ride height, MPVs' bodystyle allows them to seat from five up to nine, plus luggage.

Some MPVs are built on a van platform, such as the Citroën ë-Berlingo and the larger Ford Tourneo Custom, while others are a car in their own right, such as the Ford S-MAX and seven-seat Dacia Jogger. They're mainly designed for practicality and comfort, with strong, torque-led powertrains, an excellent driving position and space for lots of luggage and gear.

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Pickup

A pickup bodystyle is quite box-like, with straight lines, featuring a front engine compartment, an enclosed passenger cabin in the middle, and an open cargo bed in the back. Pickup bodystyles are designed for rugged terrain, heavy-duty transport, and commercial jobs, especially if they're off-road.

Most pickup bodystyles feature a raised ride height, upgraded suspension for off-road driving, and a selection of powerful, torquey powertrains designed for towing and carrying heavy loads. Modern pickup models even have all-modern tech like the Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid and Toyota Hilux.

The cabin can come in several configurations, including a single-cab design, such as the Isuzu D-Max Utility, or a more popular double-cab layout, which can be found on models such as the Volkswagen Amarok and Mitsubishi L200, making them more functional and a practical choice as a family off-roader.

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Frequently asked questions

Choose Your Next Bodystyle with Evans Halshaw

Thinking about your next car? At Evans Halshaw, we have a bodystyle to suit every driver's preference and lifestyle. From the largest SUV right down to the smallest city car.

Visit your nearest Evans Halshaw retailer and speak to one of our team members, who can help you find the right car, body style and specification for your needs.