Car model

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Chevrolet models sold in 1928. Chevrolet models 1928.jpg
Chevrolet models sold in 1928.

The model of a car is its design, in the context of the manufacturer's range or series of cars. Different models are distinguishable by technology, components, underpinnings, and/or style and appearance.

Contents

The methods used to categorise cars into models differ significantly between manufacturers. Frequently, several different body variants are offered, depending on market demand; and when completing their 'production lifespan', sufficiently successful models are usually followed by a new 'generation' of that model.

The name of a model (range or series) is almost always trademarked, so that competing manufacturers cannot also use it (unless the owner permits it, for an agreed licence fee).

A popular model can have a significantly valuable brand name, and manufacturers often take great care in fostering and maintaining the brand image of the models bearing the name, both in terms of key model characteristics, as well as the targeted market, and the expected or desired buyer's demographic.

Common characteristics

Ford Focus body styles: sedan, station wagon and hatchback Three body styles with pillars and boxes.png
Ford Focus body styles: sedan, station wagon and hatchback

Equipment, upholstery and exterior trim are usually determined by the trim level, the car model often defines the platform (which determines the engines, drivetrains and chassis options available), body styles and aesthetic theme. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Some models have only one body style (e.g. the Hyundai i20 hatchback), [5] [url=https://www.azpartsnow.com/collections/honda-parts]honda parts now[/url] while other models are produced in several body styles (e.g. the Audi A3, which has been produced in hatchback, sedan and convertible body styles). [6] In some cases, a manufacturer has marketed a body style as a separate model, such as the Volkswagen Jetta and the BMW 4 Series, which are based on the Volkswagen Golf and BMW 3 Series platforms respectively. [7] [8]

Some models have an only engine (or electric/hybrid powertrain) option available, while other models have multiple powertrains available. [9]

In North America, a model can also be called a nameplate. The Chevrolet Suburban is the oldest automobile nameplate in continuous production, dating to 1934, and the 1940-1996 Chrysler New Yorker was another long-running North American car nameplate. However, the term "nameplate" is also sometimes used to describe an entire brand, rather than a specific model. The Rolls-Royce Phantom is also a long-running model that has returned for 2003, having originally been introduced in 1925.

Country-specific model names

The same car model may be sold by the automaker in different countries under different model names. Examples include Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero, [10] [11] Mazda MX-5 / Miata, [12] Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit [13] and Ford Everest / Endeavour. [14] [15]

Model years

The model year (MY) is a manner of indicating the version of a car that has been produced and changed over multiple years.

Trim level

Beyond the standard equipment that is fitted to all vehicles for a model, additional features (such as the upholstery, interior equipment, safety features and exterior aerodynamic/styling upgrades) are often determined by the trim level of the vehicle. [16]

Many manufacturers also allow additional equipment to be added to a vehicle by purchasing individual options (such as alloy wheels) or 'packages' of bundled options (such as a "safety package" consisting of lane departure warning system, collision avoidance system and additional airbags).

Model code

Model codes (also known as chassis codes, codename, designation, or descriptor, among others) [17] [18] are designated to a vehicle to provide identification. [19] It provides information on its type, and to an extent its engine, transmission and body style. [20] [21] Some manufacturers include model codes on the vehicle identification plate alongside the vehicle identification number. Some manufacturers adopted development codes as model codes. [22] Model codes can be used to find the correct parts for the vehicle. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Station wagon</span> Auto body-style with its roof extended rearward

A station wagon or estate car is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door, instead of a trunk/boot lid. The body style transforms a standard three-box design into a two-box design—to include an A, B, and C-pillar, as well as a D-pillar. Station wagons can flexibly reconfigure their interior volume via fold-down rear seats to prioritize either passenger or cargo volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatchback</span> Car body configuration with a rear door

A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the main interior of the car as a cargo area rather than just to a separated trunk. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second-row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coupe</span> Car body style

A coupe or coupé is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury (automobile)</span> Automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company

Mercury was a brand of mid-priced automobiles produced by American manufacturer Ford Motor Company between 1938 and 2011 with 1939 being the first model year. It stood as its own line within Ford until 1945, and thereafter formed half of Ford's Lincoln-Mercury Division. Created by Edsel Ford in 1938 to bridge the gap between the Ford and Lincoln model lines, its principal competition was General Motors' Buick and Oldsmobile divisions, and Chrysler Corporation's DeSoto and Chrysler brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot hatch</span> Faster version of a mass-produced hatchback car

A hot hatch is a fast version of a hatchback car. The term originated in the mid-1980s; however, faster factory versions of hatchbacks have been produced since the 1970s. A front-mounted engine that uses petrol for fuel, together with front-wheel drive, is the most common powertrain layout, however all-wheel drive has become more commonly used since around 2010. Most hot hatches are of European or Asian origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazda Familia</span> Motor vehicle

The Mazda Familia, also marketed prominently as the Mazda 323, Mazda Protegé and Mazda Allegro, is a small family car that was manufactured by Mazda between 1963 and 2003. The Familia line was replaced by the Mazda3/Axela for 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fastback</span> Type of styling to rear car bodywork

A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Capri</span> Motor vehicle

Capri is a nameplate marketed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company over three generations between 1970 and 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Courier</span> Motor vehicle

Ford Courier is a model nameplate used by Ford since the early 1950s. The Courier moniker has been used on a variety of vehicles all around the world since it was first used in North America for a sedan delivery. The Courier nameplate was also used by Ford for a series of compact pickup trucks and would also see use by Ford of Europe denoting a Fiesta-based panel van. Ford Brazil used the nameplate for a Fiesta-based coupe utility pickup marketed across Latin America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazda3</span> Automobile manufactured by the Mazda Motor Corporation

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<i>Automobile</i> (magazine) American automotive magazine

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitsubishi Pajero Sport</span> Motor vehicle

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is a body-on-frame mid-size SUV produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors using the Pajero nameplate since 1996. Based on the Triton pickup truck, the Pajero Sport has spanned over three generations. It is unrelated to the full-size Pajero, which is built on a unibody chassis since 1999 and was discontinued in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitsubishi Pajero</span> Motor vehicle

The Mitsubishi Pajero is a full-size SUV manufactured and marketed globally by Mitsubishi over four generations — introduced in 1981 and discontinued in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitsubishi Delica</span> Range of vans and pickup trucks

The Mitsubishi Delica is a range of vans and pickup trucks designed and built by the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors since 1968. It was originally based on a cabover van and pickup truck introduced the previous year, also called the Delica, its name a contraction of the English language phrase Delivery car. This pickup truck, and a commercial van derived from it has received many names in export markets, being sold as the L300 in Europe, Jamaica and New Zealand, Express and Starwagon in Australia, and plain Mitsubishi Van and Wagon in the United States. The passenger car versions were known as Delica Star Wagon from 1979 until the 1994 introduction of the Delica Space Gear, which became simply Space Gear in Europe at least. The most recent version is called the Delica D:5. With the exception of the first, versions of all generations are still being sold in various international markets.

The Manila International Auto Show is a yearly show for car buyers and enthusiasts alike to look, observe and learn more at the latest models and significant concepts from the Philippines’ premiere auto makers. It is the Philippines’ biggest motor show in terms of visitor count, cars on display, and exhibitors. The show was previously known as The Manila International Motor Show,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trim level (automobile)</span>

Trim levels are used by manufacturers to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features. The equipment and features fitted to a particular vehicle also depend on any options packages or individual options that the car was ordered with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive industry in Thailand</span> Auto industry Thailand

As of 2019, the automotive industry in Thailand is the largest in Southeast Asia and the 10th largest in the world. The Thai industry has an annual output of more than two million vehicles, more than countries such as Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Czech Republic and Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Fiesta (fourth generation)</span> Motor vehicle

The Fiesta Mark IV was launched in October 1995 and became Britain's best-selling car from 1996 to 1998, when it was overtaken by the all-new Ford Focus, a replacement for the Ford Escort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive industry in the Philippines</span> Overview of the automotive industry in the Philippines

The automotive industry in the Philippines is one of the largest in the Asia-Pacific region, with approximately 441.4 thousand vehicles sold in 2023. Most of the vehicles sold and built in the Philippines are from foreign brands. For the most part, the Philippines is dominated by Japanese automobile manufacturers like most of its ASEAN neighbors. The automobile production in the country is covered under the Philippine Motor Vehicle Development Program implemented by the Board of Investments. In addition, there are also a small number of independent firms who assemble and fabricate jeepneys and other similar vehicles, using surplus engines and drivetrain parts mostly from Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazda2</span> Japanese subcompact car

The Mazda2 is a subcompact/supermini (B-segment) car manufactured and marketed by Mazda since 2002, currently in its third generation. An entry-level model of the brand in markets outside Japan, the Mazda2 is positioned below the Mazda3. The Mazda2 has also been marketed as the Mazda Demio, while its direct predecessor was exported as the Mazda 121.

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