A Ford Focus, classified as a small family car.

A Ford Mondeo, classified as a large family car.

A family car is a car classification used in Europe to describe larger cars. The name refers to the fact that these cars are suitable for a family to go shopping or on vacations. Most family cars are hatchbacks or saloons, although there are MPVs, estates and cabriolets with the same structure as with the other body style. The term covers three types of family cars. 2000 Ford Focus at Filton, Bristol, England. ... 2000 Ford Focus at Filton, Bristol, England. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links Mondeo. ... Image File history File links Mondeo. ... The Ford Mondeo is a large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world. ... Car classification is a somewhat subjective subject, as many vehicles fall between classes or even outside all of them. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... A family of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1997 A family consists of a domestic group of people (or a number of domestic groups), typically affiliated by birth or marriage, or by comparable legal relationships — including domestic partnership, adoption, surname and (in some cases) ownership (as occurred in the Roman Empire). ... Shopping is the purchase of goods and services from retailers. ... Vacation is a term used in english speaking North America to describe time away from work or school, a trip abroad, or simply a pleasure trip away from home. ... Peugeot 306 Hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access A hatchback is an automobile design, consisting of a passenger cabin which includes an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind by a hatch or flip-up window. ... Saloon may refer to: Any bar, especially in the American Wild West. ... An MPV or multi-purpose vehicle is a passenger-carrying vehicle based on a car platform, and is generally a one box design—neither a distinct bonnet (US: hood) nor boot (US: trunk), but rather a maximised interior space. ... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... Original meaning A cabriolet was a light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a folding calash top, seating two persons behind the drivers box. ... Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ...

Small family cars

Current small family cars are between 4.20 m and 4.35 m long if they are hatchbacks, or between 4.40 m and 4.55 m if they are saloon or estate models. Usual engines are 1.6 L or 2.0 L straight-4s, either petrol or diesel, but some models also have economical 1.4 L units. Hot hatches may have 2.0 L turbocharged engines, or even 3.2 L V6 units. Popular small family cars are the Ford Focus, Opel Astra, Peugeot 307, Renault Mégane and Volkswagen Golf. The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ... Peugeot 205 GTI A hot hatch is an informal or slang term for a performance derivative of a European hatchback (in the US, Asian sports hatches are sometimes called Sport Compacts). ... Air foil bearing-supported turbocharger cutaway made by Mohawk Innovative Technology Inc. ... The Ford Essex V6 engine V6 and V-6 redirect here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Astra is a General Motors (GM) small family car, badged as an Opel in continental Europe, a Vauxhall in the United Kingdom, a Holden in Australasia, and a Chevrolet in Latin America. ... The Peugeot 307 is a compact automobile produced by the French Peugeot manufacturer since 2001. ... The Renault Mégane is a small family car made by Renault. ... The Volkswagen Golf (Mk I and Mk V badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in North America) is a compact car / small family car manufactured by Volkswagen. ...

In North America, which uses a different classification system, cars of this size are generally referred to as compacts, and the term "family car" is almost never used to describe a vehicle in this class. In addition to the Ford Focus, other popular family cars include the Chevrolet Cobalt and Dodge Caliber. World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The Rambler American introduced in the late 1950s was an early compact car. ... The Chevrolet Cobalt is a compact car that was introduced by Chevrolet in 2004 for the 2005 model year. ... The Dodge Caliber is the replacement for the Neon, starting in spring 2006 with the 2007 model year. ...

History

After the Second World War, European manufacturers usually featured two vehicle types: small cars (or superminis) and large saloons. In the 1960s, some brands found that many middle class buyers wanted something larger than superminis, and built small family cars. These were usually saloons, but the first successful hatchback in Europe was the Volkswagen Golf, which first went on sale in 1974. By the end of the decade, several other manufacturers had followed Volkswagen's suit by launching the likes of the Fiat Ritmo, Renault 14 and Opel Kadett, to name a few. However, the Volkswagen Golf remained the most popular small family hatchback in Europe and its successors have followed suit over the last 30 years. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... 1996 Volkswagen Polo, a popular modern European supermini A supermini is a European hatchback car category. ... Saloon may refer to: Any bar, especially in the American Wild West. ... The outrageously crowded Woodstock festival epitomized the popular antiwar movement of the 60s. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... Peugeot 306 Hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access A hatchback is an automobile design, consisting of a passenger cabin which includes an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind by a hatch or flip-up window. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... The 1978 Fiat Ritmo, styled by Italian Bertone, was the most distinctive looking small car in Europe on its launch. ... The Renault 14 was an automobile produced by Renault of France between 1976 and 1983. ... 1936 Opel Kadett The Opel Kadett was a small family car built by the German Opel company between 1937 and 1940, then from 1962 to 1992. ...

The 1980s began with the launch of two revolutionary front-wheel drive hatchbacks: the Ford Escort Mk III and the Lancia Delta. More similar cars followed over the decade, including the updated Opel Kadett, Renault 19, Fiat Tipo and second generation Rover 200. 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 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... Front-wheel drive is the most common form of engine/transmission layout used in modern passenger cars, where the engine drives the front wheels. ... See also: Ford Escort (North American) The Ford Escort was a small family car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 1967 through 2003. ... 1991 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione 1989 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Group A 1991 Lancia Delta GT i. ... The Renault 19 was a compact automobile produced by the Renault company of France between 1988 and 1995. ... 1992 Fiat Tipo 1. ... The Rover 200-series / 25 is an automobile produced by the Austin Rover Group, and latterly the Rover Group and MG Rover. ... The Alfa Romeo Arna was a subcompact hatchback automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 1984 and 1986. ...

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, shortly after Citroën finally broke into the market with its ZX. The ZX's chassis spawned the Peugeot 306 in 1993. Fiat replaced the successful Tipo in 1995 with the distinctive Bravo and Brava (three-door and five-door hatchbacks, respectively). Later, Ford dropped the Escort name and released in 1998 the dramatically-styled and all-new Ford Focus. See also 1990s, the band Seinfeld was a pop cultural phenomenon during the 90s and became one of the most popular TV programs ever. ... Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, started in 1919 by André Citroën, today part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Citroën ZX Inter. ... The Peugeot 306 is a small family car built by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1993 to 2001. ... 1997 Fiat Bravo The three-door Fiat Bravo and five-door Brava are hatchback automobiles built to replace Fiats ageing Tipo. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Some small family cars have also spawned compact MPVs, the first of which was the 1996 Renault Scénic. The Opel Zafira, Citroën Picasso, Ford Focus C-MAX, Volkswagen Touran and Fiat Multipla followed and are becoming increasingly popular. In few years they outsold estates and saloons in many countries. A modern minivan - 2004 Chrysler Town & Country Typical early minivan (a Dodge Caravan) A minivan, people carrier, multi utility vehicle (MUV),or multi purpose vehicle (MPV) is a type of vehicle which has a body that resembles a van, but which has rear side doors, rear side windows, and interior... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Renault Scenic The Renault Mégane Scénic was the first European car of its kind: a five-seater based on the chassis of a compact hatchback (in this case the Mégane which had been launched a year earlier) but with a high... The Zafira is a car from General Motors, branded as an Opel in Europe, except for the UK, where it is branded as a Vauxhall. ... The Citroën Xsara was an automobile made by Citroën from 1997 to 2004. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Fiat Multipla is the name given to two test different automobiles manufactured by Fiat, the first from 1956 to 1965, and a more recent version from 1998 to the present. ...

Large family cars

Large family cars were usually around 4.50 m in length by the early 1990s, but are now shifting to 4.70 m or more in length. Examples of large family cars include the Ford Mondeo, Opel Vectra, Renault Laguna, and the Volkswagen Passat. The Ford Mondeo is a large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world. ... The Opel Vectra is a large family car produced by Opel, the main European subsidiary of General Motors. ... The Renault Laguna is a mid-size family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault. ... The Volkswagen Passat is a mid-size car / large family car built by Volkswagen AG, produced in various forms since 1973. ...

Equivalently sized cars in North America are usually called mid-size cars; the term "family car" is fairly often used to refer to a vehicle in this class. Examples include the Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu and the Buick LaCrosse. A mid-size car, frequently referred to as an intermediate, is an automobile with a size between that of a compact and a full-size or standard-size car. ... The American Ford Fusion (code name CD338) is a mid-size car based on the Ford CD3 platform. ... The Chevrolet Malibu (named for Malibu, California) is a mid-size car produced in the United States by General Motors. ... The Buick LaCrosse is a Buick automobile model introduced in the United States for the 2005 model year. ...

1980s large family cars

• Citroën BX
• Ford Sierra
• Honda Accord
• Nissan Primera
• Opel Vectra
• Peugeot 405
• Renault 21
• Toyota Corona
• Volkswagen Passat

1987 Citroën BX GTi 16V The Citroën BX was a family car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1982 and 1994. ... 1991 Ford Sierra 3-door in period publicity photograph -this model was not sold in the UK. The Ford Sierra was an medium-size car built by Ford in Europe between 1982 and 1993. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Nissan Primera is a mid-sized range of automobiles manufactured in the United Kingdom and Japan. ... The Opel Vectra is a large family car produced by Opel, the main European subsidiary of General Motors. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Peugeot 405 The Peugeot 405 was a midsize sedan automobile manufactured by the French manufacturer Peugeot between 1988 and 1997. ... The Renault 21 was a midsize car built by the French manufacturer Renault between 1986 and 1994. ... // Early Days The Toyota Corona was a midsize car manufactured by Toyota. ... The Volkswagen Passat is a mid-size car / large family car built by Volkswagen AG, produced in various forms since 1973. ...

1990s large family cars

• Citroën C5
• Fiat Croma
• Ford Mondeo
• Honda Accord
• Nissan Primera
• Opel Vectra
• Peugeot 406
• Renault 21
• Renault Laguna
• Toyota Corona
• Volkswagen Passat

The Citroën C5 is a mid-size automobile produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since early 2001. ... The Fiat Croma is an automobile from Italian manufacturer Fiat, produced in two distinct generations, one built from 1985 to 1996, and the other from 2005. ... The Ford Mondeo is a large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Nissan Primera is a mid-sized range of automobiles manufactured in the United Kingdom and Japan. ... The Opel Vectra is a large family car produced by Opel, the main European subsidiary of General Motors. ... The Peugeot 406 was a mid-size family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1996 to 2004. ... The Renault 21 was a midsize car built by the French manufacturer Renault between 1986 and 1994. ... The Renault Laguna is a mid-size family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault. ... // Early Days The Toyota Corona was a midsize car manufactured by Toyota. ... The Volkswagen Passat is a mid-size car / large family car built by Volkswagen AG, produced in various forms since 1973. ...

2000s large family cars

• Chrysler 300
• Citroën C5
• Fiat Croma
• Ford Mondeo
• Honda Accord
• Nissan Primera
• Opel Vectra
• Peugeot 407
• Renault Laguna
• Toyota Avensis
• Volkswagen Passat

This article or section is in need of expansion. ... The Citroën C5 is a mid-size automobile produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since early 2001. ... The Fiat Croma is an automobile from Italian manufacturer Fiat, produced in two distinct generations, one built from 1985 to 1996, and the other from 2005. ... The Ford Mondeo is a large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Nissan Primera is a mid-sized range of automobiles manufactured in the United Kingdom and Japan. ... The Opel Vectra is a large family car produced by Opel, the main European subsidiary of General Motors. ... Peugeot 407 The Peugeot 407 is a mid-size automobile produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot since 2004. ... The Renault Laguna is a mid-size family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault. ... Toyota Avensis, second generation. ... The Volkswagen Passat is a mid-size car / large family car built by Volkswagen AG, produced in various forms since 1973. ...

Full-size family cars

Full-size family car are not as popular as the other two, and are usually used in rental fleets (see repmobile). Examples includee the Citroën C6, Peugeot 607 and the Škoda Superb. The Repmobile is a semi-derogatory British term used to describe cars that are popular on the fleets of sales representatives (or reps). ... The Citroën C6 is a full-size automobile produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since 2005. ... 2000 Peugeot 607 The Peugeot 607 is a luxury sedan which was launched in 1999 to replace the 605. ... 2002 Skoda Superb The Å koda Superb is a large car manufactured by Skoda Auto that looks very similar to the Volkswagen Passat. ...

Equivalently sized cars in North America are called full-size cars. "Family car" may be used to refer to these cars also, but not as often as for mid-sizes. Examples include the Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Ford Crown Victoria, and the Mercury Grand Marquis. // Defenition 2001 E38 Dinan BMW 750iL A full-size car is term used in North America for an automobile larger than a mid-size car, usually having a wheelbase greater than 2. ... There have been a number of vehicles bearing the Charger nameplate, but the name has generally denoted a performance model in the Dodge range. ... This article or section is in need of expansion. ... The Ford Crown Victoria is a fullsize car produced by the Ford Motor Company in the 1950s, and then again in the 1970s. ... The Mercury Grand Marquis is a full-size premium sedan built by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company at the St. ...