Often Confusing? Lemme sort it out

Coupé vs. Sedan vs. Hatchback vs. Station Wagon.

What is a Coupé?

Coupé is originally a two door car with a permanently attached roof and a sloping rear. It is generally a two seater sports car with occasionally two separate tiny rear seats for children or adults with no limbs (JK!)

 

Mercedes Benz S-Class Coupe 2014

What is a Sedan?

Sedan is originally a four door car again with a permanently attached roof and a full 4-5 seater vehicle.

Mercedes Benz E-Class Sedan 2014

Actually there are four-door coupes, and two-door sedans, so the differences between a coupe and a sedan automobile may not always be quite clear. In reality, a coupe is strictly defined by its interior volume or space.

The real distinction between a coupe and a sedan has little to do with doors and are made clear by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), which standardizes definitions of the different types of cars on the market. Measurements of these cars are as follows:

• A coupe has an interior space of less than 33 cubic feet (0.934 cubic m).
• A sedan has an interior that is equal to or greater than 33 cubic feet (0.934 cubic m).

As a result, volume alone is the real difference. A two-door car with a large interior space is essentially a two-door sedan. Likewise, a four-door car with a small volume is a four-door coupe.

Nevertheless, many manufacturers call a car a coupe when they want to evoke a sportier concept for it.

Some people mistakenly think a coupe and a sedan are differentiated by whether the car has a hatchback.

What is  hatchback?

A hatchback is designed in such a way that its rear door swing upward to provide access to a cargo door.  Its more often regarded as a smaller segment of cars.

Mercedes Benz Hatchback Amg

There are four-door coupes and four-door sedans with a hatchback, which are more properly called station wagons.

What is a Station Wagon?

An automobile with one or more rows of folding or removable seats behind the driver and no luggage compartment but an area behind the seats into which suitcases, parcels, etc., can be loaded through a tailgate.

1967 Mercedes 230s Universal Station Wagon (Rare)

BMW E-46 Wagon