Passenger cars and their general classification. Classification of modern cars. SUVs and crossovers

The car has firmly entered the life of a person and has become an integral attribute of the modern world, providing extensive opportunities for movement and a host of other advantages. The desire to purchase a personal vehicle, today, is, according to statistics, one of the highest priority in the field of material needs. But is such a purchase always justified and rational (especially when it comes to giving up other benefits of civilization in favor of a car)?

Exactly, to this consumer? Suddenly, the main motivation is: "to be like everyone else." But a reasonable person should not proceed from such motives. In this regard, in order for the car to really bring benefit and practical significance, it is important to figure out what, in fact, is the purpose of the car. However, initially, as in any issue, it is necessary to determine the conceptual apparatus regarding the problem under consideration. Since, precisely, the concept contains the main purpose of the car.

The word "car" was not the original designation of what is considered to be a car. Initially, this human creation was called "vuatyuotomobile". Vuatyuotomobil is a word consisting of three: fr. - cart, Greek. - himself, lat. - traffic. This can be translated as a wagon that can move independently. Or, as the Russian inventor Kulibin called it, “scooter carriage”.

Thus, the original purpose of the car is independent movement, which does not fully correspond to reality, since the presence of the human factor is necessary in most cases, but, nevertheless, reveals the essence, since earlier the movement of carts was carried out with the help of riding and draft animals.

Gradually, as the appearance was modernized, the word underwent a change and turned into "otomobile", that is: itself and movement. The next step was to change "from" - itself, to "auto" - automatic, mechanics. And a car appeared before the man.

So, a car is a vehicle that moves automatically. This definition is the most accurate, since it does not exclude the presence of a human factor and more fully describes the purpose of the car.

When a man just invented the wheel, which was destined to become the fundamental principle of carts and subsequently vehicles, he did not think that the purpose of the car could lie outside the framework of facilitating life: transportation of goods, acceleration, performance of specific work.

However, vuatyuotomobiles have expanded the purpose of the car, adding a spectacular and aesthetic component to it. These moving carriages, produced by piece, were used for parades, festivals and other solemn processions. Naturally, such a use of a car is particular, but these particulars have often not lost their relevance in the modern world. For example, on the streets of cities on certain significant dates you can see an exhibition or a parade of special equipment.

Now, for clarity and ease of perception, it is necessary to consider the purpose of the car in the form of classification. Naturally, we will focus on the application of the question to contemporary reality.

Appointment of the car according to the specifics of the work performed

Transportation

This purpose of the car has two subcategories: the carriage of passengers and the carriage of goods. This section includes both personal cars used for transportation, and public passenger transport and cars involved in the field of logistics.

Performing special work

This category includes special equipment and service vehicles in all its diversity: crane trucks, fire trucks, ambulances and much more. Sometimes company cars, which are not specially equipped to perform certain works, but have only the symbols of the organization, are allocated in a separate subsection. But, as a rule, this contributes to confusion and, therefore, such a division is not advisable. It's just that in this case, the purpose of the car is somewhat expanded, that is, it can both carry out transportation and perform special work.

Reaching high speeds

This type of car is divided into two categories: racing, created specifically for participation in races, and record-demonstration, created to set speed records, or, as experimental demonstration models.

By way of operation

1. Car operation under normal conditions... The conditions include the following: climatic and temperature conditions, landscape, characteristics of carrying capacity and cross-country ability.
2. Operation of the car in extreme conditions, or conditions close to extreme. For this kind of conditions, there are cars of a separate category: and wheeled all-terrain vehicles.

Appointment of the car by the nature of positioning

1. Indicative... We are talking about experimental models that companies have not yet put on conveyor production, but launched, only in piece copies, in order to assess the interest of the consumer. Such cars can be positioned at exhibitions, used in public testing, sold under special conditions, and so on.
2. Status... Designed to show the status and financial capabilities of their owner to others. First of all, these are, of course, image-class models. However, this role can be played by piece modifications of a business class car, and in some countries, serial versions of a business class category.
3. Historical... As a rule, not exploited, unless on significant dates. The purpose of a car in this category is to familiarize people with the history of the automotive industry.
4. Ceremonial... Designed for ceremonial processions and festivals of one kind or another.

Depending on the needs of the owner

V this case perhaps it would be more logical to abandon the classifier, since the owner's needs can be extremely broad. As an example, we can cite the fact that some folk craftsmen can easily cook a shish kebab on a heated engine (of course, it is not recommended to repeat it). However, in order to preserve the structure of the narrative, below will be the main ways to use the car.

1. Expanding the ability to move. In the modern world with its developed communication systems, people, as a rule, rarely work within walking distance from home. In this regard, for many, the purpose of a car is the implementation of its main functions as a means of transportation. Naturally, travel is not limited to commuting to work. The car is also actively used to expand opportunities for leisure activities: a trip to nature, a summer residence or the present.
2. The ability to show others your social status and financial capabilities. This category may include not only status cars from the classification "Purpose of the car by the nature of positioning"
3. Increasing the level of independence, both physical and spiritual.

Naturally, all the above classifications cannot fully cover the purpose of the car. But this is not important either, since it tends to develop and expand. That there is only the so-called flying car, which is no longer a fantasy, but has existed for a long time, combining the capabilities of a vehicle and an aircraft. And, probably, in the future it will be widely used in order to avoid traffic jams and expand the boundaries of speed limits.

With the development of the automotive industry, the number of models increased, which differed among themselves in overall mass and technical specifications... In the most developed countries, government agencies began to keep records of cars.

A certain system gradually developed, the cars were divided into several classes, which were tabulated for convenience.

Abroad car classification Vehicle developed taking into account local characteristics. The subsequent development of globalization processes in the economy and the opening of markets for the products of automobile companies served to develop new standards in the field of transport accounting.

As a result, several systems of classification of cars were formed, which operate in individual countries or extend to entire continents:

• in the EU, the ECE and EuroNCAP classifications apply. In addition, there are own systems in France and Spain;
• v North America and Canada;
• in Asia, national classifications have been developed in Japan and the PRC.

The classes of cars in them are determined based on different parameters, in particular, some technical characteristics can be taken as a basis, for example: engine volume, curb weight or vehicle length. The regulation in this area also touched upon some other parameters, which began to be established at the legislative level.

Classification of cars by classes in different countries (table)

In developed countries, the number of machines in service and leaving factory conveyors is constantly increasing. Transport is subject to accounting, which requires a certain systematization and formalization. In each of the countries, this issue is approached taking into account the current legislation and regulatory framework and certain national characteristics.

In Russia

The division of vehicles into categories in each country took into account national characteristics. In the Soviet Union, and later in Russian Federation this process was delegated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which included the creation of bodies for the registration of vehicles. At first it was the ORUD, then it was replaced by the State Traffic Inspectorate, and is currently performing these functions.

Registration and examination departments are executive bodies, and methodological work was carried out by specialized institutes. In the Soviet Union, a fairly harmonious system for the distribution of cars by class was developed. It was put into effect in 1966 by a special document ОН 025270-66 (industry standard). At the moment, it is more of a recommendatory nature.

In accordance with the industry standard ОН 025270-66, passenger cars are divided into 5 classes depending on the engine displacement.

Table: classification passenger cars in accordance with OH 025270‑66

In accordance with the mentioned document, the name of each model consists of the manufacturer's abbreviation and a digital code of four or more digits, which meant the following:

• The first is the class of the car.
• The second is the type of vehicle.
• The third and fourth are the serial number of the model.
• The fifth is modification.
• Sixth - imported version.

As an example of the use of this classification in relation to a popular Soviet-made car, we can cite its decoding for one of the small class models. The designation VAZ-21079 means:

• 2 - the machine has an engine capacity ranging from 1.2 to 1.8 liters;
• 1 - in passenger version;
• 07 - the seventh model according to the factory numbering;
• 9 - modification in this case with a rotary piston engine.

The system turned out to be quite convenient in the conditions of a centralized state and a planned economy. In Russia, the car classification system according to established classes has remained unchanged since Soviet times. In a market economy, some Russian manufacturers allow deviations from established practice, which can lead to confusion and disorientation of the consumer.

In Europe

The unification of Europe and the formation of supranational structures led to the formation of a single economic and legal space. This process also affected such an area as the classification of cars by class, the authorized structures have developed a corresponding table. The main parameter by which the division into steel categories was carried out is the overall dimensions.

Video - classes of cars with examples:

As a result, all existing models were divided into six main classes, which, for convenience, were designated by the first letters of the Latin alphabet. Below is the official table of machine classes adopted in the EU.

The adopted methodology for determining the category of cars is not perfect, some models do not fit into it. To correct this situation, the classification of cars by class in Europe has been supplemented with three more categories. Their descriptions are presented in the table below:

However, these additions were not enough. I had to make additions to the existing system and add two classes: vans and pickups. It should be understood that this division is rather arbitrary and rather reflects the attitude of the model to a certain market segment. It is not for nothing that after the modernization of the car, even if its dimensions change, the manufacturer attributes it to the previously announced category.

Environmental class of the vehicle

Massive development of vehicles equipped with engines internal combustion, could not but affect the state of the environment. In the early nineties of the last century, a number of regulations were developed in the European Union that established the level of maximum permissible concentrations harmful substances in the exhaust. Thus, the concept of an ecological class of a car was introduced.

The first set of rules received the general name Euro-1 and was approved in 1992. The rapid development of technology was followed by a further tightening of requirements for cars coming off the assembly line.

So, after 4 years appears new standard Euro-2, and somewhat later Euro-3. However, it did not become the last in this series, and at the moment the fifth version of environmental standards in the field of motor transport regulation is in force.

Our country joined this process much later - this is how the Euro-2 standard was introduced only nine years ago. Every two years, the requirements became more complicated and by now all cars imported into the Russian Federation must comply with the latest fifth version of this standard.

A natural question arises, how to find out the ecological class of the car and where to find the necessary information.

State control in this area is entrusted to special certification bodies that carry out the examination of vehicles. Information on the issuance of relevant documents for a specific model can be found on the official website of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology. As practice shows, you can find out the ecological class of a car by the following data:, the make (model) of the car and the year of its release from the assembly line.

The specified information is necessary, first of all, for carrying out in the MREO. In 2005, amendments were made to the regulation on PTS, and now the specified document required for registration of a newly imported car into the country cannot be obtained without a certificate. From January 1 of last year, the car must comply with the latest Euro-5 standards.

Legislators have also made changes to the fiscal system, the amount of the toll now directly depends on the degree of negative impact of the car on the environment. As a rule, find out the environmental class of the vehicle for transport tax can be found on the website of the same Federal Agency dealing with technical regulation and metrology.

Other car classification options

Categories A, B, C, D, E

The driver needs certain skills to operate the machine, corresponding to the category of the given vehicle. In 2013, the familiar to all classes of cars A, B, C, D, E were changed in accordance with the new edition of the Federal Law "On Safety road traffic". A number of subcategories have been added to the already existing five categories, giving the right to control vehicles of a certain type or couplings.

Now, to drive a popular scooter, you will need a driver's license. Category A1 must be open in it, while the holder of a motorcycle license can also ride such a vehicle.

Some changes also affected the class of passenger cars, which include all vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons. In order to drive with a heavy trailer, the car owner will have to open the BE category.

A separate class B1 includes such exotic cars for our country as tricycles and ATVs. Earlier driving them on the roads common use was completely illegal. The introduction of this legal norm will allow the owners of the aforementioned vehicles to legally use their property both within settlements and outside them. Some changes have also been made in relation to the rights to drive trucks and road trains.

By prestige

Machines of the same size can vary significantly in terms of equipment and, accordingly, in cost. The prestige of the model is also determined by its brand. It is not for nothing that well-known companies have created departments that produce premium class cars. We are talking about brands such as Lexus, Infinity, Acura, Maybach and others. There are also companies that specialize exclusively in expensive cars: Porsche, Maserati, Bentley and others.

Automobile Chevrolet corvette belongs to the S-class

As a separate class of cars, limousines can be distinguished, which differ from conventional models by the presence of a partition between the driver's seat and the passenger compartment. It should be noted that such cars were produced only in three countries: in England - by Rolls-Royce, in the Soviet Union, and later in Russia at the ZIL automobile plant, and in the People's Republic of China under the Red Wall brand.

Limousines from other manufacturers are, by and large, a rework of production models. The standard body is lengthened and strengthened and equipped accordingly. The high cost of this kind of cars is determined primarily by the high cost of manual labor. Many assembly operations are often carried out by qualified technicians under the supervision of engineering and technical personnel.

Ambulance transport

In addition to passenger and cargo vehicles, there are appropriately equipped vehicles for special services... These include firefighters, rescuers, medics, and law enforcement. To fulfill the tasks assigned to them, cars equipped on the basis of serial models of different categories are used.

Ambulance cars medical care also divided into classes

Accordingly, they differ from each other in terms of technical characteristics and equipment. There are the following classes of ambulance vehicles:

• A - a car for transporting patients under the supervision of a doctor, paramedic or nurse. These ambulances do not have equipment to provide emergency to the patient. Such special transport in our country is usually made on the basis of minibuses of the Gorky Automobile Plant.
• B - an emergency medical vehicle is designed to transport patients while performing certain therapeutic measures. A special compartment of the car is equipped with diagnostic devices that allow you to monitor the patient's condition until he is delivered to a hospital.
• C - reanimation ambulance car, equipped to perform medical procedures by specialized medical teams directly in the process of transporting a sick or wounded person to a hospital or hospital.

The described classification system allows keeping records of them by class, degree of equipment and other indicators. There are certain standards for the number of special vehicles of different categories. It is installed for urban and rural areas, taking into account population density, distance to the nearest ambulance station and other factors.

For car wash

Some industry associations in the service of transport or other types of business can also develop their own classification systems.

There is, for example, a classification of cars according to classes for a car wash, designed to simplify the accounting of enterprises owned by one company in the network. This is necessary for the establishment of uniform tariffs and the settlement of other economic issues.

For car rental

Similar systems have been developed in large companies that operate in the field. The fleet of cars of such international corporations as Enterprise, Hertz or Avis exceeds tens of thousands of pieces of equipment different models and manufacturers. To simplify control, SIPP codes were introduced, which establish not only the class, but also the equipment of the rental car.

This approach allows not to indicate in advertising materials and official documents full list cars by make, and publish the list by class in the form of a table. When placing an order, the client only needs to indicate information about which category of car he would like to receive for temporary use, taking into account the level of its equipment. This is much easier than negotiating the provision of a car of a certain brand and configuration.

Car rental companies are able to timely respond to changes in market conditions in a particular region. Having in hand a table of car classes with examples, the manager can quickly contact the management and transmit data on the availability of cars and the level of demand for them. Based on the information received, the administration can redirect some of the machines from other branches.

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Now many, before choosing specific model and even the make of the car, go to the Internet, but different classifiers have different parameters for different cars. And some buyers, who have already made their choice, are looking for more specific information in the press and also come across unfamiliar definitions.

First of all, vehicles are divided by purpose - passenger, freight, cargo-passenger and special. We are only interested in the first category - passenger, and not buses, but cars for up to 8 people... And immediately a note - if the car looks like a passenger car, but more than 8 passengers can fit in it, then you need to get driver's license category D. Passenger cars are divided by classes, body type, drive type and other indicators.

The most common classification today is the division into classes, it is sometimes called European classification... It is based on the car size division and is very similar to the Mercedes-Benz model breakdown. The youngest A-class (this includes the smallest cars from Smar t to "Oka" with a length of no more than 3.6 m), slightly larger B-class(so-called small city cars, up to 4 m long, and with low and medium power engines), one of the most popular medium C-class(length up to 4.5 m), similar in size, but more spacious D-class, longer E-class and the biggest F-class(the length of the main representatives is about 5 m). A separate place is occupied by minivans, coupes, convertibles and various sports cars.

European car classification(D-, E- and F-grades)
Renault Laguna	Nissan teana	Audi a8

Representatives of some classes may be given different names. So cars used to be the most popular Golf class, from the Volkswagen Golf, which was the benchmark for the city car. D and E categories belong to business class and the F-class is executive cars.

It is worth noting that, until recently, automakers, releasing the next generation of a car that has already received a belonging to a certain class, added a little in size. Therefore, some "typical" representatives of their class in terms of physical size, but remain in it due to positioning. Now the reverse process of reduction begins, due to higher environmental requirements, for the achievement of which the struggle with excess weight begins.

Another equally important classification is based on body type... The main concept here is "volume", that is, that part of the space that can be separated from other parts of the body. So a three-box is classic car with a separate engine compartment, interior and luggage compartment. A two-volume box is more often a separate compartment for the engine and a single cabin and trunk (some cars with a rear-engine layout have a combined interior and engine space, and the trunk is located separately in front). A single-spacer means a single space for all parts of the car.

The concept of "volume" in the classification of passenger cars
GAZ Siber	Lada Kalina	Citroen C4 Picasso

So, the main types of passenger cars are sedan and hatchback. Sedan(in England and Japan saloon, notchback in America) - a classic three-volume hardtop, in which all three parts are structurally separated from each other. Among the sedans, a separate subspecies should be distinguished: limousines- sedans extended for the sake of comfort of passengers of the second row with a partition between the driver's seat and the rest of the cabin. Hatchback- a two-volume hardtop, in which the interior and trunk are a single space, and the luggage compartment opens together with the glass. Both usually have 4 side doors, although there are exceptions.

Representatives of sedans, limousines and hatchbacks
Volkswagen Polo sedan	Cadillac Presidential Limousine	Hyundai solaris

There are several intermediate types between the sedan and the hatchback. Fastback- a sedan with a strongly sloping rear window but with a separate trunk lid. Liftback- a sedan, very similar to a hatch, thanks to the 5th tailgate, but unlike the second, the rear has the same overhang as the sedan. And the largest two-piece - station wagon, also has a large overhang, and its roof extends to the end of the entire vehicle. It has many designations that are found in model names - Tourer, Estate, Kombi, Avant, Caravan and simply Van.

Fastback,liftback andstation wagon
Bentley Continental GT	Skoda Octavia	Volvo XC70

The generalists are close to two other directions. The first one, which increased the usable space, was transformed into single-volume minivans(and their relatives with great body transformation capabilities are multivans). The second has increased cross-country ability and includes SUVs(they are also sometimes called SUV- Sport Utility Vehicle), which have high ground clearance, high geometric cross-country ability, all-wheel drive, etc. However, sometimes these directions intersect and it turns out.

Minivan, SUV and multivan off-road
Chrysler Grand Voyager	Toyota Land Cruiser	Volkswagen Multivan PanAmericana

Minivans and SUVs, which reached their heyday during the period of cheap gasoline, succumbing to market demands over time, while maintaining their body shape, began to decrease in size. So their middle and small representatives appeared, to the definition of which they began to assign the above classification ( B-class minivan). On the other hand, there was a whole class of compact SUVs made for the army and given civilian versions.

Compact minivan and SUV
Opel meriva	Suzuki jimny

SUVs have similarities with two other types of bodies. Pickup trucks- the middle option between an SUV and a truck, these are usually three-box cars, one part of which is loading platform... AND crossovers(a derivative of an SUV and a hatchback), which are becoming more and more like monocabs, characterized by short overhangs, high ground clearance and a sloped trunk lid, but occasionally lack all-wheel drive... Crossovers as well as SUVs can be of different sizes.

Pickup, crossover and compact crossover
Mitsubishi L200	Mazda CX-9	Subaru XV

Another direction in the development of bodies was the creation of cars for egoists. Their concept was initially based on the fact that only the driver gets pleasure from the movement, but at the same time the passenger, who is often the only one. This primarily applies to compartment, whose name comes from a two-seater horse-drawn carriage. Previously, this term was applied only to cars with two doors and two seats, which is true today, but now it is often used to give sportiness to some quite ordinary cars. Have appeared four-door coupe, very similar in body structure to conventional sedans, and even coupe crossovers.

Coupe,four-door coupe andcoupe crossover
Jaguar XKR	Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG	BMW X6 M

Also in the category of "cars for pleasure" can be attributed convertibles, that is, cars without a roof, which can be soft or hard, but completely retracts. This is their main parameter, and for all the rest, a convertible can be anything, and sometimes, instead of an elegant cabrio coupe, there can be city hatchbacks and even SUVs.

Convertibles
Aston Martin V8 Vantage	Fiat 500C Abarth	Land Rover Defender SVX

Convertibles have a narrower niche - roadsters... They are characterized by classic two-door bodies and powerful engines... Although this type also suffered the fate of the coupe, and sometimes this attachment appears in almost ordinary models. Sometimes in Europe and America they are also called spiders... Another subspecies - targa, was distinguished by a safety arch and glass located behind the seats.

Roadsters
Smart Roadster Coupe	Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder	Porsche 911 Targa 4S

There are several more body names that mainly relate to retro cars: phaetons(four-seater, usually comfortable cars without B-pillars with soft top), landau(with opening top over passengers rear seat), or to various sports areas: rally cars,muscle (muscle) punishment, hot rods, cars for circuit racing and others. They usually have their own characteristics and their own classification.

Unusual types of cars
Phaeton Ford Model T Tourer (1912)	Chevrolet Indy Car Baltimore	Photo: Dakar.com

Can split cars by engine type: depending on the fuel - gasoline, diesel, hybrid and electric, simple, turbocharged and compressor units with mechanical supercharging, according to the number of Horse power(relevant when calculating taxation), etc.

Various automobile awards are quite indicative from the point of view of the classification of cars.

One of the largest Russian awards, "Car of the Year", divides the applicants in terms of both body and cost, adding the premium prefix. The result is 23 classes: city cars, small and small middle class, medium and business class, executive and executive class premium, coupes, premium coupes, granturers, convertibles and roadsters, convertibles and premium roadsters, off-road wagons, compact, lightweight , medium and heavy SUVs, pickups, compact vans, minivans, mini vans, light vans and vans.

A respected Russian automotive publication selects the best cars, distributing them in the following nominations: compact car, golf class car, middle class car, business class car, executive car, minivan, compact SUV, full size SUV, sports modification, sport car, coupe and convertible, special vehicles.

One of the most respected awards of the British magazine "What car?" presents its award to two categories: new and used cars, dividing them into supermini, compact family cars, family cars, premium compact cars, premium mid-size cars, executive cars, station wagons, multivans, crossovers, SUVs, coupes, roadsters and convertibles, high-tech cars and charged hatchbacks

But the most important world award "Car of the Year", the jury of which includes more than 200 professional journalists, engineers and managers, does not divide cars into classes, but simply chooses the best ones. This year, prizes will be awarded to: Ford B-Max, Hyundai i30, Mercedes Benz A-class, Peugeot 208, Renault Clio, Subaru BRZ / Toyota GT86, Volkswagen golf and Volvo V40.

Article published on 11/11/2014 18:20 Last edited on 8/16/2015 04:09 AM

The ability to correctly classify a car is essential for any driver. The fact is that from time to time everyone has to change their " iron horse”, And without knowing how to classify a car, it is very difficult to formulate your requirements for it and later purchase the car you need.

All modern cars are classified according to a certain set of characteristics:

1. engine type;

2. type of drive;

3. body type;

4. engine size.

Classification of cars by engine type

Depending on the type of engine used, all vehicles are divided into two categories: gasoline and diesel. Cars equipped with gasoline engines use gasoline as fuel. Cars using as a power unit diesel engine working on diesel fuel. Diesel fuel is cheaper than gasoline, but a diesel engine is more expensive and more difficult to maintain. In addition, a car equipped with such an engine has certain problems with starting it in winter.

In connection with the owners of diesel units, you can give the following advice: never buy diesel fuel "off hand". The fact is that in Russia many motorists often prefer to refuel with friends who have diesel at their disposal. These can be the military, employees of agricultural enterprises, employees of mining enterprises who use diesel fuel-powered equipment in their work.

Usually, such fuel is not designed for use in modern passenger cars, therefore, motorists who purchase it may have serious problems with starting the engine in winter. Also, low-quality or low-quality fuel can easily disable it. Thus, if you do not want to get additional problems with your diesel, buy fuel for it exclusively on official filling stations which can provide you with a guarantee of the quality of the diesel fuel they sell.

Have diesel car there are a large number of both pluses and minuses, so when buying it, be sure to contact a specialist who will advise you and give advice on the need for such an acquisition, because if you have limited financial resources, it may be more correct to buy a car equipped with gasoline engine... Usually, such cars are significantly cheaper than their diesel counterparts, although in the future, the increased cost of gasoline compared to diesel fuel can eat up the entire amount of savings. There are a number of other nuances that only a specialist can explain to you in personal consultation, so do not skimp and contact him. As a last resort, take a knowledgeable acquaintance with a long driving experience with you to the car dealership.

Types of drives

A car can be set in motion in only three ways, which are the basis for the qualification of these vehicles by the type of drive. So, depending on which wheels are driven by the engine and transmission, rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles are distinguished.

Machines with rear wheel drive only driven by a pair rear wheels with help cardan shaft that passes under the beggar of the machine from the engine to rear suspension... In the USSR, exclusively rear-wheel drive cars were produced for use by citizens in private households. Even now, many drivers with Soviet driving experience prefer to buy just such cars.

Front-wheel drive vehicles are driven by two front wheels. They do not have in the design cardan shaft, and the drive goes to the wheels directly from the engine through the transmission. The first front-wheel drive car in the USSR was the VAZ-2108, which was launched in mass production in the 80s of the last century. These cars still drive on Russian roads in huge numbers and are deservedly popular among not too wealthy car enthusiasts. Front-wheel drive cars differ from others in high maneuverability, as well as in the fact that they resist skidding better than other types of car and get out of it more easily.

Four-wheel drive vehicles are the third type of vehicles in terms of the way they are driven. All wheels are driving them. At the same time, there are such models on which you can turn off any drive axle if necessary. This is done either in order to save fuel, or in order to adapt to specific road conditions. In the USSR, the first passenger car four-wheel drive vehicle there was "Niva".

The main advantage of such cars is their increased cross-country ability, so usually all-wheel drive cars are SUVs or crossovers. They move well on mud, snowdrifts, broken dirt roads, but their speed characteristics are worse. The most famous Soviet and Russian four-wheel drive vehicle is the famous "UAZ", which is still used by the police in their work, Ambulance and other special services.

Classification of cars by body type

Modern cars have several types of bodies: sedan, hatchback, station wagon, wagon, limousine, convertible, minivan.

Most of all in Russia "sedans". It is a car with this type of body that allows you to take on board 4-5 passengers and has two or four doors. This design, as well as the fact that the cargo compartment is separated from the passenger compartment, allowed such cars to achieve high popularity in our country. The most striking example of such a car is all classic Zhiguli models (VAZ-2101, VAZ-2105, etc.).

The second most popular after the "sedan" is the "hattsback" body. It also has two or four side passenger doors, while a third cargo door is added to them, located at the back. It opens vertically upward, and the rear seats can be folded here. Due to this circumstance, the volume of the luggage compartment is significantly increased, but still, it is inferior in spaciousness to the trunk of a sedan. Among the representatives of the Soviet automobile industry, the body type "hatchback" was in the VAZ-2108, VAZ-2109, Izh-Kombi, "Moskvich AZLK-2141".

There is also a universal body type. "Universal" has a cargo-passenger compartment, two or four side doors and one more - a fifth, located at the rear and is a cargo one. Here, the cargo compartment is also divided from the passenger compartment, but it is implemented differently than in the "sedan". This is the same one of the favorite types of cars in Russia. Usually, a station wagon is purchased as a seed car, especially since, thanks to the folding seats and the presence of a cargo door, it is possible to transport sufficiently large loads, for example, a refrigerator or washing machine... The classic representatives of the Soviet (Russian) car industry with a station wagon body are the VAZ-2102 and VAZ-2104.

One of the varieties of the "station wagon" is the "minivan" body type. A similar car has a higher suspension and appearance it resembles a minibus. His typical example is Renault Scenic or Volkswagen Sharan.

There are other, less popular body options: “coupe”, “convertible”, “roadster”, “car”, “limousine”.

Classification of cars by engine displacement

Engine power directly depends on their volume, which is measured in cubic centimeters or liters. Depending on the displacement of the engines installed on them, the following categories of cars can be distinguished:

Extra small class;

Small class;

Middle class;

Great class.

Salo and minicars have an engine capacity of no more than 1.1 liters. An example of such a car is the VAZ-1111 "Oka". The equipment of this class does not have a lot of power and it was created for work in urban conditions: trips for shopping, to work, for children to school, etc. Moreover, these cars are very maneuverable and economical.

Middle-class cars have engines ranging from 1.8 to 3.5 liters. These are quite powerful and heavy-duty vehicles. An example of this is the Volga (GAZ-21, GAZ-21, GAZ-3110, etc.) or Ford-Mondeo. Such machines consume a significant amount of fuel and require decent operating costs.

Cars of a large class are a real house on wheels, driven by a 3.5-liter engine. These are serious cars, designed mainly for representative purposes or for off-road driving. They are also subdivided into business class and luxury class cars. Only financially wealthy motorists are able to service such cars.

There are other ways to classify cars, but the ones we have named will be quite enough to choose and purchase the equipment you need, as well as, if necessary, get advice on its selection from the dealer of an auto shop or salon.

Any car from this classification needs timely and high-quality service. We can advise you

Automobile Is a self-propelled crew driven by an engine installed on it and designed to transport passengers, cargo or special equipment on trackless roads and tow trailers.

Modern cars are classified according to the following main characteristics.

1. Transport and special vehicles are distinguished by purpose.

Transport vehicles are divided into several types:

• a) cars - for the carriage of several passengers
• b) buses - for transporting groups (more than eight) passengers
• c) freight - for the transportation of various goods. The defining indicator characterizing cars and buses is their capacity, measured by the number of passenger seats

The main value that characterizes trucks is their memorial carrying capacity, that is, the maximum permissible weight of cargo (in tons) transported when driving on paved roads. In this regard, trucks are distinguished with particularly small (up to 1 ton), small (from 1 to 3 tonnes), medium (from 3 to 5 tonnes) and large (from 5 tonnes) carrying capacity.

Depending on the body structure and other design features there are general-purpose trucks and specialized trucks designed for the transportation of certain types of goods (for example, dump trucks, tank trucks and vans).

Special purpose vehicles are used to perform any specific work and are equipped with appropriate devices and devices. This group includes firefighters, watering vehicles, truck cranes, aerial platforms and others. They are usually modified models of transport vehicles.

2. By the type of fuel:

• a) cars with liquid fuel engines
• b) cars with engines running on gaseous fuels

3. By adaptability to road conditions:

• a) road (normal) cross-country ability, designed to work mainly on paved roads and dry dirt roads
• b) cross-country ability that can work on bad roads and off-road conditions. Normal cross-country vehicles have a drive on one (rear) axle, and two-axle vehicles - on both axles and three-axle ones - on two or three axles