Sedan - what is it? Description and varieties

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Sedan is the most popular type of car body, which is characterized by a luggage compartment separated from the passenger compartment. It happens two- and three-volume, can have 2 or 4 doors. There are several varieties of sedan, they are described in this article.

Sedan is… Terminology and description

It is a passenger car of a closed type (when it is not possible to raise the roof), in the cabin of which the passenger seats are located in two or three rows. Structurally, the trunk is separated from the passenger compartment. The sedan is called a classic, as cars of this type are most in demand on the market due to their presentable appearance.

There are two versions of the origin of the word sedan. According to one of them, the term sedan is derived from the English name of the palanquin (sede - armchair). According to another version, the word comes from the French city of Sedan, which in the 19th century specialized in the production of carriages.

Varieties of body type sedan

Recently, automakers are increasingly combining several types or distinguishing separate groups, and therefore the visual identification of the body is becoming increasingly difficult. For example, a liftback. This is a type of hatchback. Herthe front end looks like a sedan. The rear is a real hatchback. Nevertheless, there are 5 main types of sedan:

• notchback;
• fastback;
• hardtop sedan;
• long base;
• two-door.

Notchback is a sedan with a three-volume body and a luggage compartment separated from the passenger compartment. In Europe, hatchbacks and liftbacks are called so. But most often the term is used to separate a variety of sedans into a separate group.

Fastback has a two-volume body and 2 or 4 doors. The rear wall of the trunk may slightly stand out in the third volume or be sloping. A distinctive feature is a smoothly lowering roof. GAZ-M-20 "Victory" is considered a prominent representative of this type of sedan.

Hardtop - a four-door sedan, distinguished by the absence of central pillars and external frames on the windows (or they are, but can be removed). A very unusual body style, a good example of which is the Mercedes-Benz CL-class. Now such cars are produced extremely rarely, and it is difficult to see them on the streets of the city, since the production was carried out mainly by American and Japanese companies in the period from the 1950s to the 1990s.

Long base sedan, also called Long Base Sedan, has an elongated body and 3 rows of seats, as well as 3 side windows. Unlike a limousine, there is no separating partition between the driver and the rear passenger seats. A good example of a Long Base Sedan is Seagull.

The last variety is the sedantwo-door, or tudor. It was first introduced at an exhibition in 1958 by Chevrolet. The model was called Delray 2-door Sedan and was the cheapest car of those years. In general, such sedans at the time of their appearance and separation into a separate group were the most budgetary representatives. Today, modern and relatively expensive coupe cars can be attributed to tudor.

Specifications of the sedan

This data varies greatly depending on the automaker. Sedans come in both budget and executive class, which affects the size and power of the engine, transmission, braking system, suspension, steering and performance. An important role is played by technical tuning, which can increase the performance of a car.

The main distinguishing features of the sedan from other types

For this body type, a distinctive feature is a clear separation of the passenger compartment and the luggage compartment. In sedans, the rear window is almost always rigidly fixed in the opening, it does not fall or rise, as happens in hatchbacks and liftbacks. It differs from SUVs and crossovers in the size of the body, and from station wagons in the length of the rear overhang. The latter have an extended luggage compartment. The most impressive dimensions of a minivan are at least 4.5 m in length. It also differs from the sedan in the obligatory presence of a third row of seats and sliding side doors.

Due to the desire of automakers to createthe most versatile model is becoming increasingly difficult to determine the type of body. The Skoda Superb hatchback sedan, in which the tailgate opens with or without glass, is the best example of this.

Advantages and disadvantages of a sedan

Of the negative sides, one can single out the degraded maneuverability of the car, when compared with the same hatchback, and the non-functional transformation of the trunk, which does not fit large items. But in a sedan, the best weight distribution along the axes of the car. The separation of the luggage compartment from the passenger compartment prevents the appearance of foreign odors, and also contributes to improved sound insulation and the fastest warming up of the car.

The sedan looks elegant and solid, with its appearance demonstrating that it was created for transporting people, not for transporting goods. These cars are great for city and highway driving. But for off-road trips, such cars should not be chosen.

Best in class

Sedan cars are a unique classic, demonstrating what a car should really be. The following models are considered the most popular in Russia:

• Hyundai Solaris;
• Lada Granta;
• Ford Focus 3;
• Volkswagen Polo;
• Renault Logan;
• Nissan Almera;
• Chevrolet Cruze;
• Toyota Camry;
• Skoda Octavia.

It's no secret that the same model can be produced by the manufacturer in several body types. So, the above Hyundai Solaris and Ford Focus3 both sedans and hatchbacks are equally popular.

It is quite difficult to determine which type of the described is the best, because each person has his own requirements for a car. Therefore, when choosing a personal vehicle, you should be guided solely by what purposes the car will serve.