- published: 11 May 2015
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A compact car (North America), or small family car (UK), is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini but smaller than or equal to a mid-size car. The term often leads into confusion, however, since international compact cars are somewhat larger than their North American equivalents, mostly because no supermini/subcompact size is manufactured by American, Mexican and Canadian car makers at this time. This car class is also known as the C-segment across Europe.
Current compact car size, for US and international models respectively, is approximately 4,100 mm (161 in) and 4,450 mm (175 in) long for hatchbacks, or 4,400 mm (173 in) and 4,750 mm (187 in) long for convertibles, sedans (saloon) or station wagons (estate car). Multi-purpose vehicles and sport utility vehicles based on small family cars (often called compact MPVs and compact SUVs) have similar sizes, ranging from 4,200 mm (165 in) to 4,500 mm (177 in) in the U.S., and from 4,400 mm (173 in) to 4,700 mm (185 in) in international-based models.
A family car is a car classification used in Europe to describe normally-sized cars. The name comes from the suitability of these cars to carry a whole family locally 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 two types of family cars.
Current small family cars are between 4.20 m (165 in) and 4.35 m (171 in) long if they are hatchbacks, or between 4.40 m (173 in) and 4.55 m (179 in) if they are saloon or estate models. Since the 1990s there have been multi-purpose vehicle based on them, called compact MPVs. Popular small family cars are the Ford Focus, Opel Astra, Škoda Octavia, SEAT León and Volkswagen Golf.
In North America, which uses a different classification system, cars of this size are generally referred to as compact cars, and the term "family car" is almost never used to describe a vehicle in this class.
Large family cars were usually around 4.50 m (177 in) in length by the early 1990s, but are now shifting to 4.70 m (185 in) or more in length. Examples of large family cars include the Ford Mondeo, Opel Insignia, Škoda Superb, SEAT Exeo and Volkswagen Passat.