A supermini is a British car classification Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any. Not all car types are common in all countries and names for the same vehicle can differ by region. Furthermore, some descriptions may be interpreted differently in different places. Broadly speaking, there are a set of classifications term that describes automobiles An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car A compact car , or small family car (Europe), 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. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as Subcompact A subcompact car is an automobile in a North American vehicle size class, encompassing vehicles smaller than compact cars . According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a passenger car is classified as subcompact if it has between 85 cubic feet (2,407 L) and 99 cu ft (2,803 L) of interior volume. Many contemporary in North America.
In 2008, the best selling cars in Belgium The Kingdom of Belgium /ˈbɛldʒəm/ is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi) and has a population of about 10.7 million, the Czech Republic The Czech Republic /ˈtʃɛk rɨˈpʌblɪk/ (Czech: Česká republika, pronounced [ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka] ( listen), short form Česko [ˈtʃɛskɔ]) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and, France France (pronounced /ˈfræns/ or /ˈfrɑːns/; French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française, pronounced: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the, Hungary Hungary /ˈhʌŋgəri/ (Hungarian: Magyarország; IPA: ['mɔɟɔrorsaːg]; listen (help·info)), officially in English the Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság listen (help·info), literally Magyar (Hungarian) Republic), is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia,, Italy Italy /ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The, the Netherlands The Netherlands (pronounced /ˈnɛðərləndz/ ; Dutch: Nederland, pronounced [ˈneːdərlɑnt] ( listen)) is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south,, Poland Poland /ˈpoʊlənd/ (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Rzeczpospolita Polska), is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total, Portugal Portugal /ˈpɔrtʃəɡəl/ , officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa), is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east. The Atlantic archipelagos, Slovakia The Slovak Republic (short form: Slovakia /sloʊˈvɑːkiə/ ; Slovak: Slovensko (help·info), long form Slovenská republika (help·info)) is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). It borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to and Slovenia Slovenia /sloʊˈviːniə/ , officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: Republika Slovenija, listen (help·info)), is a country in Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. The capital of Slovenia is Ljubljana were all superminis. Overall in 2008, of the fifteen best selling types of car in Europe, seven were superminis.
Origins of the term supermini
The original Mini The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered an icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (that allowed 80% of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers. The - A 1963 Austin Super-DeluxeThe term "supermini" appeared around 1985. The influential Consumers' Association first used the term in its annual Car Buying Guide in October of that year. Because the term was a new one, it gave an explanation at the start of a section entitled Small Hatchbacks. It said small hatchbacks were known popularly as superminis and while similar to the Mini The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered an icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout (that allowed 80% of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage) influenced a generation of car-makers. The they were more spacious inside and more versatile. This definition made clear that a "supermini" was something larger than a Mini yet smaller than a typical car of the time. In its 1985 report, it included such cars as the Austin Metro The Metro is a supermini car that was produced by the Austin Rover Group division of British Leyland and its successors. It was launched in 1980 as the Austin mini Metro. It was intended to complement the Mini, and was developed under the codename LC8, Volkswagen Polo The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants and Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a small front wheel drive supermini car designed by the Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India and South Africa. The model is marketed worldwide, including Japan and Australasia, and the sixth generation Fiesta will be available in North America in 2010. It is one of Ford's. Smaller or more basic cars were grouped under a Bargain Basement heading and included the Mini, Citroën 2CV, Fiat 126 The Fiat 126 is a city car introduced in October 1972 at Turin Motor Show as a replacement for the Fiat 500. Most were produced in Poland as the Polski Fiat 126p until 2000. It was replaced by the front-engined Fiat Cinquecento in 1993 and Renault 4 The Renault 4, also known as the 4L , is a hatchback economy car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1961 and 1994. It was the first front-wheel drive family car produced by Renault.
The 1986 Car Buying Guide, published in June of that year, was more confident of the term and this time headed the section Small hatchbacks or 'superminis'. The Mini and 2CV were still relegated to the cheaper category of Bargain Basement Bargain bin refer to an unsorted selection of merchandise, particularly softwares, tools and CDs, which have been discounted in price. Reasons for the discount can range from the closure of a production company to a steep decline in an item's popularity in the aftermath of a fad or scandal. The origin of the term comes from the fact such items. By the time of the 1989 Car Buying Guide, there was no longer any need to explain what supermini meant and the title appeared without comment. In its introduction, the Guide said superminis were available as three-door and five-door hatchbacks, and sometimes as saloons with a boot. The Mini and Renault 4 were still grouped separately, this year under the heading Cheapies.
By 1990 the demand for the cheapest cars, a number of them from low-cost economies in eastern Europe, was fading. For the first time the two or three remaining examples in the new car market, including the original Mini, were grouped under the heading superminis along with the couple of dozen true superminis that now dominated the cheaper end of the market. However, in its separate guide to car reliability in June 1990, the magazine grouped the smallest cars under the heading "Minis and Superminis", indicating that the smallest cars were still perceived as being distinct from the larger and better equipped "Superminis". These smaller cars are now called city cars.
See also
A 2008 model Ford Fiesta (sixth generation)- Car classification Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any. Not all car types are common in all countries and names for the same vehicle can differ by region. Furthermore, some descriptions may be interpreted differently in different places. Broadly speaking, there are a set of classifications
- City car
- Kei car Kei car, K-car, or keijidōsha (pronounced /keːdʑidoːɕa/), is a Japanese category of small automobiles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to exploit local tax and insurance relaxations, and in more rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is available for the vehicle
- Mini MPV
- Mini SUV
- MIT Car
- Economy car An economy car is an automobile that is designed for low cost operation. It is designed for a driver who uses their car primarily for personal transportation. The best of these cars are not merely cynically cheapened or miniaturized versions of conventional cars. They are designed by taking an inventive look at how to meet their stringent design
- Small family car A compact car , or small family car (Europe), 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
- Subcompact car A subcompact car is an automobile in a North American vehicle size class, encompassing vehicles smaller than compact cars . According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a passenger car is classified as subcompact if it has between 85 cubic feet (2,407 L) and 99 cu ft (2,803 L) of interior volume. Many contemporary
- Vehicle size class American government defined class size of Federal Regulations, Title 40—Protection of Environment, Section 600.315-82 Classes of comparable automobiles. Passenger car classes are defined based on interior volume index or seating capacity, except the ones classified as special vehicle. A two seater is classified as a car with no more than two
References
Categories: Car classifications
KaDusMama
2009-03-31 06:30:00
I'm sleepppyyy!!! I had a very delicious Salted Fish Fried Rice + Fried Egg for my lunch, and now, I'm dozing off while doing my work!! Hahaha The only way to keep me from sleeping is to blog. . ...
Q. I will be soon purchasing my first car after passing my test at the ripe old age of 30. I have about 4000 to spend and would like something economical, good for insurance and tax etc. I have checked whatcar.com and they recommend the Ford Fiesta as the best used supermini. Any advice ?? if it counts I am male. UK only please
Asked by dave j - Wed Oct 31 10:04:48 2007 - - 15 Answers - 0 Comments
A. Hi, the Renault Clio is perfect. They've been out for ages and are really popular so you'll have no trouble finding one to suit you. The 1.2 petrol will keep insurance costs and fuel costs down, but will still keep up with traffic. Also, there's everything from the Authentique (Casette player) to the Initiale (Full black leather and CD Changer) to the 3.0 V6 - So many to choose from, although I'd say the V6 may be a bit expensive to keep! Post 2001 versions also get clever features such as automatic headlights and wipers. Build quality is also very good, and they're very safe cars. If the Clio isn't your thing then how about a Peugeot 206. Same applies...you've got a little 1.1 for small costs. There's also the desirable "Roland Garros" [cont.]
Answered by Luke M - Sat Nov 3 18:35:57 2007
