Classification of Automobile

Automobile can be classified from the point of view of various consideration as follows: -

1.       USE: -

(i)                 Mopeds 

(ii)               Motor cycles, scooters, 

(iii)             Cars, Jeeps, 

(iv)              Buses and Trucks.

2.       Capacity : -

(i)                 Heavy transport vehicle (H.T.V.), Examples are trucks (i.e., lorries) & buses. 

(ii)               Light transport vehicle (L.T.V.), Like cars, jeeps, etc.

3.       Make and Model: -

(i)                 Bajaj, Royal Enfield, Honda, etc. 

(ii)               Premier Padmini, Standard, Hindustan Ambassadors, Maruti 800 etc. 

(iii)             Tata Indica, Leyland Cheetah, Ford lkon, General Motors Corsa etc.

4.       Fuel Used: -

(i)                 Petrol Vehicles like scooters, motor cycles, cars (petrol model). 

(ii)               Diesel Vehicles like buses, trucks, cars (diesel model).

5.       Body Style: -

(i)                 Closed cars such as saloon, coupe, etc. 

(ii)               Open cars such as sports car, convertible car, etc. 

(iii)             Special styles such as estate car, station wagon, etc.

6.       Wheels: -

(i)                 Two wheelers such as scooters, motor cycles, mopeds. 

(ii)               Three wheelers like autorickshaws, tempos. 

(iii)             Four wheelers such as cars, jeeps. 

(iv)              Six wheelers like trucks, buses.

7.       Drive: -  

(i) Whether the vehicle can be driven sitting towards right or left side.

(a)    Left Hand Drive e.g., American Vehicles for use in U.S.A. 

(b)    Right Hand Drive e.g., Indian Vehicles. 

 

(ii)               Whether the front axle, rear axle or both axles are driving axles.

(a)    Front Wheel Drive e.g., Volkswagen car, Maruti car.

(b)    Rear Wheel Drive e.g., Premier, Ambassador cars. 

(c)    All Wheel Drive e.g., Jeeps.

8.       Transmission: - 

(i) Manual, in which ordinary crash type gear box is used. The examples are most of the Indian cars.    

(ii)  Semi-Automatic having a two pedal transmission using manual operations of the standards gear box, with automatic clutch control. These are obsolete now.  

(iii) Fully- automobile; employs transmission that uses combination of epicyclic gear trains and torque converters e.g., cars with Mercedes “7G-Tronic”. 

(iv) Continuously variable with a transmission which case select any desired drive ratio within its range e.g., Audi with ‘MultiTronic’ Honda with ‘MultiTronic’. 

(v) Automated manual, i.e., the cars with transmission that are basically manual, but operated hydraulically and electronically e.g., Audi with ‘DSG’.

9.       Car Body Styles: -

(i) Closed Cars: - 

(a)    Saloon or Sedan: - Has two or four doors, a single compartment with two rows of seats, one at the front and the other at the rear. There is a separate luggage space at the rear or at the front. 

(b)    Hatchback: - A saloon with a door at the back is called hatchback. 

(c)    Coupe: - In this type of vehicle there is only one row of seats for two persons. Only two doors are provided. An ordinary ‘saloon’ with roof-line at decreased height is also called coupe sometimes. The term G.T. (grand touring) added to a ‘coupe’ means a car of performance which is better than the average. 

(d)    Limousine: - Driving compartment is separated from the rear compartment by a sliding glass division. 

 

(ii)               Open Cars: - 

(a)    Sports: - Has two doors or less, is provided with a collapsible hood, a fold-flat windscreen and removable side-screens. 

(b)    Convertible: - The roof in this is of soft folding type and windows of special wind-up design. With these provisions the car may be either open or closed. 

 

(iii)             Special Styles: - 

(a)    Estate Car: - A saloon car with the passenger roof extended right up to the rear end. Rear door for loading with rear seats usually collapsible. 

(b)    Station Wagon: - Wood-paneled body in earlier days but now only with a resembling look over the steel structure. Rear doors and seat for four or five persons. 

10.   Transport Vehicles: - Examples of such vehicles are vans, tucks or lorries, buses, coaches, etc.  A brief description of each type follows: - 

(i) Van: - These are light transport vehicles.   there Are seats at front and the luggage Space at the rear.  The side doors are usually of sliding type.  The rear door is used for loading or unloading.  

(ii) Truck: - These are heavy goods commercial vehicles with all the axle attached to a single frame.  Generally, when vehicles are fitted on the non steered axles.  Depending upon the load capacity, there are two or more axles.  

(iii) Articulated vehicle: - This is only a heavy goods vehicle consisting of a tractor and a semi-trailer.  Tractor provides the motive power while the trailer carries the good.  The two units are connected Together by means of a fifth-wheel coupling.  This type of vehicle has smaller turning circle than the rigid truck.  moreover, the trailer been detachable, tractor can directly Move off after reaching destination with some other trailer unit without having to wait for unloading or reloading. however, in this there is less traction available.  Moreover, steering is more difficult as the trailers wheels do not follow the same path as a tractor wheel.  

(iv) Bus: - These are used for carrying large number of people over the short distances of an in a dense traffic.  Not much space for luggage is provided, but there is an adequate visibility for the passenger to know where they have to get down.  Usually there are two doors, the one at the rear for mounting and the one at the front for getting down.  Sometimes, the buses have two floors, buses are called double-decker buses. 

 

(v) Coach:  - These are used for transporting passengers over long distance and are therefore provided with luxurious interior with comfortable, adjustable seats and amenities like video.