Family car
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/77.99.186.101|77.99.186.101]] to last version by Lightbot (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
A '''family car''' is a [[car classification]] used in [[Europe]] to describe normally-sized cars. The name refers to the fact that these cars are suitable for a [[family]] to go [[shopping]] or on [[vacation]]s. Most family cars are [[hatchback]]s or [[Sedan|saloons]], although there are [[multi-purpose vehicle|MPVs]], [[station wagon|estates]] and [[cabriolet]]s with the same structure as with the other [[body style]]. The term covers two types of family cars.
==Small family cars==
{{main|Small family car}}
[[Image:2000.ford.focus.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Ford Focus (International)|Ford Focus]], classified as a small family car.]]
Current small family cars are between 4.20 m and 4.35 m long if they are hatchbacks, or between 4.40 m and 4.55 m if they are saloon or estate models. Since the 1990s there have been [[multi-purpose vehicle]] based on them, called [[compact MPV]]s. Popular small family cars are the [[Ford Focus (International)|Ford Focus]], [[Opel Astra]], [[Peugeot 307]], [[Renault Mégane]] and [[Volkswagen Golf]].
In [[North America]], which uses a different classification system, cars of this size are generally referred to as [[compact car]]s, and the term "family car" is almost never used to describe a vehicle in this class.
==Large family cars==
{{main|Large family car}}
[[Image:Opel Vectra front 20080116.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Opel Vectra]], classified as a large family car.]]
Large family cars were usually around 4.50 m in length by the early 1990s, but are now shifting to 4.70 m or more in length. Examples of large family cars include the [[Ford Mondeo]], [[Opel Vectra]], [[Renault Laguna]], and the [[Volkswagen Passat]].
Equivalently sized cars in North America are usually called [[mid-size car]]s; the term "family car" is fairly often used to refer to a vehicle in this class. Examples include the [[Ford Fusion (North American)|Ford Fusion]], [[Chevrolet Malibu]] and the [[Buick LaCrosse]].
==See also==
*[[Car classification]]
*[[Vehicle size class]]
[[Category:Car classifications]]