Commonly misunderstood car terms
Coupe comes from the French word "couper", which means to cut and has nothing to do with "couple", the word that people usually associate with 2-seater cars.
1. SUV or Crossover
This is probably the most intentionally misused term. Carmakers often call their crossovers SUVs, to enhance the crossover's off-road and sporty capabilities in the eyes of customers.
The Porsche Cayenne, a high-riding vehicle built on a monocoque chassis, is therefore a crossover, not an SUV.
An SUV is called a body-on-frame vehicle. This is the type of construction that trucks often use.
While high-chassis vehicles built on a unibody chassis can only be called crossovers, not SUVs. This is the type of structure that sedans often use.
2. Moonroof or sunroof
Sunroof and moonroof both refer to a car's roof, which allows light and air into the cabin from the roof. However, there is a distinction between the two.
A moonroof is a glass roof that slides into the roof of a car. Roofs made of other materials or with a different opening style (that do not slide into the roof) are also called sunroofs.
Moonroof was first used by John Atkinson, Ford's Marketing Director in 1973, when the company first introduced to the world a glass sunroof that when opened slid into the car's hood.
3. Sports car
This is also a rather vague concept and is deliberately misused by car manufacturers to market their products. A simple test: if the car model you own has a rear seat that can fit adults, it cannot be called a sports car.
Therefore, "sports" cars like the BMW M3 or Chevrolet Camaro are not sports cars, if considered by the nature of these cars.
Conversely, a car with a priority on light weight and an emphasis on driving feel would be considered a true sports car.
4. Coupe
Coupe comes from the French word "couper," which means to cut. And it has nothing to do with "couple," which is what people usually think of when talking about coupes—cars that usually have two seats.
Coupes, in fact, traditionally refer to vehicles without a B-pillar directly behind the front seats. Additionally, according to the International Automobile Federation, Coupes are vehicles with a fixed roof and no more than 0.934 cubic meters of front seat space.
Despite its coupe-like styling, the Mercedes CLS is not a true coupe.
5. GT (Grand Touring)
Grand Touring, Grand Tourer or Gran Turismo all refer to a type of sports car with a luxurious and comfortable interior designed for long trips at high speeds. Therefore, cars like the Ford Mustang GT cannot be considered true GTs.
In layman's terms, GTs are sports cars with such comfortable interiors and powerful engines that you could spend a week in one, cruising the country on the highway and rarely see another car pass you.
