Compact car is a vehicle size class —predominantly used in North America—that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars . "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, before the downsizing of the United States car industry in the 1970s and 1980s, larger vehicles with wheelbases up to 110 in (2.79 m) were considered "compact cars" in the United States.
31-517: The Citroën Xsara ( / ˈ z ɑːr ə / ) is a compact C-segment family car, produced by the French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroën , under their Citroën marque, from 1997 to 2006. The Xsara was a development of the Citroën ZX and Peugeot 306 , which shared a platform and running gear. It came in three and five door hatchback ( notchback ) and five door estate body styles ; the estate
62-632: A "compact car" target that was larger than what has become known as the "light car" or the kei car . One of the first compact cars that met those requirements was the Toyota Publica with an air-cooled two-cylinder opposed engine, the Datsun 110 series , and the Mitsubishi 500 . The Publica and the Mitsubishi 500 were essentially "kei cars" with engines larger than regulations permitted at
93-614: A choice of 1.6 and 2.0-litre (replaced by the 1.6-litre 2004 onwards) diesels, all shared with the smaller Citroën Xsara apart from the 1.6 diesel. On 22 March 2007, Auto Trader reviewed the Xsara Picasso, calling it the most popular MPV in the United Kingdom, "thanks to a combination of practicality and affordability". From 1999 to 2010, the Xsara Picasso has been assembled at PSA plant in Vigo , Spain. Since 2001,
124-525: A license plate number beginning with "5". In the past, the small size category has received tax benefits stipulated by the Japanese government regulations , such as those in the 1951 Road Vehicle Act . In 1955, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry set forth a goal to all Japanese makers at that time to create what was called a "national car". The concept stipulated that
155-782: A new market segment and the U.S. automobile industry soon adopted the "compact" term. Several competitors to the Nash Rambler arose from the ranks of America's other independent automakers, although none enjoyed the long-term success of the Rambler. Other early compact cars included the Kaiser-Frazer Henry J (also re-badged as the Allstate ), the Willys Aero and the Hudson Jet . In 1954, 64,500 cars sold in
186-520: Is offered with following engine choices: The model of 2002 had slight interior modifications (e.g. a different way of controlling the sound system from the steering wheel). In February 2003, there were also some exterior modifications (e.g. new front bumper, new instrument panel design with Eurostile typeface (to replace the Futura typeface) with dial design from the Peugeot 307 ). The Xsara hatchback
217-451: The Peugeot 305 . However, PSA's chassis engineers employed some unusual features, including passive rear wheel steering, though less than on the ZX, (by means of specially designed compliance bushes in the rear suspension), and inhouse developed and constructed shock absorbers. At high mileages, this is prone to wear of the axle mounting bushes which is easily fixed. It is also prone to wear in
248-686: The Recession of 1958 , the only exception to the sales decline was American Motors with its compact, economy-oriented Ramblers that saw high demand among cautious consumers. By 1959, sales of small imported cars also increased to 14% of the U.S. passenger car market, as consumers turned to compact cars. By this time, smaller cars appealed to people with a college education and a higher income whose families were buying more than one car. Customers expected compact cars to provide improved fuel economy compared to full-sized cars while maintaining headroom, legroom, and plenty of trunk space. Between 1958 and 1960,
279-472: The "small Ford" and produced the Ford Vedette . The first U.S.-produced postwar compact car was the 1950 Nash Rambler . It was built on a 100-inch (2,540 mm) wheelbase, which was nonetheless still a large car by contemporary European standards. The term "compact" was coined by a Nash executive as a euphemism for small cars with a wheelbase of 110 inches (2,794 mm) or less. It established
310-809: The 1980s that American cars were being downsized to truly international dimensions. In the 1985 model year, compact cars classified by the EPA included Ford's Escort and Tempo as well as the Chevrolet Cavalier. For the 2019 model year, the best sellers were the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. In Japan, vehicles that are larger than kei cars , but with dimensions smaller than 4,700 mm (185.0 in) long, 1,700 mm (66.9 in) wide, 2,000 mm (78.7 in) high and with engines at or under 2,000 cc (120 cu in) are classified as "small size" cars. Small-size cars are identified by
341-668: The Honda City, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6, and the Changan Alsvin. Citro%C3%ABn Xsara Picasso The Citroën Xsara Picasso is a five-seater, five-door compact MPV produced by Citroën from 1999 to 2012. It was based on the Xsara hatchback platform. At the time of its release, two trim levels were available, LX and SX. Later designations were 'Desire', 'VTX', and the range topping 'Exclusive' trim level, some with an electric glass sunroof . On all models,
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#1732787495645372-407: The U.S. were imports or small American cars, out of a total market of five million cars. Market research indicated that five percent of those surveyed said they would consider a small car, suggesting a potential market size of 275,000 cars. By 1955, the Nash Rambler that began as a convertible model became a success and was now available in station wagon , hardtop , and sedan body styles. During
403-635: The Xsara Picasso was produced in Porto Real , Brazil for the market in Latin America , where it was the top selling vehicle in its class for a while. In December 2002, Citroën do Brasil launched a limited edition called Xsara Picasso Etoile, celebrating the victory of Lula from the PT at the 2002 Brazilian presidential election . The model was restyled again in 2007 in China and South America, with
434-836: The beginning of a downsizing of all vehicles so that cars such as the AMC Concord and the Ford Fairmont that replaced the compacts were re-classified as mid-size, while cars inheriting the size of the Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega (such as the Ford Escort and Chevrolet Cavalier ) became classified as compact cars. Even after the reclassification, mid-size American cars were still far larger than mid-size cars from other countries and were more similar in size to cars classified as "large cars" in Europe. It would not be until
465-582: The combined passenger and cargo volume, compact cars are defined as having an interior volume index of 100–109 cu ft (2.8–3.1 m ). The beginnings of U.S. production of compact cars were the late 1940s prototypes of economy cars, including the Chevrolet Cadet and the Ford Light Car. Neither car reached production in the U.S., however Ford SAF in France bought the plans of
496-413: The front seat backs have fold down tables, and the rear seats can be removed to create extensive internal space for transportation of bulky items similar to a small van . The model received a facelift in early 2004 with updated bumpers, engines and body-coloured bumpers were made standard on all trim levels. The Xsara Picasso was available with a 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 litre (automatic only) petrol engines, or
527-531: The grille adopting wide chrome bars. The Picasso name was licensed from the family of Pablo Picasso , which created significant international publicity at the time of the car's launch, as not all the Picasso family were happy with the association of the artist's name with a car, when his granddaughter Marina attempted to sue her uncle Claude in April 1999. Pablo Picasso was originally associated with Citroën in
558-533: The major U.S. car manufacturers made a push toward compact cars, resulting in the introduction of the Studebaker Lark , Chevrolet Corvair , Ford Falcon , and Plymouth Valiant . These models also gave rise to compact vans built on the compact car platforms, such as the Studebaker Zip Van, Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier , Ford Econoline , and Dodge A100 . During the 1960s, compacts were
589-699: The passenger and cargo compartments were introduced in the late 1970s. In the early 1970s, the domestic automakers introduced even smaller subcompact cars that included the AMC Gremlin , Chevrolet Vega , and Ford Pinto . In 1973, the Energy Crisis started, which made small fuel-efficient cars more desirable, and the North American driver began exchanging their large cars for the smaller, imported compacts that cost less to fill up and were inexpensive to maintain. The 1977 model year marked
620-640: The popular Volkswagen Beetle . Compact cars were also the basis for a new small car segment that became known as the pony car , named after the Ford Mustang , which was built on the Falcon chassis. At that time, there was a distinct difference in size between compact and full-size models. Early definitions of vehicle size class were based on wheelbase, with models under 111 inches as compact, 111 to 118 inches intermediate, and over 118 inches as full size, at least until EPA classes based on interior volume of
651-444: The rear axle trailing arm bearings, which then wear the trailing arm axle tubes, requiring an expensive rebuild or a replacement axle assembly. The diesel and larger capacity petrol engines are canted as far back as possible in the engine bay, in an effort to put as much weight as possible behind the front axle line, also reducing the centre of gravity, while improving weight distribution and minimising understeer . The original Xsara
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#1732787495645682-553: The smallest class of North American cars, but they had evolved into only slightly smaller versions of the 6-cylinder or V8-powered six-passenger sedan. They were much larger than compacts (and sometimes even mid-sizers) by European manufacturers, which were typically five-passenger four-cylinder engine cars. Nevertheless, advertising and road tests for the Ford Maverick and the Rambler American made comparisons with
713-842: The time, while the Datsun was an all-new vehicle. These vehicles were followed by the Hino Contessa in 1961, the Isuzu Bellett , Daihatsu Compagno and Mazda Familia in 1963, the Mitsubishi Colt in 1965, and the Nissan Sunny , Subaru 1000 , and Toyota Corolla in 1966. Honda introduced its first four-door sedan in 1969, called the Honda 1300 . In North America, these cars were classified as subcompact cars . By 1970, Nissan released its first front-wheel-drive car which
744-399: The vehicle be able to maintain a maximum speed over 100 km/h (62 mph), weigh below 400 kg (882 lbs), fuel consumption at 30 km/L (85 mpg ‑imp ; 71 mpg ‑US ) or more, at an average speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) on a level road, and not require maintenance or significant service for at least 100,000 km (62,000 mi). This established
775-586: Was also available. The Xsara was 1998 Semperit Irish Car of the Year in Ireland. The familiar range of PSA powertrains drove the front wheels of a seemingly conventionally designed chassis. At the front was a standard MacPherson strut layout with anti-roll bar , while the rear used the PSA Peugeot-Citroën fully independent trailing arm/torsion bar set up, which was first introduced on the estate of
806-525: Was based on the C4, 'Picasso' becoming the name for MPV derivatives of any Citroën model. Compact car In Japan, small size passenger vehicle is a registration category that sits between kei cars and regular cars, based on overall size and engine displacement limits. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles. Based on
837-678: Was discontinued in Europe, and replaced by the C4 in November 2004. Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile , a joint venture between Dongfeng and the PSA Group , continued to manufacture the Xsara hatchback one more year. In Europe, the Xsara Estate continued to be produced until 2006 and did not get a replacement. The Xsara Picasso small MPV was continued, concurrently with its successor that
868-495: Was launched in September 1997, and was available with different engine choices: In September 2000 for the 2001 model year, the Xsara was substantially facelifted with a new bonnet, wings, bumper, grille and headlamps with integrated fog lights. The rear end of the car saw slight changes to the light cluster and the introduction of a new hatch with a prominent logo. The car was now heavier (around 80 kg) and longer (21 mm). The body
899-528: Was made stiffer with A pillars and side-door beams reinforced. The tracks were also widened and 15-inch wheels were now sold as standard. Trims and materials were improved and the new steering wheel taken over from Citroen C5 enabled the installation of a bigger airbag. The instrument displays were now clearer with side and curtain airbags made available on higher trims. The facelift also saw the introduction of multiplex wiring. New 1.6i and 2.0i 16 valve engines were being introduced and 1.8L were removed. Now Xsara
930-529: Was marketed as the Break and the three door as the Coupé . The styling shared cues with the larger Bertone designed Xantia , but was regarded as bland by the motoring press. The straight four engine range includes 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 litre petrol engines as well as 1.4, 1.6, 1.9 and 2.0 litre naturally aspirated and turbocharged diesels . In some countries, such as Portugal, the 1.5 litre TUD5 diesel engine
961-615: Was originally developed by Prince Motor Company which had merged with Nissan in 1966. This was introduced in 1970 as the Nissan Cherry . In 1972, the Honda Civic appeared with the CVCC engine that was able to meet California emission standards without the use of a catalytic converter . In Pakistan, the concept of compact cars is significant. The most common cars tend to be Kei cars . Popular compact cars in recent times are