Currently it seems that the categories sedan, hatchback, coupé and coach are used differently by each person.

A coach is a 2 or 3-door car with an extra side window, e.g.:
http://www.imcdb.org/images/009/551.jpg
http://www.imcdb.org/images/010/256.jpg

So I think that it is not useful to have so many categories.

I suggest to remplace the current:
- sedan ("berline") = 4-door sedan, sometimes 2-door sedan and some limousines too
- hatchback ("berline à hayon") = 3 and 5-door sedan
- coupé = real coupés and some 2-door sedan

by the following:
- sedan/hatchback/coach
- coupé
OR:
- sedan/hatchback = 4 and 5-door sedan, and some 2-door sedan, depending on the cars
- coupé/coach = real coupés, 3-door hatchback, and some 2-door sedan

But since the coaches are usually quite small I think it is better to put them with the coupés, second solution then. Or we will still get some 2/3-door cars being put in coupés.

I wait for your comments

J'ai un mal de chien à comprendre la définition de "Sedan". Peut-on dire que la "Limousine" est une grosse "Sedan ? Est-ce que ça tient à sa longueur ? Sinon quels paramètres ?

Sedan = Berline, 2 portes et 2 glaces de chaque côté
Limousine c'est avec une vitre en plus après la seconde porte.
Pour la discussion sur les limousines j'avais ouvert un autre sondage: http://imcdb.opencommunity.be/forum_topic-6-Limousines.html

La discussion ici est surtout de savoir s'il est utile de différencier le type de carrosserie d'une R16 de celui d'une R18 par exemple (5 et 4 portes, respectivement). Et aussi quoi faire des 3 portes genre Clio, Golf, etc.

Oui, mais pour moi deux portes= coupé.
Je n'ai pas encore voté,ni ici, ni sur l'autre topic. Je le ferai quand j'aurai compris le distingo.

Pour les 2-portes c'est pas simple à classer, mais de toute façon ça ne change rien : la question ici est pour les 3 et 5 portes
Et une des propositions est justement de classer les 3 portes comme les 2 portes, dans les coupés (renommé en coupé/coach par exemple pour être plus précis).

Pourquoi ne pas avoir le nombre de portes et le style de carosserie séparément?
Par example, 2-3-4-5-6 portes.

Et le style de carosserie:
Sedan, hardtop (sans montants centraux ni cadres), semi-hardtop (sans cadres, avec montants centraux), coupe, hatchback, convertible, break (ou station wagon), roadster, phaeton...

Je doute que ce soit utile de faire tellement de séparations. C'est pour ça que je proposais de regrouper des catégories. On en a déjà supprimé quelques unes il y a un certain temps ("Targa" par exemple)

Not heard the term "coach" used in this way before I must admit. In English a coach is a bus-type vehicle used by holiday tour companies! I think the French word is "autocar"

I would suggest you merge hatchback and coach (since coach = 3-door hatchback in English), and have sections for 4-door sedan and 2-door sedan/coupe.

Coach is a term used in French for old car body types, I do not know if it was used in US-English or not.

What you suggest is the current system actually i.e. all hatchback are together.

This discussion could go on forever as there are many, many terms used. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_body_style

It may be better to simply to use the type assigned by the maker.

You think it would be simple ? And what about the new types created by the makers, like the "coupéspace" which is a 2-door "monospace" (french "monospace" = minivan, I guess. Like the Chrysler Voyager etc.)
That's the name used by Renault for their Avantime.

On that list there are too many body types. It is not useful to separate cars in so many categories.

I do not know if we could group sedan and 5-door hatchback. They are usually similar. 3-door may often look more like a coupé than a sedan. And there is still the problem of cars like the VW Beetle: it is not a hatchback, it is not really a coupé, not really a sedan

While on this subject, I wonder why pickups, vans and SUVs are not in the truck category rather than cars.

"Trucks" categories are for heavier trucks. "Lorries" in UK-English.

A40s - http://www.imcdb.org/search.php?resultsStyle=asList&makeMatch=2&make=&modelMatch=- 0&model=a40&modelInclModel=on&modelInclChassis=on

Some appear as "sedan" others as "Supermini".

I think that coupe, hatchback and coach (although I've never heard of this term before) should be added. As they are all so close. And sedan should be all it's own, as it is probably the biggest catagory.

what do you mean by "should be added"? there are already hatchback and coupe categories.
Coach was suggested but rejected, and currently are listed in hatchback & coupés.

For the A40, is it a sedan or a supermini? What is the length of the car? I was putting in supermini the cars that were less than 3.5m

I meant, added into one catagory. Like:
"Coupe, Hatchback, coach" or something.

And sedan or saloon have their own catagory, and not have it shared.

4-door hatchback ("5-door") should not be mixed with coach and coupe anyway.

You were putting the A40 Farina (you see we need this to properly indentify model, even though it is not it's "official" name) as Supermini, but I think it should really be Sedan.

A40 is 3664 mm long < http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=50457&Austin >