Vehicle classifications of four government agencies are in use in the United States: the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA as part of their NCAP program),[1] Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the U.S. Census Bureau.
[2] The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also has its own vehicle classification system that is used by most vehicle insurance companies in the U.S.[3] EPA size classes are defined in Federal Regulation, Title 40—Protection of Environment, Section 600.315-08 "Classes of comparable automobiles".
Pickup trucks and SUVs are separated by car line on the basis of gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).
[7] Source: Verification, Refinement, and Applicability of Long-Term Pavement Performance Vehicle Classification Rules, FHWA[7] The Census Bureau surveys the United States truck population.
[2] In the United States the government agencies consider all pickups, vans, minivans, and sport utility vehicles to be trucks for regulatory purposes, no matter what construction method is used, either unibody or body on frame.
These classes are not defined in Canadian regulations, but by the Fuel Consumption Guide published by Natural Resources Canada.
For example, a car such as the Volkswagen Golf might be described as being in the Ford Focus size class, or vice versa.
The names of the segments were mentioned, but not defined, in 1999 in an EU document titled Case No COMP/M.1406 Hyundai / Kia Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 Merger Procedure.
[10] EuroNCAP applies a standard safety test to all new cars, the results are listed in separate categories to allow prospective vehicle purchasers to compare models of a similar size and shape: Vehicle size categories for passenger vehicles for the China NCAP program as defined by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) may appear similar to the European system, but are closer to the Japanese in application.
Smaller cars are more popular in Japan due to the confined driving conditions and speed limits.