What is a saloon car?

A saloon is a car with four passenger doors and an elongated boot – often called a 'sedan' in North America. Saloon cars are often highly regarded for their refinement, and saloon buyers typically like the fact that the boot area is kept separate from the passenger area – unlike in a hatchback where you can reach over the seats into the boot. One drawback of a saloon is that the boot opening is often much smaller than that of a hatchback, which makes it tricky to load bulky items. Popular saloons include the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class.