As of: March 30, 2024, 7:00 a.m
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Finding a name for a model is anything but easy. In the end, 100 suggestions become one. But different languages also play a role.
Whether numbers, letters or unusual new words – manufacturers always come up with something special when it comes to car names. The goal: stand out. Some brands use combinations of characters for their models, others use made-up words or mythological names.
Two systems: Car models are given names or letters and numbers as designations
According to Fr.de
, there are two systems to find the perfect name for a new model of a car brand
: either the cars are named after letters and numbers or they are given names. Audi and Mercedes are examples of the first category. Audi always combines a letter and a number. On normal models it is an A. Sportier models have an R, RS or S. On SUVs there is a Q at the front. Mercedes also uses letters, followed by the addition of class. Depending on the body shape, additional letters may appear in the name. For example, a GLA is an SUV version of the A-Class.
ID. VW stands for an electric car. © Imago
The letter is often followed by a number, usually with several digits, which used to stand for the displacement, but today provides more information about units, drives or performance, said Anja Wassertheurer, spokeswoman for Porsche AG, to the German Press Agency
.
However, Audi will delete this addition from the model names in the future. She also explains why most manufacturers don't have D classes: "In the automotive industry, the D traditionally stands for diesel, so the letter is not suitable as a series designation."
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Another option is to give the cars their own names. This method is used by VW, Toyota and Opel, for example. The models here have names like “Golf”, “Scirocco”, “Eos” or “Corolla”, “Yaris” or “Astra”. These names are often fantasy names or come from mythology, for example. Volkswagen usually refers to natural phenomena such as wind or ocean currents.
Naming process: This is how car models get their later sales names
Finding the right name for a car model is a lengthy process that requires the hiring of trained specialists. This also includes Manfred Gotta, a product name developer who has worked for many manufacturers and, according to
Autozeitung.de,
has brought model names such as “Twingo”, “Astra” and “Vectra” onto the market.
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“I have to capture the car visually and haptically, feel the car so that I can understand it,” the name designer explains his process. He takes a close look at the car and then works with a team to think of up to 100 possible names. These are then first checked in several countries for pronunciation and intonation so that language misunderstandings can be ruled out - such as with Audi's electric cars. The abbreviation e-tron means something like “pile of excrement” (étron) in French. And other manufacturers have also messed up with some names.
Names are gradually sorted out and finally, through market research, consumers decide which name will best suit the vehicle. This entire process can take up to three months.
Numbers and letters: What the combinations on the back of the car mean
If a car manufacturer decides to name its models with letters and numbers, these are usually not chosen at random. Type series are often each provided with a letter and the numbers behind the letter represent certain performance features that the vehicle has. BMW, for example, has had three-digit model numbers since 1972. The first digit provides information about the series and size of the car, the others about the engine power. If an “i” is added after it, it is a gasoline engine with fuel injection.
In addition, almost all car manufacturers now have electric cars in their range, which are also identified by certain letters. VW, for example, uses the abbreviation “ID.”, which, according to
Volkswagen-newsroom.com,
stands for “intelligent design, identity and visionary technologies”. Mercedes uses the abbreviation “EQ” to label electric cars.