Executive Cars
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Executive car is a British term for a large car, and is considered equivalent to the European
E-segment The E-segment is the 5th category of the European segments for passenger cars, synonymous with the term executive car. E-Segment is a niche in Europe (2-3% penetration in 2010s). In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, E-segment sales accounted for 2.7% ...
and American
full-size Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars. It is the largest size class for cars. In the United Kingdom, this class is referred to as ...
classifications. Executive cars are larger than
compact executive car A compact executive car, also known as a compact luxury car, is a premium car larger than a #Subcompact executive cars, premium compact and smaller than an executive car. Compact executive car is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the Euro ...
s (and the non-luxury equivalent
mid-size car Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in ...
s), but smaller than luxury saloons / full-size luxury sedans. The term has also been adopted by
Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven, Belgium. Formed in 1996, the first results were released in February ...
, a European organization founded to test car safety.


Background

The term was coined in the 1960s to describe cars targeted at successful professionals and middle-to-senior managers. It was used by businesses as an incentive for employees in senior roles and to exploit Britain and Europe's tax schemes as a company-owned vehicle. Early executive cars typically offered engines with displacements of , compared with for an equivalent sized—but less luxurious—"large family car". Prior to the 1990s, executive cars were typically
sedans A sedan (American English) or saloon (British English) is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for an engine, passengers, and cargo. The first recorded use of ''sedan'' in reference to an automobile body oc ...
; however, in recent years, they have also been produced in other body styles, such as estates (
station wagon A station wagon (American English, US, also wagon) or estate car (British English, UK, also estate) is an automotive Car body style, body-style variant of a Sedan (automobile), sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo ...
s),
convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a Car, passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary across eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air drivin ...
s,
coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...
s, and five-door hatch versions. They typically need to be "comfortable, refined and display some form of driving pleasure" on occasion.


Body styles

In general, executive cars are 4-door saloons, though may include
estate Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representativ ...
, 5-door
hatchback A hatchback is a car body style, car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the main interior of the car as a cargo area rather than just to a separated trunk. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second-row sea ...
or 2-door
coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...
variants.
Rover Rover may refer to: People Name * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Stage name * Rover (musician), French singer-songw ...
,
Saab Saab or SAAB may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Saab AB, a Swedish aircraft, aerospace and defence company, still known as SAAB, and together with subsidiaries as Saab Group ** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab ...
,
Renault Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...
and
Citroën Citroën ()The double-dot diacritic over the 'e' is a diaeresis () indicating the two vowels are sounded separately, and not as a diphthong. is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded on 4 June 19 ...
formerly have been known to prefer hatchbacks, with
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
also offering alternatives through the 1990s.
Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...
,
BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...
and later
Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG (Aufrecht, Melcher, Großaspach), is the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz AG. AMG independently hires engineers and contracts with manufacturers to customize Mercedes-Benz AMG v ...
have recently offered hatchbacks as separate models for their executive cars since 2010s.


Production by country


China

One of the first Chinese-built executive cars was the 2006
Roewe 750 The Roewe 750 is an executive saloon that was produced by Roewe in China between 2006 and 2016, based on the Rover 75. Overview Launched in October 2006, and codenamed ''SAC528'' during development, the wheelbase of the Roewe 750 is stretched b ...
, based on the
Rover 75 The Rover 75 is a car which was manufactured from 1998 to 2005 and sold under the British Rover marque. It is a large family car and came in four-door saloon and five-door estate body styles. Initially built only with front-wheel drive, a ...
. In 2012, the
Roewe 950 The Roewe 950 is a large four door saloon that is produced by Roewe in China, and is based on the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. It was first shown to the public at the 2012 Beijing International Motor Show, and commenced production in April 2012. Overvie ...
was introduced, which is a re-bodied version of the 2010
Buick LaCrosse The Buick LaCrosse is a four-door, front-wheel-drive sedan manufactured by Buick since model year 2005, and marketed variously across four generations for the North American and Chinese markets. The first-generation LaCrosse replaced the Centu ...
. In 2020,
BYD Han The BYD Han () is a series of full-size sedan (E-segment) manufactured by the Chinese manufacturer BYD Auto since 2020. It is a flagship model of BYD's Dynasty Series passenger vehicles, and was named after the Han Dynasty, the first golden age ...
officially goes on sale in China. Several overseas brands have produced
long wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...
versions of cars specifically for the Chinese market, due to the preference Chinese owners have for being driven by a chauffeur. Examples include the "XF L" version of the 2016
Jaguar XF (X260) The Jaguar XF (X260) is an executive/ mid-size luxury sports saloon manufactured and marketed under the Jaguar marque of Jaguar Land Rover from 2015 to 2024, in saloon and estate body styles. Following the first generation steel-bodied X250 ...
, the "Li" version of the 2017
BMW 5 Series (G30) The seventh generation of the BMW 5 Series consists of the BMW G30 (sedan version) and BMW G31 (wagon version, marketed as 'Touring') executive cars. The G30/G31 has been produced since 2016 by the Germany, German automaker BMW and is often col ...
and other models from Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo.


France

In France, executive cars are known as "'", a class of comfortable long-distance cars that first emerged on the French market in the 1930s. Peugeot began producing large cars in the early 1900s. Following the
Peugeot 601 The Peugeot 601 was a range-topping car produced between 1934 and 1935 by Peugeot. It had its formal launch on 5 May 1934 and marked a return by the manufacturer to six-cylinder engines. Together with the Peugeot 401, the 601 was the first car t ...
being discontinued in 1935, Peugeot ceased production of large cars until the
Peugeot 604 The Peugeot 604 is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1975 to 1985. 153,252 cars were sold during its 10-year production life. It was made in France and also assembled by Kia in South Korea, between 1979 and 1981. ...
was introduced in 1975.''Autocar'', November 1977, p. 17 The 604 was replaced by the
Peugeot 605 The Peugeot 605 is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot between 1989 and 1999, with a facelift in 1995. History The 605 was a saloon built on the same platform as the Citroën XM and was the successor to the criticall ...
in 1989, which in turn was replaced by the
Peugeot 607 The Peugeot 607 is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from September 1999 to June 2010. The 607, along with the smaller 407, were superseded by the 508 in March 2011. History The 607 was launched in October 1999, to ...
in 1999. Following the end of the 607's production run in 2010, Peugeot no longer produces any executive cars. Citroën's first large car was the 1934
Citroën Traction Avant The Citroën Traction Avant () is the world's first mass-produced, semi-monocoque bodied, front-wheel drive car. A range of mostly four-door saloon (automobile), saloons and executive cars, as well as longer wheelbased ''"Commerciale"'', and thre ...
. In 1955, the Traction Avant was replaced by the iconic
Citroën DS The Citroën DS () is a Front-mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout, front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations ...
, which was replaced in 1974 by the
Citroën CX The Citroën CX is a large, front-engined, front-wheel-drive executive car/luxury car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1974 to 1991. Production models were either a standard wheelbase or a stretched, more luxurious, four-door fastback ...
and then the 1989
Citroën XM The Citroën XM is an executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1989 to 2000. Voted 1990 European Car of the Year for its contributions in terms of design and technological innovation, it was the first production automobile in the w ...
. The XM was discontinued in 2000 and for five years Citroën did not produce an executive car. The 2005
Citroën C6 The Citroën C6 is an executive car ( E) produced by the French car maker Citroën from 2005 to 2012. Production started up again in China in 2016, before ending in 2023. The Citroën C6 was inspired by the Citroën C6 Lignage concept car with ...
was produced until 2012, and Citroën has not produced any executive cars since. Renault entered the executive car segment in 1975 with the
Renault 20/30 The Renault 20 ''(R20)'' and Renault 30 ''(R30)'' are two executive cars produced by the France, French automaker Renault between 1975 and 1984. The most upmarket and expensive Renaults of their time, the two cars were almost identical with regard ...
models. They were replaced, in 1983, by the
Renault 25 The Renault 25 is an executive car produced by the France, French automotive industry, automaker Renault from 1983 to 1992. The 25 was Renault's Flagship#Automotive, flagship, the most expensive, prestigious, and largest vehicle in the compan ...
which featured a fastback rear end. In 1992, the 25 was replaced by the
Renault Safrane The Renault Safrane is an executive car (E-segment in Europe) designed and built by the France, French manufacturer Renault from 1992 until 2000. Throughout its production it remained the most expensive and most luxurious Renault available, altho ...
. The Safrane was replaced by the Renault Vel Satis hatchback in 2002, which in turn was replaced by the
Latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
in 2010 and later the
Talisman A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...
.


Germany

The equivalent class for cars in Germany is "'" (lit. upper-middle class) as defined by the German federal authorities. Luxury cars larger than this are referred to as Oberklasse ("upper class"). Mercedes-Benz has produced large luxury cars since the early 1900s. Following World War II, Mercedes Benz's first all-new models were the
Mercedes-Benz W120 The Mercedes-Benz W120 and Mercedes-Benz W121 are technically similar inline-four cylinder sedans of slightly different engine displacements made as two model series by Mercedes-Benz, the 180 and 190: * the W120 was introduced as the 180 in 1953, ...
executive cars. This lineage continues through to the present and has been marketed as the
Mercedes-Benz E-Class The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive cars manufactured by German automaker Mercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. Produced since September 1953, the E-Class falls as a midrange in the Mercedes line-up, and has been ...
since 1993. The
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class The Mercedes-Benz CLS (initially called the CLS-Class) is a series of executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz from December 2003 to August 2023. The original model was a four-door Sedan (car), sedan based on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mercedes ...
four-door fastback was added to the company's model range in 2004, with a
shooting brake Shooting-brake (alternatively spelled shooting break) is a car body style which originated in the 1890s from horse-drawn carriage origins. The first automotive shooting brakes were manufactured in the early 1900s in the United Kingdom. The vehi ...
body style also produced from 2012 to 2017. BMW's first large luxury car was the 1936–1941
BMW 326 The BMW 326 is a medium-sized sedan produced by BMW between 1936 and 1941, and again briefly, under Soviet control, after 1945. The 326 was BMW's first four-door sedan.Odin, L.C. ''World in Motion 1939 - The whole of the year's automobile product ...
. After a hiatus of 21 years, BMW's next executive car models were the 1962 New Class Sedans. In 1972, the New Class was replaced by the
BMW 5 Series The BMW 5 Series is an executive car manufactured and marketed by BMW since 1972. It is the successor to the BMW New Class sedans and is currently in its eighth generation. The car is sold as either a sedan or, since 1991, a station wagon (marke ...
, which remains in production today. Over the seven generations of the 5 Series, it has been produced in sedan, wagon, and four-door hatchback body styles. The first large luxury car produced by Audi was the
Audi 100 The Audi 100 and Audi 200 (and sometimes called Audi 5000 in North America) are primarily mid-size/executive cars manufactured and marketed by the Audi division of the Volkswagen Group. The car was made from 1968 to 1997 across four generations (C ...
, which was released in 1968. The Audi 100 was replaced by the
Audi A6 The Audi A6 is an executive car manufactured by the German company Audi since 1994. Now in its fifth generation, the successor to the Audi 100 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany, and is available in saloon and estate configurations, the l ...
in 1994, which remains in production today. In 2010, the
Audi A7 The Audi A7 is an executive five-door liftback produced by Audi since 2010. The coupé variant of the Audi A6 saloon/estate, the Audi A7 features a sloping roofline with a steeply raked rear window and integrated boot lid (forming the Sportback ...
four-door fastback model range was added. The
Ford Granada Ford Granada was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for two unrelated vehicles sold in different markets: * Ford Granada (Europe), built and marketed in Europe from 1972 to 1994 * Ford Granada (North America) The North American version of the ...
is an executive car produced by Ford Europe from 1972 to 1994.


Italy

Fiat's first large luxury car was the Fiat 24-32 HP, which was introduced in 1903. Other large luxury Fiats produced before World War II include the Fiat 510,
Fiat 520 The Fiat 520 is the name of two different Fiat models produced during the 1920s. 520 "Superfiat" (1921–1923) Fiat's first entrant in the luxury car market, the 520 "Superfiat" was equipped with a V12 engine of 6,805 cc that produced an estimat ...
, Fiat 527, and
Fiat 2800 The Fiat 2800 is model of car produced by Italian car manufacturer Fiat between 1938 and 1944. The representation sedan Fiat 2800 of 1938 the first Fiat with the new pointed front portion, the "musone" nose. The limousine continued in production ...
. In 1959, the Fiat 1800 and 2100 executive sedans and station wagons were introduced. These models were replaced by the
Fiat 2300 The Fiat 2300 is a Straight-six engine, six-cylinder executive car which was produced by Italy, Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat between 1961 and 1968. The 2300 was made as Sedan (car), saloon (styled by Dante Giacosa), Station wagon, estate ca ...
in 1961. Fiat's last executive car was the
Fiat 130 The Fiat 130 is a large six cylinder executive car produced by Italian car manufacturer Fiat from 1969 to 1977. It was available as a 4-door saloon and as a 2-door coupé. History The saloon was launched at the 39th Geneva Motor Show in March 1 ...
, which was produced from 1969 until 1977. Lancia produced several large luxury cars prior to World War II, including the
Lancia Lambda The Lancia Lambda is an innovative automobile produced from 1922 through 1931. It was the first car to feature a load-bearing unitary body, (but without a stressed roof) and it also pioneered the use of an independent suspension (the front slidin ...
, Lancia Artena, and
Lancia Aprilia The Lancia Aprilia (1937–1949) is a family car manufactured by Lancia, one of the first designed using a wind tunnel in collaboration with Battista Farina and Politecnico di Torino, achieving a record low drag coefficient of 0.47. The ''berlinet ...
. The
Lancia Flavia The Lancia Flavia (Tipo 815/819/820) is an executive car produced by Italian automaker Lancia from 1961 to 1971. The Flavia was launched with a 1,488 cc engine at the Turin Motor Show#1960, 1960 Turin Motor Show and introduced in major Eur ...
was an executive car that began production in 1961 and was replaced by the
Lancia 2000 The Lancia 2000 (Tipo 820) is a series of automobiles produced by Italian automaker Lancia between 1971 and 1975. It was the last vehicle independently designed by Lancia engineers before the marque's acquisition by Fiat in 1969. The 2000 was a d ...
in 1971. The 2000 was replaced by the
Lancia Gamma The Lancia Gamma (Tipo 830), stylised Lancia γ, is an executive car (E-segment in Europe) manufactured and marketed by the Lancia subdivision of Fiat. Following its debut at the 1976 Geneva Motor Show as Lancia's new flagship, the Gamma was ma ...
, which was released in 1976. In 1984, the Gamma was replaced by the
Lancia Thema The Lancia Thema (Type 834) is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and one of four cars to share the Type Four platform alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000. The Thema was first sh ...
, then the
Lancia Kappa The Lancia Kappa or Lancia k (Type 838) is an executive car manufactured and marketed by Italian automaker Lancia from August 1994 to July 2000 in saloon car, saloon, station wagon, estate, and coupé body styles — sharing its automobile pla ...
in 1994. The
Lancia Thesis The Lancia Thesis (Type 841) is a full-size car produced by Italian automaker Lancia between 2001 and 2009. It was available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines ranging between 2.0 and 3.2 litres in both straight-5 or V6 configurati ...
, produced from 2001 to 2009 is the last executive car produced by Lancia. From 2011 to 2015, the
Chrysler 300 The Chrysler 300 is a full-size car manufactured and marketed by Stellantis North America and its predecessor companies. It was available as a four-door sedan and station wagon in its first generation (model years 2005–2010), and solely as ...
was marketed in Europe as the Lancia Thema. Maserati's first executive is the
Maserati Ghibli Maserati Ghibli is the name of three different cars produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Maserati: the AM115, a V8 grand tourer from 1967 to 1973; the AM336, a V6 twin-turbocharged coupé from 1992 to 1998; and the M157, an executive s ...
, which has been in production since 2013.


Japan

Toyota has been producing large luxury cars since the 1955
Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...
was released. The Crown remains in production today and is currently in its fifteenth generation. In 1991, the Crown-derived
Aristo Aristo (from ) may refer to: People Given name * Aristo of Ceos (3rd century BC), Peripatetic philosopher * Aristo of Chios (3rd century BC), Stoic philosopher and colleague of Zeno of Citium * Aristo of Alexandria (1st century BC), Peripatet ...
began production, and from 1993 until 2020 were marketed under Toyota's luxury sub-brand as the
Lexus GS The is an executive car ( E-segment in Europe) manufactured and marketed by Lexus across four generations — launched in 1991 as the Toyota Aristo in Japan and as the Lexus GS for markets outside the Japanese market beginning in February ...
. Nissan's longest-running executive car began production in 1959 as the Prince Gloria, which was later renamed the Nissan Gloria, following the merger of Nissan and Prince. The Gloria was produced for 12 generations until 2004. Another Nissan executive car was the 1960
Cedric Cedric () is a given name invented by Walter Scott in the 1819 novel ''Ivanhoe''. Etymology The invented name is based on ''Cerdic'', the name of a 6th-century Anglo-Saxon king (itself from Brittonic '' Coroticus''). Popularity The name was ...
, which was produced until 2004 (although a taxi/fleet version remained in production until 2015). The Cedric was replaced by the 2004 Fuga, also sold as the
Infiniti M The Infiniti M is a line of mid-size luxury (executive) cars from the Infiniti luxury division of Nissan. From 2013 (model year 2014) on it has been marketed as the Infiniti Q70, reflecting the company's later naming formula. The first iteratio ...
from 2003 until 2012, and the Q70 since 2012. Mitsubishi began producing executive cars in 1964 with the Debonair. The Debonair was replaced in 1999 by the Proudia, which was discontinued in 2001 and then returned from 2012 until 2016 as a rebadged Fuga. Mazda's first executive car was the 1969
Luce Luce may refer to: People * Luce (name), as a given name and a surname * Luce (singer) Places * Luče, a town in Slovenia * Luce, Minnesota, an unincorporated community * Luce Bay, a large Bay in Wigtownshire in southern Scotland * Luce ...
. In 1991, the Luce was replaced by the Sentia, which was produced until 1999. The Millenia, also sold as the Xedos 9 and the Eunos 800, was produced from 1993 until 2002. Honda introduced their first executive car, the
Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
(sold as the Acura Legend in the United States) in 1985. The Legend was produced until 2012, and then from 2014 until 2021.


South Korea

It is believed that the standard of Korean Executive Cars came from the 3rd generation
Hyundai Grandeur The Hyundai Grandeur () is a Full-size car, full-size Sedan (automobile), sedan manufactured and marketed by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai since 1986, over seven generations. From 1986 to 1996, the Grandeur was the ...
model launched in 1998. Previous models,
Kia Potentia The is an executive car that was produced by Mazda in Japan from 1966 until 1991. It was widely exported as the Mazda 929 from 1973 to 1991 as Mazda's largest sedan. Later generations were installed with luxury items and interiors as the Luce b ...
and Hyundai Grandeur, belonged to the large car position and were shopper-driven, but were relegated to owner-driven from the XG model. Afterward, the launch of
Kia Opirus The Kia Opirus is an executive car/full-size Sedan (automobile), sedan, manufactured by Kia Motors and marketed over a single generation for model years 2003–2012 globally and 2004-2009 in North America. Having debuted internationally at the 2003 ...
and
Daewoo Magnus The Daewoo Magnus is a mid-sized sedan developed and manufactured by Daewoo for model years 2000–2006 under a single generation, and marketed globally by GM Daewoo and other General Motors divisions, as well as GMDAT stake holder Suzuki. Deve ...
formed the semi-large car market. In the 2000s,
Daewoo Motors Daewoo Motors ( ) was a South Korean Automotive industry, automotive company established in 1937 as "National Motors". The company changed its name several times until 1982 when it became "Daewoo Motors" following its acquisition by the Daewoo, ...
(now GM KOREA) sold the Holden Commodore under the name Daewoo Statesman from the Australian Holden company and sold the Holden Caprice as the follow-up model as the Daewoo Veritas. Afterwards, the Chevrolet Impala was launched, but was discontinued. Renault Korea sold the SM7 based on the Nissan Teana from 2004 to 2020. In the Korean market, semi-large cars boast significant sales volume as a symbol of the middle class, and the Hyundai Grandeur ranks high in sales in the Korean automobile market. Currently, the semi-large business sedan models sold in the Korean market include
Hyundai Grandeur The Hyundai Grandeur () is a Full-size car, full-size Sedan (automobile), sedan manufactured and marketed by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai since 1986, over seven generations. From 1986 to 1996, the Grandeur was the ...
and
Kia K8 The Kia K8 is an executive car manufactured by Kia. Based on the Hyundai Grandeur, it is internally designated, ‘GL3’. Replacing the K7/Cadenza, it was released in April 2021 in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of K ...
, and the luxury brand is the
Genesis G80 The Genesis G80 () is an executive sedan manufactured by South Korean luxury marque Genesis, which is owned by Hyundai Motor Company. The G80 model was previously introduced as the second-generation Hyundai Genesis model ( DH) and then rebrand ...
.


Spain

SEAT's first executive car was the 1963–1973
SEAT 1500 The SEAT 1500 was a Spanish-built 6-seater model of saloon and estate cars, based on the Italian Fiat 2300 and using a 1481 cc engine from the Fiat 1500. The 1500 was the successor to the SEAT 1400 C; it was manufactured from 1963 to 1973, wi ...
, then in 1973, it launched the 132 which was the same FIAT 131 of the era since all cars from the brand were produced under license from FIAT. It was produced until 1982 when it was replaced by the Málaga in 1984, which was the first to be produced in-house entirely, to be replaced afterward with the Toledo, in 1991. Many years later, in 2009, SEAT launched the Exeo, which is basically a rebadged Audi A4 on the B7 platform, with some minor modifications to the front and rear fascias. Although it was not an E-segment vehicle but a segment D. It remained successful as a company car until 2013. Also, it was used as a police cruiser for the Guardia Civil highway corps. It was available in sedan and station wagon variants. It was the first vehicle from the brand equipped with diesel direct common raíl injection.


Sweden

Saab's first executive car was the 1984
Saab 9000 The Saab 9000 is an automobile produced by the Swedish company Saab from 1984 to 1998. Representing the company's foray into the executive car scene, it was developed as a result of the successes of the turbocharged 99 and 900 models. The 90 ...
, which was produced in sedan and liftback body styles. The 9000 was replaced by the
Saab 9-5 The Saab 9-5 is an executive car, manufactured and marketed by Saab from 1997 to 2012, across two generations. The first generation 9-5 was introduced in 1997 for the 1998 model year, as the replacement of the Saab 9000. At the time, the car ...
. In 2010 the second generation of the 9-5 switched to a platform shared with various General Motors models until Saab went bankrupt in 2012. Volvo began producing executive cars in 1968 with the
Volvo 164 The Volvo 164 is a 4-door, 6-cylinder luxury sedan unveiled by Volvo at the Paris Motor Show early in October 1968 and first sold as a 1969 model. 146,008 164s were built before the car was succeeded by the mid-size luxury 264 in 1975, although ...
. In 1974, the 164 was replaced by the Volvo 260, which was replaced by the Volvo 760 in 1982 and then the Volvo 960 in 1994. The 960 was renamed the S90 (sedan models) and V90 (wagon models) in 1996. The
Volvo S80 The Volvo S80 is an executive car produced by the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars from 1998 to 2016 across two generations. It took the place of the rear-wheel-drive S90 as Volvo's flagship sedan. The first generation (1998–2006) was made a ...
was released in 1998, and was replaced in 2016 by a new generation of
Volvo S90 The Volvo S90 is an executive sedan manufactured and marketed by Swedish automaker Volvo Cars from 2016 to 2025. Its estate variant is called the Volvo V90. Models For the model year of 2017 (the first model year), a short and long wheelbase ...
/ V90 sedans and wagons that presently remain in production.


United Kingdom

Daimler Company The Daimler Company Limited ( ), before 1910 known as the Daimler Motor Company Limited, was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by Harry John Lawson, H. J. Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing bas ...
produced luxury cars in various sizes starting in the late 1890s. The lineage that led to their executive cars began with the 1923–1929 ''Daimler 16'' and ''Daimler 16/55'' models, which were followed in 1932 by the
Daimler Fifteen Daimler is a German surname. It may refer to: People * Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900), German inventor, industrialist and namesake of a series of automobile companies * Adolf Daimler (1871–1913), engineer and son of Gottlieb Daimler * Paul D ...
. The Fifteen was replaced by the 1937
Daimler New Fifteen The Daimler New Fifteen was a large saloon/sedan car at the low end of the Daimler's range produced between 1937 and 1940. It had a tax rating of 16.2 hp. In September 1938 it was given a larger engine with the tax rating of 17.9  ...
and then the 1939
Daimler Consort The Daimler DB18 is an automobile produced by Daimler from 1939 until 1953. It is a 2½-litre version of the preceding 2.2-litre New Fifteen introduced in 1937. From 1949, the DB18 was revised to become the Daimler Consort. Using the engine de ...
(originally called the "Daimler 2½ Litre"). The Consort was replaced by the 1953–1958
Daimler Conquest The Daimler Conquest is an automobile which was produced by The Daimler Company Limited in the United Kingdom from 1953 to 1958. Based on the Lanchester Fourteen, the Conquest replaced the Daimler Consort. Sales were affected by increasing pric ...
. In 1962, the Daimler 2.5 V8 (later renamed the "Daimler V8-250") was released, based on the Jaguar Mark 2. In 1966, the Daimler Sovereign was introduced, based on the Jaguar 420. The Sovereign and V8-250 were produced alongside each other until they both ended production in 1969. Jaguar began production of executive cars in 1935 with the first of the
Jaguar Mark IV The Jaguar Mark IV (pronounced ''mark four'') is a range of automobiles built by Jaguar Cars from 1945 to 1949. The cars were marketed as the Jaguar 1½ litre, Jaguar 2½ litre and Jaguar 3½ litre with the Mark IV name later applied in retrospe ...
models. These were replaced by the 1948–1951
Jaguar Mark V The Jaguar Mark V (pronounced ''mark five'') is a luxury automobile built by Jaguar Cars Ltd of Coventry in England from 1948 to 1951. It was available as a four-door Saloon (sedan) and a two-door convertible known as the Drop Head Coupé, both ...
. The Mark V's successor increased in size to the full-size luxury car segment, so the next executive car was the 1955
Jaguar Mark 1 The Jaguar Mark 1 is a British luxury saloon car produced by Jaguar between 1955 and 1959. It was referred to in contemporary company documentation as the Jaguar 2.4 Litre and Jaguar 3.4 Litre. Its designation as Mark 1 was retroactive, follow ...
. In 1959, the Mark 1 was replaced by the
Jaguar Mark 2 The Jaguar Mark 2 is a mid-sized luxury sports saloon built from late 1959 to 1967 by Jaguar in Coventry, England. The previous Jaguar 2.4 Litre and 3.4 Litre models made between 1955 and 1959 are identified as Mark 1 Jaguars.Eric Dymock, The ...
. In 1963, the
Jaguar S-Type Jaguar S-Type is the name of two vehicles: * Jaguar S-Type (1963) (1963–1968) * Jaguar S-Type (1999) (1999–2008) File:1966-Jaguar-S-type.jpg, 1963–1968 Jaguar S-Type File:2001 Jaguar S-Type V6 SE Automatic 3.0 Front.jpg, 1999–2007 Ja ...
was introduced and sold alongside the Mark 2. Both models were replaced by the 1966-1968. The Jaguar XJ series began in 1968 and received updates (with a redesign in 2010) until 2019. Following a 30-year hiatus from the executive car market, Jaguar returned in 1998 with the retro-styled S-Type. The S-Type was replaced by the 2007
Jaguar XF (X250) The Jaguar XF (X250) is an Executive car, executive Sports sedan, luxury sports saloon car that was manufactured and marketed by the British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Cars. The XF was available as a four-door Sedan (automobile), saloon and ...
and then the 2015
Jaguar XF (X260) The Jaguar XF (X260) is an executive/ mid-size luxury sports saloon manufactured and marketed under the Jaguar marque of Jaguar Land Rover from 2015 to 2024, in saloon and estate body styles. Following the first generation steel-bodied X250 ...
, which currently remains in production. Humber's first executive car was the 1945
Humber Hawk The Humber Hawk is a four-cylinder automobile manufactured by British-based maunufacturer Humber Limited from 1945 to 1967. Humber Hawk Mk I & II The Hawk, a re-badged Hillman 14#All new car, Hillman 14 (1938–1940) was the first Humber ca ...
. The Hawk was available with features such as two-tone and metallic paintwork, leather upholstery, wood trim, and a sunroof. Production of the Hawk, along with the similarly sized
Humber Super Snipe The Humber Super Snipe is a car which was produced from 1938 to 1967 by British-based manufacturer Humber Limited. Pre-war Super Snipe The Super Snipe was introduced in October 1938, derived by combining the four-litre inline six-cylinder eng ...
and Imperial, ceased when the brand was dissolved in 1967. Rover entered the executive car market in 1948 with the
Rover P3 The Rover Sixty and Rover Seventy-Five or Rover P3 series were 1.6 and 2.0-litre executive cars announced in the middle of February 1948 and produced by the Rover Company until the summer of 1949. Two months after the announcement of the new car ...
. The P3 was replaced by the
Rover P4 The Rover P4 series is a group of mid-size luxury saloon cars produced by the Rover Company from 1949 until 1964. They were designed by Gordon Bashford. The P4 designation is factory terminology for this group of cars and was not in day-to-d ...
in 1949, which was produced until 1964. The 1963
Rover P6 The Rover P6 series (named as the 2000, 2200, or 3500, depending on engine displacement) is a Sedan (automobile), saloon car produced by Rover Company, Rover and subsequently British Leyland from 1963 to 1977 in Solihull, West Midlands, England, ...
was the next executive car produced by Rover, which was replaced by the
Rover SD1 The Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of executive cars built by the Specialist Division (later the ''Jaguar-Rover-Triumph'' division), and finally the Austin Rover division of British Leyland from 1 ...
in 1976 (marketed as the Standard 2000 in India). The SD1 was replaced by the 1986
Rover 800 series The Rover 800 series is an executive car (E-segment in Europe) range manufactured by the Austin Rover Group subsidiary of British Leyland, and its successor the Rover Group from 1986 to 1999. It was also marketed as the Sterling in the United St ...
, which was a jointly developed with the
Honda Legend The is a series of V6 engine, V6-engined executive cars that was produced by Honda between 1985 and 2021, and served as its flagship vehicle. The Legend has also been sold under the Acura Legend, Acura RL, RL and Acura RLX, RLX nameplates — t ...
and had a front-wheel drive layout. In 1999, the 800 series was replaced by the
Rover 75 The Rover 75 is a car which was manufactured from 1998 to 2005 and sold under the British Rover marque. It is a large family car and came in four-door saloon and five-door estate body styles. Initially built only with front-wheel drive, a ...
, which was produced until 2005. The 75 straddled the executive and compact executive categories due to its size, although a long wheelbase version was available. The first executive car to be badged a Triumph was the 1946–1954 Triumph 1800/2000/Renown versions. Triumph's next and final entry to the executive car market was the 1963–1977
Triumph 2000 The Triumph 2000 is a mid-sized, rear wheel drive automobile which was produced in Coventry by the Triumph Motor Company between 1963 and 1977. It was introduced on 15 October 1963. It was styled by Giovanni Michelotti. It competed with the co ...
, which was a sales success in Britain. Ford Europe's first executive car was the 1950
Ford Zephyr The Ford Zephyr is an executive car manufactured by Ford of Britain from 1950 until 1972. The Zephyr and its luxury variants, the Ford Zodiac and Ford Executive, were the largest passenger cars in the British Ford range from 1950 until their r ...
. The Zephyr— and related Consul, Zodiac, and Executive models— were produced over four generations until 1972. The 1972
Ford Granada Ford Granada was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for two unrelated vehicles sold in different markets: * Ford Granada (Europe), built and marketed in Europe from 1972 to 1994 * Ford Granada (North America) The North American version of the ...
was initially built in the United Kingdom before switching to being imported from Germany in 1976. In 1985, the
Ford Scorpio The Ford Scorpio is an executive car Executive car is a British term for a large car, and is considered equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars (a ...
was released, being sold in the U.K. as a Ford Granada until 1994. Vauxhall entered the executive car market with the 1978
Vauxhall Carlton The Vauxhall Carlton is a series of large family car/executive car sold in two distinct generations by the Vauxhall Motors, Vauxhall division of GM Europe between 1978 and 1994. The Carlton was based on the Opel Rekord Series E, Opel Rekord E ...
and related Vauxhall Royale/Senator, which were based on the Opel Rekord E. In 1986, the Vauxhall Carlton Mark II switched to the German-built Opel Omega A, which was replaced in 1994 by the
Vauxhall Omega Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Vauxh ...
(a rebadged version of the Opel Omega B).


United States

In the United States, executive cars are referred to as full-sized cars.


Vietnam

The first executive car produced by a Vietnamese company is the VinFast LUX A2.0, which debuted at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. Production started in 2019 and it achieved success in the Vietnamese domestic car market.


See also

*
Car classification Governments and private organizations have developed car classification schemes that are used for various purposes including regulation, description, and categorization of cars. The International Standard ISO 3833-1977 ''Road vehicles – Type ...
*
Full-size car Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars. It is the largest size class for cars. In the United Kingdom, this class is referred to as ...
*
Luxury car A luxury car is a passenger automobile providing superior comfort levels, features, and equipment. More expensive materials and surface finishes are used, and buyers expect a correspondingly high quality (business), build quality. The term is ...
*
Sports sedan A sports sedan (also known as a super saloon or sports saloon in British English) is a subjective term for a sedan car that is designed to have sporting performance or handling characteristics. History The term was initially introduce ...


References

{{Automobile configuration Car classifications