Trim levels are used by manufacturers to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features. [1] [2] [3] The equipment and features fitted to a particular vehicle also depend on any options packages or individual options that the car was ordered with.
For a given car model, the trim level denotes which equipment and features are included as standard. A car buyer may add to this standard equipment with trim packages or individual options. The trim level with the least equipment/features is referred to as the "base model," [2] and the trim level with the most equipment/features is referred to as "highest specification" or colloquially as "fully loaded." Differences between trim levels typically consist of interior equipment (e.g., leather seats and reversing cameras) and cosmetic changes; [2] [3] however, a trim level can sometimes include mechanical changes such as different engines, suspension, or all-wheel-drive systems. [4] [5]
Some car brands use a different car model for what could be instead considered a trim level; therefore, the distinction between a model and trim level can vary between brands. For example, Volkswagen could choose to market the Golf GTi either as a standalone model, or as a trim level within the Golf model.
Manufacturers sometimes offer "delete options," with which several standard items of equipment from a certain trim level may be deleted, typically for free or with a credit. Sometimes, the delete option costs extra: for example, in the 1980s, German luxury car buyers began to pay manufacturers extra not to have the badges indicating the type of engine to be installed. Debadging went on to gain popularity across the market, both as a form of reverse snobbery while also allowing buyers to obscure lower-spec models or trim.
Trim levels are often designated by a pair of letters; for example, DX, LX, LS, EX, GL, SE, or GT. [1] They can also be designated an alphanumeric code (e.g., Z28, XR5, GT3), or using a word (e.g., Executive, Ambition or Deluxe). Many of the letter combinations have their origins in named trim levels, with DX and DL meaning "Deluxe," GL "Grand Luxe," SE "Special Edition," GT "Gran Turismo," and so on.
In North America, long-running designations for high-performance trim levels include Chevrolet's "SS" (first introduced on the 1961 Impala) [6] and Ford's "GT" (first used on the 1965 Mustang). [7] [8] General Motors also uses alphanumeric coding to denote handling packages installed on performance vehicles, such as "Z28" on the Camaro, the Buick GS, or the Oldsmobile 442, and currently uses the designation "Z71" on the Suburban and Tahoe (for Silverado/Sierra trucks, it is a package, though it was a separate trim from 2004–2005 and 2014–2018).
Some manufacturers have consistently used the same word for the highest trim level on several models. For example, Nissan used the word "Brougham" as the highest trim level on both the Cedric [9] [10] and Gloria. [11] The "Brougham" designation as a trim level originated in the North American (U.S.) market; it was originally a body style.
Manufacturers sometimes sell bundles of options as an options package, usually at a discounted price compared with buying each option individually.
Common options packages currently include:
The Chevrolet Camaro is a mid-size American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car. It first went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro shared its platform and major components with the Firebird, produced by General Motors' Pontiac division that was also introduced for 1967.
The Ford Torino is an automobile that was produced by Ford for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was a competitor in the intermediate market segment and essentially a twin to the Mercury Montego line.
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The Mercury Cougar is a series of automobiles that was sold by Mercury from 1967 to 2002. The model line is a diverse series of vehicles; though the Cougar nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at various stages in its production, the model also was offered as a convertible and a hatchback. During its production as the mid-size Mercury line, the Cougar was also offered as a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon.
The Mercury Grand Marquis is an automobile that was sold by Mercury from 1975 to 2011. Introduced as the flagship sub-model of the Mercury Marquis, the Grand Marquis became a stand-alone model line for 1983, serving as the largest Mercury sedan. Subsequently, the model line would serve as the sedan counterpart of the Mercury Colony Park station wagon; it would later serve as the basis of the revived Mercury Marauder.
The Nissan 350Z is a two-door, two-seater sports car that was manufactured by Nissan Motor Corporation from 2002 until 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model from August 2002. The first year there was only a coupe, as the roadster did not debut until the following year. Initially, the coupe came in Base, Enthusiast, Performance, Touring and Track versions, while the Roadster was limited to Enthusiast and Touring trim levels. The Track trim came with lightweight wheels and Brembo brakes, but its suspension tuning was the same as all other coupes. The Nissan 350Z was succeeded by the 370Z for the 2009 model year.
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The Shelby Mustang is a high-performance variant of the Ford Mustang built by Shelby American from 1965 to 1967 and by the Ford Motor Company from 1968 to 1970.
The Gloria is a large luxury car made from 1959 by the Prince Motor Company, and later by Nissan Motors since its merger with the former - hence being originally marketed as Prince Gloria and later as Nissan Gloria. Initially based on the smaller Prince Skyline, the Gloria line was merged with Nissan Cedric starting with 1971 models and both continued until 2004, when they were both replaced by Nissan Fuga.
The Nissan Cedric is a large automobile produced by Nissan since 1960. It was developed to provide upscale transportation, competing with the Prince Skyline and Gloria which were later merged into the Nissan family. In later years, the Nissan Skyline was positioned as a sports sedan/coupe, whereas the Nissan Gloria was turned into a sporty version of the Cedric.
Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) of the automobile aftermarket was formed in 1963 by Paul Schiefer, Roy Richter, Ed Iskenderian, Els Lohn, Willie Garner, Bob Hedman, Robert E. Wyman, John Bartlett, Phil Weiand Jr, Al Segal, Dean Moon, and Vic Edelbrock Jr. and now consists of 6,383 companies worldwide, bringing together aftermarket manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM), media, car dealers, specialty equipment distributors, installers, retailers, and restoration specialists.
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The Ford LTD Crown Victoria is a line of full-size cars that was manufactured and marketed by Ford from the 1980 to 1991 model years. Deriving its name from the Ford Fairlane coupe of 1955–1956, the LTD Crown Victoria served as the flagship of the Ford LTD model range in North America. Serving as the Ford counterpart of the Mercury Grand Marquis, the model line was offered as a two-door and a four-door sedan and a five-door station wagon.
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A brougham was originally a car body style where the driver sat outside and passengers seated within an enclosed cabin, — deriving the configuration from the earlier brougham horse-drawn carriage. Similar in style to the later town car, the brougham style was used on chauffeur-driven petrol and electric cars.
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