Luxury vehicle is a marketing term for a vehicle that provides luxury — that which is beyond strict necessity — in exchange for increased cost to the buyer.
The term suggests a vehicle with greater equipment, performance, construction precision, comfort, design ingenuity, technological innovation, or features that convey brand image, cachet, status, or prestige — or any other discretionary feature or combination of features.
The term may be applied to any vehicle type — from minivan to convertible, crossover or sport utility vehicle — and to any size vehicle, from small to large.[1]
Though widely used, the term is broad, highly variable, ambiguous and abstruse — and lacks both measurability or verifiability. "What is a luxury car to some... may be ‘ordinary’ to others." [1]
In Australia, a luxury car is defined as one whose value exceeds a certain threshold[2] (see: Luxury Car Tax).[3]
In German-speaking markets the term "Upper class" (German: Oberklasse) is used.[citation needed]
Portugal defines a "luxury car" by the cubic capacity of the engine.[citation needed]
In Russian-speaking markets the term "representative vehicle" (Russian: представительский автомобиль, also translated as "luxury vehicle") is used[4].