ACRISS codes are the industry standard for classifying rental cars. Planet Rentalcars displays these codes on every offer but uses simpler car type and car category filters to make searching and comparing vehicles easier to understand.
What an ACRISS code means
ACRISS is an industry coding system used across car hire. Each offer usually carries a four-letter code that summarises key vehicle attributes in a consistent order. On Planet Rentalcars, that ACRISS code is shown on the offer so you can verify size, body style, transmission and fuel-related details.
- Letter 1: category: Size / market segment (for example mini, compact or premium).
- Letter 2: type: Body style (for example estate, SUV, convertible or people carrier).
- Letter 3: transmission: Manual or automatic, including 4x4 variants.
- Letter 4: fuel / air conditioning: Fuel type and whether air conditioning is included.
Example: a code such as ECMR can be read letter by letter with the tables below. You can use this as a reference when you see the ACRISS code on an offer. For everyday searching on Planet Rentalcars, filter by car type and car category instead of ACRISS letters.
ACRISS letter reference
Use this reference to decode the ACRISS code shown on a Planet Rentalcars station page. Read the four letters from left to right.
1st letter: Category
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| M | Mini class (Mini) |
| N | Mini class (Mini Elite) |
| E | Economy class (Economy) |
| H | Economy class (Economy Elite) |
| C | Compact car (Compact) |
| D | Compact car (Compact Elite) |
| I | Medium car (intermediate) |
| J | Medium car |
| S | Medium car (Standard) |
| R | Standard Elite |
| F | Large car |
| G | Large car |
| P | Premium car |
| U | Premium car (Premium Elite) |
| L | Premium class |
| W | Premium class (Premium Elite) |
| O | Oversize |
| X | Special Class |
2nd letter: Type
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| B | Two- to three-door |
| C | Two- or four-door |
| D | Four- to five-door |
| W | Estate |
| V | People carrier |
| L | Saloon |
| S | Sports car |
| T | Convertible |
| F | SUV |
| J | Sport utility vehicle |
| X | Special |
| P | Pickup (single cab) |
| Q | Pickup (two rows of seats) |
| Z | Special offer |
| E | Coupé |
| M | People carrier |
| R | Leisure vehicle |
| H | Camper |
| Y | Motorcycle |
| N | Roadster |
| G | Crossover |
| K | Van |
3rd letter: Transmission
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| M | Manual |
| N | Manual transmission, four-wheel drive (4x4) |
| C | Manual transmission, four-wheel drive (4x4) |
| A | Automatic |
| B | Automatic, four-wheel drive (4x4) |
| D | Automatic, four-wheel drive (4x4) |
4th letter: Fuel / A/C
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| R | Fuel unclear / with air conditioning |
| N | Fuel unclear / without air conditioning |
| D | Diesel with air conditioning |
| Q | Diesel without air conditioning |
| H | Hybrid with air conditioning |
| I | Hybrid without air conditioning |
| E | Electric with air conditioning |
| C | Electric without air conditioning |
| L | LPG / compressed gas with air conditioning |
| S | LPG / compressed gas without air conditioning |
| A | Hydrogen with air conditioning |
| B | Hydrogen without air conditioning |
| M | Multi-fuel with air conditioning |
| F | Multi-fuel without air conditioning |
| V | Petrol with air conditioning |
| Z | Petrol without air conditioning |
| U | Ethanol with air conditioning |
| X | Ethanol without air conditioning |
ACRISS code examples
Once you know the four positions, common offer codes are easier to read. Here are a few examples you might see on Planet Rentalcars — each letter is decoded with the reference tables above. The example models show the kind of car that typically sits in each class.
| ACRISS code | Letter by letter | In plain English | Example models |
|---|---|---|---|
| MBMR | M · B · M · R | Mini class, two- to three-door, manual, fuel unclear / with air conditioning | Fiat 500, Toyota Aygo, VW up! |
| ECMR | E · C · M · R | Economy class, two- or four-door, manual, fuel unclear / with air conditioning | VW Polo, Opel Corsa, Renault Clio |
| CFAR | C · F · A · R | Compact car, SUV, automatic, fuel unclear / with air conditioning | Nissan Juke, Opel Mokka, Ford Puma |
| IDAR | I · D · A · R | Medium car (intermediate), four- to five-door, automatic, fuel unclear / with air conditioning | Škoda Octavia, Toyota Corolla, Seat Leon |
| FWMR | F · W · M · R | Large car, estate, manual, fuel unclear / with air conditioning | VW Passat Estate, Škoda Superb Estate |
| PTAR | P · T · A · R | Premium car, convertible, automatic, fuel unclear / with air conditioning | BMW 4 Series Convertible, Audi A5 Cabriolet |
| EDAE | E · D · A · E | Economy class, four- to five-door, automatic, electric with air conditioning | Renault Zoe, Peugeot e-208 |
| IDMD | I · D · M · D | Medium car (intermediate), four- to five-door, manual, diesel with air conditioning | Škoda Octavia TDI, Ford Focus Diesel |
Tip: the first two letters tell you most about size and body style. Letters three and four confirm transmission and fuel / air-conditioning details. On Planet Rentalcars you can still filter with car type and car category instead of memorising every code.
Car type vs car category
Planet Rentalcars always shows the ACRISS code on the offer for transparency. To make comparison easier, you do not have to search or filter by ACRISS letters. Instead, vehicle classes are organised into two clearer layers: car type and car category. These can frequently be combined when you browse results.
| Layer | What it answers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Car type | What kind of vehicle is it? | SUV, estate, convertible, people carrier |
| Car category | How large or premium is it? | Small, compact, medium, large, premium, van |
| Combined class | Type and category together | Compact SUV, large estate, premium convertible |
| ACRISS code on the offer | Detailed industry label for the class | Shown for reference |
Car types on Planet Rentalcars
Instead of filtering by ACRISS letters, use car types to choose by body style or booking format. Pick a type when the shape of the car matters for luggage, passengers, driving style or trip feel.
- SUV: Higher seating position and often more space for mixed city and longer-distance trips.
- People carrier: Built around passenger capacity. Useful for families or groups who need more seats.
- Estate: Extra boot space compared with a standard hatchback or saloon of a similar size.
- Convertible: Open-top driving for leisure trips where weather and itinerary suit it.
- Pick-up: Open load bed for cargo-focused use where this body style is available.
- Sports car: Performance-oriented styling for leisure driving rather than maximum practicality.
- Guaranteed model: A booking format where the specific model shown is guaranteed, rather than only the vehicle class.
Car categories on Planet Rentalcars
Car categories are the simple size filters that sit alongside car types. Use this if the size and quality of the car are more important to you than the make of the car.
- Small car: Easy to park and usually good value for short trips or city driving with light luggage.
- Compact car: A balance of space and running cost for everyday holiday driving.
- Medium car: More room for passengers and bags on longer journeys.
- Large car: Extra space and comfort when the trip needs more capacity.
- Premium car: Higher-spec vehicles for travellers who want more comfort or features.
- Van: Maximum practical space for people, luggage or equipment, depending on the offer.
How to combine type and category
Because car types and car categories can often be combined, you can narrow results in a clearer way than filtering by ACRISS codes. The ACRISS code remains visible on the offer for detail checks, while type and category stay the easier way to search. Availability still depends on the destination and car rental company fleet.
| Trip need | Useful combination | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| City break, light bags | Small or compact + standard type | Easier parking and usually lower price |
| Family holiday with luggage | Medium or large + estate / SUV | More boot space without guessing models |
| Group of passengers | Large / van + people carrier | Focuses on seats and cabin space |
| Scenic leisure drive | Compact to premium + convertible / sports car | Prioritises driving style over cargo space |
| Need a specific model | Guaranteed model | Locks the shown car rather than class-only allocation |
Tip: if an offer shows an example model and an ACRISS code, the car rental company may still provide a similar car in the same class unless the booking is marked as a guaranteed model. Use the ACRISS letter tables above only if you want to double-check what the code on the offer means.
Step-by-Step: Choose the right vehicle class
Use this short checklist when filtering rental cars on Planet Rentalcars.
- Start with passengers and luggage: Decide whether you need a small city car, more boot space or extra seats.
- Pick a car category: Choose small, compact, medium, large, premium or van based on size and comfort.
- Add a car type if needed: Filter for SUV, estate, people carrier, convertible, pick-up, sports car or guaranteed model.
- Combine type and category: Narrow further when both matter. For example a large SUV or compact convertible.
- Check the offer details: Confirm seats, luggage hints, transmission and whether the model is guaranteed. If you want more detail, read the ACRISS code shown on the offer with the letter reference above.