What is a Hatchback car?

Things To Know About Hatchback

image is taken from topgear.com

What does Hatchback look like?

However, it's not always clear what qualifies as a hatchback and what doesn't. Hatchbacks used to be small, affordable, boxy economy cars. They were referred to as "two-box" automobiles because they had no trunk and the engine up front in the first box, along with space for passengers and goods in the second box.

Hatchbacks had two or four doors and a single flip-up tailgate on their squared-off tails, which was referred to as a hatch. That breed was typified by vehicles like the original VW Golf, Renault Le Car, Ford Escort, and Dodge Omni.

Today's tiny hatchbacks are sleeker and have beautiful rooflines that softly slope down to their rear bumpers; they hardly qualify as what we would refer to as econoboxes. They're well-built, frequently tastefully furnished inside, and occasionally anything but cheap.

The Mazda 3, Honda Civic Sport, Hyundai Elantra GT, and Toyota Corolla hatchback are some examples of more recent hatchbacks. Volkswagen has maintained the Golf's original, squared-off two-box shape despite giving the car a much more contemporary look. (VW offers the Jetta if you want a Golf with a trunk.)

Pros and Cons of Hatchback

There are two minor potential drawbacks to hatchbacks. Anything in the way back of a hatchback without a cargo cover will be apparent to onlookers. Additionally, since a hatchback's rear compartment isn't as well-insulated from the rest of the cabin as a sedan is, some extra road noise may enter.

Very few automakers today provide both sedan and hatchback versions of the same model, with Chevy's Cruze and Ford's Focus sadly deceased. One such manufacturer is Honda, whose little Civic hatchback offers 22.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up as opposed to 15.1 cubic feet for the sedan's trunk.

The Civic hatchback's cargo room expands to 46.2 cubic feet when the back seat is folded down. Of course, if the packages are smaller, you can cram more cargo into the space behind the sedan's seats. However, a hatchback will almost always be more adaptable and better equipped to hold bigger, bulkier goods.

Research is usually a good idea when trying to pick between hatchback and sedan models if you're in the market. However, you must visit vehicle dealerships to inspect the models you're interested in. Also, make sure to give it a thorough test drive.

There is only so much that brochures, measurements, and test results can reveal. The easiest method to choose between a hatchback and a sedan is to personally experience their differences.