Hatchback
Encyclopedia
A Hatchback is a car body style
incorporating a shared passenger and cargo
volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate
—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box design, the body style typically includes an A, B & C-pillar
, and may include a D pillar
. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a hatchback as "having a sloping back with a hinged rear door that opens upward."
Hatchbacks and liftbacks share commonalities and distinctions with station wagon
s. The body style appeared as early as the 1930s, but the first known use of the word 'hatchback' was in 1970. This automobile design has experienced worldwide marketing.
Hatchbacks may be described as three-door (two entry doors and the hatch) or five-door (four entry doors and the hatch) cars—and may range in size from city car
s and superminis
to small family cars, mid-size cars (e.g., the Toyota Camry hatchback (1982–1986). When a model range includes multiple configurations, as with the 2001–2007 Ford Focus which offered sedan (ZX4), wagon (ZXW) and three and five-door hatchback (ZX3 and ZX5) models, the models typically share a platform
, drivetrain and bodywork forward of the A-pillar
. Hatchbacks may have a removable rigid parcel shelf, liftable with the tailgate, or flexible roll-up tonneau cover to cover the cargo space behind the rear seats.
Both station wagons and hatchbacks typically feature a two-box design
configuration, with one shared, flexible, interior volume for passengers and cargo—and a rear door for cargo access. Further distinctions are highly variable:
Pillars: Both configurations typically feature A, B & C pillar
s, station wagons more likely also feature a D pillar
as well.
Cargo Volume: Station wagons prioritize passenger and cargo volume—with windows aside the cargo volume. Of the two body styles, a station wagon roof (viewed in profile) more likely extends to the very rearmost of the vehicle, enclosing a full-height cargo volume—a hatchback roof (especially a liftback roof) might more likely rake down steeply behind the C-Pillar
, prioritizing style over interior volume, with shorter rear overhang and with smaller windows (or no windows) aside the cargo volume.
Cargo floor contour: Favoring cargo capacity, a station wagon may prioritize a fold-flat floor, where a hatchback would more likely allow a cargo floor with pronounced contour (e.g. the new Mini
or the sixth generation Ford Fiesta).
Seating: Station wagons have two or three rows of seats (e.g., the Ford Taurus
wagons) while hatchbacks have one (e.g. the MGB GT) or two rows of seats.
Rear suspension: A station wagon may include reconfigured rear suspension for additional load capacity and to minimize intrusion into the cargo volume, (e.g., worldwide versions of the first generation Ford Focus).
Rear Door: Hatchbacks typically feature a top-hinged liftgate
for cargo access, with variations from a single liftgate to a complex tailgate that can function either as a full tailgate or as a trunk lid (e.g., the 2008 Škoda Superb's TwinDoor). Station wagons also have numerous tailgate configurations. Typically, a hatchback's hatch or liftgate does not extend down to the bumper, as on wagons — with exceptions including the Skoda Superb.
Automotive journalist Dan Neil
, in a 2002 New York Times report described verticality of the rear cargo door as the prime distinction between a hatchback and a station wagon: "Where you break the roofline, at what angle, defines the spirit of the vehicle," he said. "You could have a 90-degree break in the back and have a station wagon."
volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate
—especially where the profile aspect of the rear cargo door is more horizontal than vertical, with a sharply raked or fastback profile.
Liftback is not used as a term in the UK, fastback or hatchback are used instead.
In 1938, Citroën
introduced the Traction Avant Commerciale
initially with a two-piece tailgate and after 1954 with a one-piece top-hinged tailgate.
In 1946, DeSoto
marketed the Suburban, a full-size sedan with a rear accessible door, and folding rear seats.
In 1949, Holden of Australia introduced the Kaiser-Frazer
Vagabond and Traveler hatchbacks. Although these were styled much like the typical 1940s sedan, they incorporated an innovative split rear tailgate, folding rear seats and no separate trunk. http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/Kaiser/ In 1953, Aston Martin
markted the DB2
with a top-hinged rear tailgate, manufacturing 700 examples. Its successor, the 1958 DB Mark III
also offered a folding rear seat. The 1954 AC Aceca
and later Aceca-Bristol from AC Cars
had a similar hatch tailgate, though just 320 were built.
In 1961 Renault introduced the Renault 4
with a top-hinged tailgate incorporating the rear window, with only short side windows between C & D-pillars
aside the load space and a steep angle from roof to rear bumper. During its production run the R4 was called a small station wagon
, even after the term hatchback appeared around 1970. In 1964, Autobianchi
marketed the Primula
hatchback. In 1965, Renault marketed the Renault 16
, a hatchback design with a folding rear seat.
In 1965, the MGB-GT
was launched with a hatchback designed by Pininfarina, the first volume-production sports car so equipped. In 1967, the Simca 1100
used a transverse engine and gearbox layout, and incorporated a hatchback without side windows at the C-pillar. In 1969, British Leyland launched Austin Maxi
, a five-speed, transverse front-wheel drive hatchback.
In 1973, Volkswagen
marketed the Passat/Dasher
hatchback, followed by the Golf/Rabbit
designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
, as well as the Audi 50
/Volkswagen Polo
in 1974. Sports cars like the Jaguar E-Type
with its side-hinged opening, Toyota 2000GT
, and Datsun 240Z carried rear tailgates, with one row of seats. In the 1970s, the Rover SD1
, Renault 30, and Saab 900
introduced the hatchback style into the executive car
market.
The 1980s Ford launched two front-wheel drive
hatchbacks: the Ford Escort, Lancia Delta
, and VW Golf
Mk2 and Scirocco Mk2. The 1983 Fiat Uno
designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
, its tall, square body utilising a Kamm tail achieved a low drag coefficient of 0.34 won much praise for airy interior space and fuel economy
. It incorporated many packaging lessons learnt from Giugiaro's 1978 Lancia Megagamma
concept car (the first modern people carrier / MPV
/ mini-van) but miniaturised. Its tall car / high seating packaging is imitated by every small car today. It reversed the trend for lower and lower built cars. It showed that not just low sleek cars could be aerodynamic, but small, roomy, boxy well packaged cars could be too. In 1984 it was voted European Car of the Year
.
More hatchback cars followed over the decade, including the updated Opel Kadett
, Austin Maestro
, Vauxhall Astra
, Renault 19
, Fiat Tipo
, and second generation Rover 200. Fiat replaced the successful Tipo with the distinctive Bravo (three-door) and Brava (five-door) in 1995. Ford replaced the long-running Escort with the Ford Focus in 1998, featuring a model range with sedan, station wagon, and three and five door hatchbacks. The hatchback was seen as a leap forward in practicality in Europe. From the 1960s it was adopted as a standard feature on most European cars, with saloons declining in popularity apart from at the top of the market where it was unpopular, where the lack of practicality of a saloon is seen as a sign of status. The Ford Granada
Mk3 / Ford Scorpio
executive car, that was launched in 1985 only as a hatchback, had to be relaunched in saloon and estate form. The hatchback was discontinued years before the other variants. Small economy car
s that were more limited in load carrying ability than larger cars benefited most - long light loads like furniture could be hung out of the back of the car.
(AMC) marketed the subcompact Gremlin
from 1970, in a single hatchback Kammback
body design. The Gremlin used the AMC Hornet
automobile platform
, but its abrupt hatchback rear end cut the car's overall length from 179 to 161 in (4,546.6 to 4,089.4 mm). American Motors added a semi-fastback
hatchback version to its larger compact-sized
Hornet line for the 1973 model year.
Introduced by AMC in 1975, "like recent European variations of the theme, the Pacer
had a rear door or hatchback, which further increased its utility". For 1977, AMC added a longer Pacer model with a wagon-type configuration describing its large rear "hatch" as one of the car's three doors, all having different sizes. The Hornet's hatchback body design was continued in the redesigned "luxury" Concord
line for 1978 and 1979, in a "sporty model designed for performance-oriented buyers". The AMC Spirit
replaced the Gremlin starting with the 1979 models and was available in two designs, both featuring rear doors: a hatchback "sedan" and a semi-fastback "liftback" version.
Built in AMC's Kenosha, Wisconsin
factories, the 1984–1987 Encore
was a two and four-door hatchback based on the European Renault 11.
Chrysler Corporation introduced the Dodge Omni
and Plymouth Horizon hatchbacks in 1978. These were followed by the Dodge Charger
/Plymouth Turismo. They released the liftback Dodge Daytona
/Chrysler Laser in 1984, and then the Dodge Shadow
/Plymouth Sundance
—as well as the LeBaron GTS
and Dodge Lancer
hatchbacks. Captive import
subcompact models included the Dodge Colt
and the almost identical Plymouth Champ.
Dodge replaced its Neon
sedan with the Dodge Caliber
, a platform on which the Jeep
branded based its Compass
and Patriot
.
Ford Motor Company
introduced the Pinto
and Bobcat in 1972. The German-built Mercury Capri II
hatchbacks were imported to U.S. Lincoln-Mercury dealers for the 1976–1977 model years, and the Ford Fiesta
hatchback was imported for U.S. Ford dealers later in the decade. Ford offered a hatchback version of its third-generation Escort. The third generation Mustang and Mercury Capri
introduced in 1979 were offered in hatchback models. Between 1988 and 1993 Ford marketed the imported Festiva
subcompact hatchback that was later restyled and renamed the Aspire for the 1994 through 1997 model years.
The Chevrolet Vega
, introduced in September 1970, was the first hatchback model from General Motors
. Over a million Vega hatchbacks were produced for the 1971–1977 model years accounting for about half of the Vega's total production. GM
introduced rebadged
Vega hatchback variants, the 1973–1977 Pontiac Astre and the 1978 Chevrolet Monza S.
The Vega-derived Chevrolet Monza 2+2
, Buick Skyhawk
, and Oldsmobile Starfireintroduced for the 1975 model year, were produced exclusively as hatchbacks with the Pontiac Sunbird
hatchback introduced for the 1977 model year. All were produced through 1980.
A Chevrolet Nova
hatchback was introduced for the 1973 model year, and was offered through 1979, another hatchback Nova was reintroduced in the 80's based on the Toyota Corolla
. The Chevrolet Chevette
was introduced in 1975 as a two-door hatchback. A four-door hatchback on a longer wheelbase was introduced with the 1978 models. In early 1979 the Chevrolet Citation
was introduced as a 1980 model offered in 2 and 4-door hatchbacks continuing through the 1987 model year. In the 1981, General Motors included a hatchback model as part of its J-car series that included the Chevrolet Cavalier
. Chevrolet offered captive import hatchbacks built by Suzuki
and Izuzu. The NUMMI
U.S.-made Chevrolet Nova
was also offered in a hatchback model in 1987 and 1988. Its replacement, the Geo Prizm, was also available in a hatchback model and the domestic designed Chevrolet Corsica
was briefly available in a hatchback version.
The third generation Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird
produced for the 1982–1992 model years, featured a curved glass hatchback liftgate. GM marketed a series of hatchbacks in North America as a joint venture with Suzuki, the Swift/Metro/Firefly
. Chevrolet offered a longer wheelbase, hatchback vesion of the Malibu, the Malibu Maxx
from 2004 to 2007. In 2008, GM introduced the 3-door and 5-door Belgian-assembled Saturn Astra. Chevrolet added a hatchback version of its Korean-built Aveo
in 2009.
The Chevrolet Corvette
was first offered with an opening rear glass hatch for the 1982 Collector Edition model. It was adopted on all Corvette Coupes beginning in 1984, with the fourth generation models.
. to the Volkswagen Golf
.
BMW
's 3-series hatchback
was offered from 1995–99. The liftback version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class
, the Sportcoupé
, was sold in North America from 2002 to 2005, lacking many amenities of German luxury imports (especially a Mercedes). Audi subsequently marketd the Audi A3 In North America. The New MINI
range incorporated a hatchback design.
-2125 Kombi
, which entered production in 1973. This was followed in the 1980s by the front-wheel drive Lada Samara
, ZAZ Tavria
and Moskvich Aleko
.
, Africa
, and some parts of Asia
than in Europe
, and as a result, manufacturers have had to develop sedan versions of their small cars. In Brazil
, for example, the Fiat Premio
was developed from the Fiat Uno
in the 1980s, with Ford and GM subsequently offering sedan versions of the Opel Corsa
and Ford Fiesta
in the 1990s. (The first generation Opel Corsa was sold in Europe as a sedan as well as a hatchback, but proved unpopular, and the three-box sedan was not replaced in 1993). These models were also sold in South Africa
and China
.
Car body style
Automobiles' body styles are highly variable. Some body styles remain in production, while others become less common or obsolete. They may or may not correlate to a car's price, size or intended market classification. The same car model might be available in multiple body styles comprising a...
incorporating a shared passenger and cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate
Liftgate
A liftgate, also called a hatch, hatchback or liftback, is a closure at the rear of a vehicle that can be mechanically raised during loading and unloading of cargo...
—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box design, the body style typically includes an A, B & C-pillar
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
, and may include a D pillar
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a hatchback as "having a sloping back with a hinged rear door that opens upward."
Hatchbacks and liftbacks share commonalities and distinctions with station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
s. The body style appeared as early as the 1930s, but the first known use of the word 'hatchback' was in 1970. This automobile design has experienced worldwide marketing.
Overview
City car
A city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
s and superminis
Supermini car
A supermini is a British term that describes automobiles larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as subcompact in North America....
to small family cars, mid-size cars (e.g., the Toyota Camry hatchback (1982–1986). When a model range includes multiple configurations, as with the 2001–2007 Ford Focus which offered sedan (ZX4), wagon (ZXW) and three and five-door hatchback (ZX3 and ZX5) models, the models typically share a platform
Automobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
, drivetrain and bodywork forward of the A-pillar
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
. Hatchbacks may have a removable rigid parcel shelf, liftable with the tailgate, or flexible roll-up tonneau cover to cover the cargo space behind the rear seats.
Hatchback vs. station wagon
Three-box styling
Three-box design is a broad automotive styling term describing a coupé, sedan, notchback or hatchback where — when viewed in profile — principal volumes are articulated into three separate compartments or boxes: engine, passenger and cargo....
configuration, with one shared, flexible, interior volume for passengers and cargo—and a rear door for cargo access. Further distinctions are highly variable:
Pillars: Both configurations typically feature A, B & C pillar
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
s, station wagons more likely also feature a D pillar
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
as well.
Cargo Volume: Station wagons prioritize passenger and cargo volume—with windows aside the cargo volume. Of the two body styles, a station wagon roof (viewed in profile) more likely extends to the very rearmost of the vehicle, enclosing a full-height cargo volume—a hatchback roof (especially a liftback roof) might more likely rake down steeply behind the C-Pillar
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
, prioritizing style over interior volume, with shorter rear overhang and with smaller windows (or no windows) aside the cargo volume.
Cargo floor contour: Favoring cargo capacity, a station wagon may prioritize a fold-flat floor, where a hatchback would more likely allow a cargo floor with pronounced contour (e.g. the new Mini
MINI (BMW)
Mini is a British automotive marque owned by BMW which specialises in small cars.Mini originated as a specific vehicle, a small car originally known as the Morris Mini-Minor and the Austin Seven, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959, and developed into a brand encompassing a range of...
or the sixth generation Ford Fiesta).
Seating: Station wagons have two or three rows of seats (e.g., the Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
wagons) while hatchbacks have one (e.g. the MGB GT) or two rows of seats.
Rear suspension: A station wagon may include reconfigured rear suspension for additional load capacity and to minimize intrusion into the cargo volume, (e.g., worldwide versions of the first generation Ford Focus).
Rear Door: Hatchbacks typically feature a top-hinged liftgate
Liftgate
A liftgate, also called a hatch, hatchback or liftback, is a closure at the rear of a vehicle that can be mechanically raised during loading and unloading of cargo...
for cargo access, with variations from a single liftgate to a complex tailgate that can function either as a full tailgate or as a trunk lid (e.g., the 2008 Škoda Superb's TwinDoor). Station wagons also have numerous tailgate configurations. Typically, a hatchback's hatch or liftgate does not extend down to the bumper, as on wagons — with exceptions including the Skoda Superb.
Automotive journalist Dan Neil
Dan Neil
Dan Neil is an automotive columnist for The Wall Street Journal and a former contributor to the Los Angeles Times, AutoWeek and Car and Driver. He is a panelist on The Car Show with Adam Carolla on Speed Channel, which debuted July 13, 2011.In 1999, Neil received the International Motor Press...
, in a 2002 New York Times report described verticality of the rear cargo door as the prime distinction between a hatchback and a station wagon: "Where you break the roofline, at what angle, defines the spirit of the vehicle," he said. "You could have a 90-degree break in the back and have a station wagon."
Liftback
A liftback is a broad marketing term for a hatchback, which incorporates a shared passenger and cargoCargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate
Liftgate
A liftgate, also called a hatch, hatchback or liftback, is a closure at the rear of a vehicle that can be mechanically raised during loading and unloading of cargo...
—especially where the profile aspect of the rear cargo door is more horizontal than vertical, with a sharply raked or fastback profile.
Liftback is not used as a term in the UK, fastback or hatchback are used instead.
Early examples
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
introduced the Traction Avant Commerciale
Citroën Traction Avant
The Citroën Traction Avant is an automobile which was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1934 to 1957. About 760,000 units were produced.-Impact on the world:...
initially with a two-piece tailgate and after 1954 with a one-piece top-hinged tailgate.
In 1946, DeSoto
DeSoto (automobile)
The DeSoto was a brand of automobile based in the United States, manufactured and marketed by the Chrysler Corporation from 1928 to 1961. The DeSoto logo featured a stylized image of Hernando de Soto...
marketed the Suburban, a full-size sedan with a rear accessible door, and folding rear seats.
In 1949, Holden of Australia introduced the Kaiser-Frazer
Kaiser-Frazer
The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was the result of a partnership between automobile executive Joseph W. Frazer and industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. In 1947, the company acquired the automotive assets of Graham-Paige, of which Frazer had been president before the Second World War...
Vagabond and Traveler hatchbacks. Although these were styled much like the typical 1940s sedan, they incorporated an innovative split rear tailgate, folding rear seats and no separate trunk. http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/Kaiser/ In 1953, Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
markted the DB2
Aston Martin DB2/4
The DB2/4 is a grand tourer sold by Aston Martin from 1953 through 1957. It was based on the DB2 it replaced, available as a Drophead coupe and 2+2 hatchback well ahead of the times. Other changes included a wraparound windscreen, larger bumpers, and repositioned headlights...
with a top-hinged rear tailgate, manufacturing 700 examples. Its successor, the 1958 DB Mark III
Aston Martin DB Mark III
The DB Mark III is a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1957 through 1959. It was an evolution of the DB2/4 Mark II model it replaced, using an evolution of that car's W.O...
also offered a folding rear seat. The 1954 AC Aceca
AC Aceca
The Aceca is a closed coupé from the British AC Cars company, produced from 1954 until 1963. The car originally had an AC engine but the similar Bristol-engined Aceca-Bristol was also available alogside the original from 1956 to 1963 when production of the engine ceased...
and later Aceca-Bristol from AC Cars
AC Cars
AC Cars Group Ltd. formerly known as Auto Carriers Ltd. is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car marques founded in Britain...
had a similar hatch tailgate, though just 320 were built.
Europe
Renault 4
The Renault 4, also known as the 4L , is a hatchback economy car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1961 and 1992. It was the first front-wheel drive family car produced by Renault....
with a top-hinged tailgate incorporating the rear window, with only short side windows between C & D-pillars
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
aside the load space and a steep angle from roof to rear bumper. During its production run the R4 was called a small station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
, even after the term hatchback appeared around 1970. In 1964, Autobianchi
Autobianchi
Autobianchi was an Italian automobile manufacturer, created jointly by Bianchi, Pirelli and Fiat in 1955. Autobianchi produced only a handful of models during its lifetime, which were almost exclusively small cars, with the biggest being the short-lived Autobianchi A111, a small family car...
marketed the Primula
Autobianchi Primula
The Autobianchi Primula is a small car from the Italian automaker, Autobianchi , built between 1964 and 1970. It was Fiat's first automobile with the front-wheel drive, transverse engine setup, as well as the first Fiat group car with rack and pinion steering...
hatchback. In 1965, Renault marketed the Renault 16
Renault 16
The Renault 16 is a hatchback produced by French automaker Renault between 1965 and 1980 in Le Havre, France. The reviewer in the May 1965 edition of the English "Motoring Illustrated" said: "The Renault Sixteen can thus be described as a large family car but one that is neither a four door saloon...
, a hatchback design with a folding rear seat.
In 1965, the MGB-GT
MGB
The abbreviation MGB may refer to:* Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade, special school, elementary and high school, for gifted in areas of mathematics, physics, and ICT, under University of Belgrade umbrella...
was launched with a hatchback designed by Pininfarina, the first volume-production sports car so equipped. In 1967, the Simca 1100
Simca 1100
The Simca 1100 is an automobile built from 1967 to 1982 by Chrysler Europe's division Simca. It was replaced by the Talbot Horizon.The 1100 was the result of "Project 928", started in 1962, finalized by engineers Philippe Grundeler and Charles Scales...
used a transverse engine and gearbox layout, and incorporated a hatchback without side windows at the C-pillar. In 1969, British Leyland launched Austin Maxi
Austin Maxi
The Austin Maxi was a medium sized 5-door hatchback car from British Leyland for the 1970s. It was the first British five speed five-door hatchback.-History:...
, a five-speed, transverse front-wheel drive hatchback.
In 1973, Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
marketed the Passat/Dasher
Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as...
hatchback, followed by the Golf/Rabbit
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
, as well as the Audi 50
Audi 50
The Audi 50 is a supermini produced by German automaker Audi from 1974 to 1978 and sold only in Europe. Introduced two or three years after the Italian Fiat 127 and the French Renault 5, the model was seen at the time as Germany's first home grown entrant in Europe's emerging "supermini"...
/Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
in 1974. Sports cars like the Jaguar E-Type
Jaguar E-type
The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring...
with its side-hinged opening, Toyota 2000GT
Toyota 2000GT
The Toyota 2000GT is a limited-production, front-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-seat, hardtop coupé grand tourer designed by Toyota in collaboration with Yamaha. First displayed to the public at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965, the 2000GT was manufactured under contract by Yamaha between 1967 and...
, and Datsun 240Z carried rear tailgates, with one row of seats. In the 1970s, the Rover SD1
Rover SD1
Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland or BL through its Specialist, Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions from 1976 until 1986....
, Renault 30, and Saab 900
Saab 900
The Saab 900 was a car produced by Saab Automobile from 1978 until 1998 in two generations. The first generation from 1978 to 1993 is known as the "classic"; the generation from 1994 to 1998 is known as the "new generation" ....
introduced the hatchback style into the executive car
Executive car
Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by EuroNCAP, a European organisation founded to test car safety.- History :...
market.
The 1980s Ford launched two front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
hatchbacks: the Ford Escort, Lancia Delta
Lancia Delta
The Lancia Delta is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Lancia with the first generation being produced between 1979 and 1994, the second generation running from 1993 until 1999, and the third generation Delta entering production in 2008. It was first shown inFrankfurt Motor Show in 1979...
, and VW Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
Mk2 and Scirocco Mk2. The 1983 Fiat Uno
Fiat Uno
The Fiat Uno is a supermini car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat. The Uno was launched in 1983 and built in its homeland until 1995, with production still taking place in other countries.-First series :...
designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
, its tall, square body utilising a Kamm tail achieved a low drag coefficient of 0.34 won much praise for airy interior space and fuel economy
Fuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....
. It incorporated many packaging lessons learnt from Giugiaro's 1978 Lancia Megagamma
Lancia Megagamma
The Lancia Megagamma minivan is a concept car designed by Italdesign in 1978 and introduced the same year at the Turin Motor Show. It can be seen as the forerunner of modern MPVs...
concept car (the first modern people carrier / MPV
Minivan
Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
/ mini-van) but miniaturised. Its tall car / high seating packaging is imitated by every small car today. It reversed the trend for lower and lower built cars. It showed that not just low sleek cars could be aerodynamic, but small, roomy, boxy well packaged cars could be too. In 1984 it was voted European Car of the Year
European Car of the Year
The European Car of the Year award was established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organisers of the award are Auto , Autocar , Autopista , Autovisie , L'Automobile Magazine , Stern and Vi Bilägare .The voting jury consists of motoring...
.
More hatchback cars followed over the decade, including the updated Opel Kadett
Opel Kadett
The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel between 1937 and 1940, and then again from 1962 until 1991 , when it was replaced by the Opel Astra.-Original model :...
, Austin Maestro
Austin Maestro
The Austin Maestro is a compact-sized 5-door hatchback car that was produced from 1983 to 1994, initially by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland , and from 1988 onwards by its successor, Rover Group. The car was produced at the former Morris plant in Cowley, Oxford. It was initially...
, Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall Astra
Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...
, Renault 19
Renault 19
The Renault 19 is a small family car that was produced by the French car manufacturer Renault between 1988 and 2000.-Overview:The R19 was launched on September 1988 as the replacement for the 9 and 11, both of which were ageing and outdated by the late 1980s...
, Fiat Tipo
Fiat Tipo
The Fiat Tipo is a small family car designed by the IDEA design house and produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1988 and 1995.The Tipo was initially available only as a five-door hatchback. The car was made entirely out of galvanized body panels to avoid rust, and was built on a...
, and second generation Rover 200. Fiat replaced the successful Tipo with the distinctive Bravo (three-door) and Brava (five-door) in 1995. Ford replaced the long-running Escort with the Ford Focus in 1998, featuring a model range with sedan, station wagon, and three and five door hatchbacks. The hatchback was seen as a leap forward in practicality in Europe. From the 1960s it was adopted as a standard feature on most European cars, with saloons declining in popularity apart from at the top of the market where it was unpopular, where the lack of practicality of a saloon is seen as a sign of status. The Ford Granada
Ford Granada (Europe)
The March 1972 released Granada succeeded the British Ford Zephyr, and the German P7-series as Ford's European executive car offering. At first, lower models in the range were called the Ford Consul, but from 1975 on they were all called Granadas. The car soon became popular for taxi, fleet and...
Mk3 / Ford Scorpio
Ford Scorpio
The Ford Scorpio is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1985 through to 1998.It was the replacement for the European Ford Granada line...
executive car, that was launched in 1985 only as a hatchback, had to be relaunched in saloon and estate form. The hatchback was discontinued years before the other variants. Small economy car
Economy car
An economy car is an automobile that is designed for low cost operation. Typical economy cars are small, light weight, and inexpensive to buy. Economy car designers are forced by stringent design constraints to be inventive...
s that were more limited in load carrying ability than larger cars benefited most - long light loads like furniture could be hung out of the back of the car.
North America
American Motors CorporationAmerican Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
(AMC) marketed the subcompact Gremlin
AMC Gremlin
The AMC Gremlin is a two-door subcompact car produced in the United States and Canada by the American Motors Corporation between 1970 and 1978. AMC reduced its development and manufacturing costs by adapting a shortened Hornet platform with a Kammback-type tail...
from 1970, in a single hatchback Kammback
Kammback
A Kammback is a car body style that derives from the research of the German aerodynamicist Wunibald Kamm in the 1930s. The design calls for a body with smooth contours that continues to a tail that is abruptly cut off. This shape reduces the drag of the vehicle."Kammback" is an American term...
body design. The Gremlin used the AMC Hornet
AMC Hornet
The AMC Hornet was a compact automobile made by the American Motors Corporation in one generation beginning with the 1970 model year and continuing through the 1977 model year. The Hornet replaced the compact Rambler American marking the end of the Rambler marque in the American and Canadian markets...
automobile platform
Automobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
, but its abrupt hatchback rear end cut the car's overall length from 179 to 161 in (4,546.6 to 4,089.4 mm). American Motors added a semi-fastback
Fastback
A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
hatchback version to its larger compact-sized
Compact car
A compact car , or small family car , is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini but smaller than or equal to a mid-size car...
Hornet line for the 1973 model year.
Introduced by AMC in 1975, "like recent European variations of the theme, the Pacer
AMC Pacer
The AMC Pacer is a two-door compact automobile produced in the United States by the American Motors Corporation between 1975 and 1980.Its initial design idea was started in 1971. The car's unusual rounded shape with massive glass area greatly contrasted with the three-box architecture with "square,...
had a rear door or hatchback, which further increased its utility". For 1977, AMC added a longer Pacer model with a wagon-type configuration describing its large rear "hatch" as one of the car's three doors, all having different sizes. The Hornet's hatchback body design was continued in the redesigned "luxury" Concord
AMC Concord
The AMC Concord is a compact car produced by the American Motors Corporation for the 1978 through 1983 model years. The Concord replaced the AMC Hornet and to some extent the mid-size AMC Matador, discontinued after 1978 in a market moving to downsized automobiles...
line for 1978 and 1979, in a "sporty model designed for performance-oriented buyers". The AMC Spirit
AMC Spirit
The AMC Spirit was a subcompact marketed by American Motors Corporation from 1979 to 1983 as a restyled replacement for the Gremlin. The Spirit shared the Gremlin's platform and was offered in two hatchback variations, each with two doors — marketed as sedan and liftback...
replaced the Gremlin starting with the 1979 models and was available in two designs, both featuring rear doors: a hatchback "sedan" and a semi-fastback "liftback" version.
Built in AMC's Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
factories, the 1984–1987 Encore
Renault Alliance
The Renault Alliance is a subcompact automobile manufactured and marketed in North America by American Motors Corporation , with 623,573 examples manufactured for model years 1983-1987, and with a three and five-door hatchback variant, the Renault Encore marketed beginning in 1984.The two models...
was a two and four-door hatchback based on the European Renault 11.
Chrysler Corporation introduced the Dodge Omni
Dodge Omni
The Dodge Omni and the similar Plymouth Horizon were front wheel drive cars introduced by the Dodge and Plymouth divisions of the Chrysler Corporation in North America in 1978, and were based on a European Simca-based design of the same name...
and Plymouth Horizon hatchbacks in 1978. These were followed by the Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
/Plymouth Turismo. They released the liftback Dodge Daytona
Dodge Daytona
The first car that carried the Daytona name was a sporty version of the Studebaker Lark which was produced from 1963 to 1966 with standard bucket seats and available with an optional Studebaker Avanti V8 high-performance engine....
/Chrysler Laser in 1984, and then the Dodge Shadow
Dodge Shadow
For 1987, Chrysler Corporation introduced two new compact cars, the Dodge Shadow and the Plymouth Sundance , intended to replace the Dodge Charger - Dodge Omni and Plymouth Turismo - Plymouth Horizon, respectively...
/Plymouth Sundance
Plymouth Sundance
The Plymouth Sundance is a compact car model that was produced for model years 1987 to 1994. It was designed to compete with upmarket compacts such as the Geo Prizm, Ford Escort and the Honda Civic after the production of the Horizon was to be extended...
—as well as the LeBaron GTS
Chrysler LeBaron
The Chrysler LeBaron was originally a classic luxury car of 1930s manufactured by Chrysler which competed with other luxury cars of the era such as Lincoln and Packard....
and Dodge Lancer
Dodge Lancer
The Dodge Lancer is a passenger car from the Dodge division of Chrysler Corporation. Dodge used the Lancer name on three different vehicles over the years.-1955–1959:...
hatchbacks. Captive import
Captive import
Captive import is a marketing term and a strategy for an automobile part or entire vehicle that is foreign-built and sold under the name of an importer or by a domestic automaker through its own dealer distribution system....
subcompact models included the Dodge Colt
Dodge Colt
The Dodge Colt and the similar Plymouth Champ and Plymouth Colt, were subcompact cars sold by Dodge and Plymouth from 1970 to 1994. They were captive imports from Mitsubishi Motors, initially twins of the rear-wheel drive Galant and Lancer families before shifting to the smaller front-wheel drive...
and the almost identical Plymouth Champ.
Dodge replaced its Neon
Dodge Neon
The Plymouth/Dodge Neon, sold in Europe, Mexico, Canada, and elsewhere outside the United States as the Chrysler Neon, is a compact front wheel drive car introduced in January 1994 for the 1995 model year by Chrysler Corporation's Dodge and Plymouth brands...
sedan with the Dodge Caliber
Dodge Caliber
The Dodge Caliber was a compact car produced by the Dodge division of Chrysler. It replaced the Neon, and it went on sale in the spring of 2006 as a 2007 model year vehicle...
, a platform on which the Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
branded based its Compass
Jeep Compass
The Jeep Compass is a compact crossover SUV introduced for the 2007 model year. The Jeep Compass, along with the Patriot both slot below the Jeep Wrangler as Jeep's entry-level sport utility vehicles, and is one of Jeep's first crossover SUVs....
and Patriot
Jeep Patriot
The Jeep Patriot is a compact crossover SUV introduced in early 2007 for the 2007 model year by the Jeep marque of Chrysler. It debuted publicly in April 2006 at the New York Auto Show and slots between the Compass and Liberty in the Jeep lineup...
.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
introduced the Pinto
Ford Pinto
The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car produced by the Ford Motor Company for the model years 1971–1980. The car's name derives from the Pinto horse. Initially offered as a two-door sedan, Ford offered "Runabout" hatchback and wagon models the following year, competing in the U.S. market with the AMC...
and Bobcat in 1972. The German-built Mercury Capri II
Mercury Capri
-First Generation :See also Ford CapriThe Mercury Capri was built in Cologne, Germany, and was sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers in North America. The European Capri was first sold in the US in April 1970 and carried the Mercury marque identification as Ford already had a Mustang for the same...
hatchbacks were imported to U.S. Lincoln-Mercury dealers for the 1976–1977 model years, and the Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
hatchback was imported for U.S. Ford dealers later in the decade. Ford offered a hatchback version of its third-generation Escort. The third generation Mustang and Mercury Capri
Mercury Capri
-First Generation :See also Ford CapriThe Mercury Capri was built in Cologne, Germany, and was sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers in North America. The European Capri was first sold in the US in April 1970 and carried the Mercury marque identification as Ford already had a Mustang for the same...
introduced in 1979 were offered in hatchback models. Between 1988 and 1993 Ford marketed the imported Festiva
Ford Festiva
The Ford Festiva is a subcompact car that was marketed by the Ford Motor Company between 1986 and 2002. Built by Mazda in Japan and Kia Motors in South Korea, the Festiva was sold in Japan, the Americas, and Australasia...
subcompact hatchback that was later restyled and renamed the Aspire for the 1994 through 1997 model years.
Chevrolet Vega
The Chevrolet Vega is a subcompact, two-door automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1971-1977 model years. Named after the star Vega, the car was powered by a lightweight aluminum-block inline four-cylinder engine...
, introduced in September 1970, was the first hatchback model from General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
. Over a million Vega hatchbacks were produced for the 1971–1977 model years accounting for about half of the Vega's total production. GM
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
introduced rebadged
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
Vega hatchback variants, the 1973–1977 Pontiac Astre and the 1978 Chevrolet Monza S.
The Vega-derived Chevrolet Monza 2+2
Chevrolet Monza
The Chevrolet Monza is a subcompact, four-passenger automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1975–1980 model years. The Monza is based on the Chevrolet Vega, sharing its wheelbase, width and 140 CID inline-4 engine...
, Buick Skyhawk
Buick Skyhawk
The Buick Skyhawk are automobiles produced by the Buick division of General Motors in two generations for the 1975 through 1989 model years. 1975 through 1980 models, all 2-door hatchbacks, were built on the subcompact, rear-wheel drive H-body platform...
, and Oldsmobile Starfireintroduced for the 1975 model year, were produced exclusively as hatchbacks with the Pontiac Sunbird
Pontiac Sunbird
The Pontiac Sunbird, produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors, was Pontiac's second small-car offering of the 70's. The Sunbird model ran for 18 years and was then replaced in 1995 by the Pontiac Sunfire...
hatchback introduced for the 1977 model year. All were produced through 1980.
A Chevrolet Nova
Chevrolet Nova
The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova is a compact automobile manufactured by the Chevrolet division of General Motors produced in four generations for the 1962 through 1979 model years. Nova was the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968. The Chevy II nameplate was dropped, Nova becoming the...
hatchback was introduced for the 1973 model year, and was offered through 1979, another hatchback Nova was reintroduced in the 80's based on the Toyota Corolla
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...
. The Chevrolet Chevette
Chevrolet Chevette
The Chevrolet Chevette was introduced in September, 1975 and manufactured for model years 1976-1987 based on GM's worldwide T platform and superseding the Vega as Chevrolet's entry-level subcompact...
was introduced in 1975 as a two-door hatchback. A four-door hatchback on a longer wheelbase was introduced with the 1978 models. In early 1979 the Chevrolet Citation
Chevrolet Citation
The Chevrolet Citation was a compact car sold by the Chevrolet brand of American automaker General Motors for model years 1980-1985. The Citation and its X-body siblings were among GM's first front wheel drive compact cars, following the trend of front drive compacts such as the Honda Accord...
was introduced as a 1980 model offered in 2 and 4-door hatchbacks continuing through the 1987 model year. In the 1981, General Motors included a hatchback model as part of its J-car series that included the Chevrolet Cavalier
Chevrolet Cavalier
The Chevrolet Cavalier was a compact automobile produced from 1982 to 2005 by General Motors. Built on the company's J platform, the Cavalier was one of the best-selling cars in the United States throughout its life.- Predecessors :...
. Chevrolet offered captive import hatchbacks built by Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
and Izuzu. The NUMMI
NUMMI
New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. was an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, opened in 1984 and closed in 2010. On October 27, 2010 it reopened as a 100% Tesla Motors-owned production facility, known as the Tesla Factory...
U.S.-made Chevrolet Nova
Chevrolet Nova
The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova is a compact automobile manufactured by the Chevrolet division of General Motors produced in four generations for the 1962 through 1979 model years. Nova was the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968. The Chevy II nameplate was dropped, Nova becoming the...
was also offered in a hatchback model in 1987 and 1988. Its replacement, the Geo Prizm, was also available in a hatchback model and the domestic designed Chevrolet Corsica
Chevrolet Corsica
The Chevrolet Corsica is a front-wheel drive compact car that was produced by General Motors from 1987 to 1996. The Corsica was built upon the L-body platform which was developed , as the successor to the X body...
was briefly available in a hatchback version.
The third generation Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird
Pontiac Firebird
The Pontiac Firebird was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002. The Firebird was introduced the same year as the automaker's platform-sharing model, the Chevrolet Camaro...
produced for the 1982–1992 model years, featured a curved glass hatchback liftgate. GM marketed a series of hatchbacks in North America as a joint venture with Suzuki, the Swift/Metro/Firefly
Suzuki Cultus
The Suzuki Cultus is a supermini first presented at the 25th Tokyo Motor Show, formally introduced to the Japanese domestic market in 1983 and ultimately manufactured in seven countries across three generations and marketed worldwide under more than a dozen nameplates — prominently as the Suzuki...
. Chevrolet offered a longer wheelbase, hatchback vesion of the Malibu, the Malibu Maxx
Chevrolet Malibu
Malibus and all other Chevelles were completely restyled for 1968 with semi-fastback rooflines on two-door hardtops and wheelbases split to on two-door models and 118 for four-door sedans and station wagons. Engine offerings included a new V8 rated at that replaced the V8 that had served as the...
from 2004 to 2007. In 2008, GM introduced the 3-door and 5-door Belgian-assembled Saturn Astra. Chevrolet added a hatchback version of its Korean-built Aveo
Chevrolet Aveo
The Chevrolet Aveo is a subcompact automobile manufactured since 2002, originally by the South Korean General Motors subsidiary, GM Daewoo—and later by other GM-affiliated entities...
in 2009.
The Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
was first offered with an opening rear glass hatch for the 1982 Collector Edition model. It was adopted on all Corvette Coupes beginning in 1984, with the fourth generation models.
Imports
In addition to specific models of captive imports mentioned above, a number of import brands have been available in the hatchback body style as a primary model, from the Fiat StradaFiat Ritmo
The Fiat Ritmo is an automobile from the Italian manufacturer Fiat, launched in 1978. Styled by Bertone of Italy, it was seen by some as the most distinctive looking small family car in Europe on its launch in 1978 Turin Motorshow. It was badged in Great Britain and North America as the Fiat Strada...
. to the Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf Mk1
In May 1974, Volkswagen presented the first-generation Golf as a modern front-wheel-drive, hatchback replacement for the Volkswagen Beetle.-History:...
.
BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
's 3-series hatchback
BMW Compact
The BMW Compact is a compact car / small family car, basically a truncated liftback version of the BMW 3 Series, produced by the German automaker BMW between 1993 and 2004. From 1994, it was based on the BMW E36 platform, switching to the BMW E46 platform in 2001...
was offered from 1995–99. The liftback version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a compact executive car produced by the Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG. First introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 range , the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's lineup until the 1997 arrival of the A-Class...
, the Sportcoupé
Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class is a luxury compact car which was produced by the Mercedes Car Group division of Daimler AG since 2002, as part of the W203 C-Class, and since 2008 as its own lineup, separately from the new W204 C-Class. The CLC was a three-door hatchback coupe with a fastback profile...
, was sold in North America from 2002 to 2005, lacking many amenities of German luxury imports (especially a Mercedes). Audi subsequently marketd the Audi A3 In North America. The New MINI
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
range incorporated a hatchback design.
USSR
The first Soviet hatchback was the rear-wheel drive IZHIzh
Izh may refer to one of the following.*Izh River , Udmurt Republic, Russia*Izh motorcycles from IzhMoto*izh, ISO 639-3 code for the Ingrian language...
-2125 Kombi
Izh Comby
Izh 2125 "Comby" is a small family car produced by the Soviet automotive maker IZH from 1973 to 1997. It was based on an Izhevsk-modified Moskvitch 412, with the first prototype released in 1972 to meet small family needs...
, which entered production in 1973. This was followed in the 1980s by the front-wheel drive Lada Samara
Lada Samara
The Lada Samara or VAZ-2108 is an economy car produced by Soviet/Russian vehicle manufacturer AvtoVAZ's Lada brand, from 1984 until 2004. The brand name Samara originally was used only for exported models, in Russia the same model was called "Sputnik" , until 1991, when the sedan version of Samara...
, ZAZ Tavria
ZAZ Tavria
ZAZ Tavria is a range of front wheel drive subcompact cars made by Ukrainian ZAZ. ZAZ-1102 Tavria and subsequent ZAZ-1105 Dana and ZAZ-1103 Slavuta replaced rear wheel drive Zaporozhets in the product lineup.-ZAZ-1102 Tavria:...
and Moskvich Aleko
Aleko
The Moskvitch 2141, commonly referred to as simply Aleko , is a Russian small class, third group hatchback car that was first announced in 1985 and...
.
Other regions
Hatchbacks have proved to be less popular in South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and some parts of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
than in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and as a result, manufacturers have had to develop sedan versions of their small cars. In Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, for example, the Fiat Premio
Fiat Duna
The Fiat Duna was a small car produced by Fiat in Brazil, where it was sold as Fiat Prêmio. The Duna was based on the Fiat Uno, but unlike the Uno, it was a sedan, as such models are more popular in South America....
was developed from the Fiat Uno
Fiat Uno
The Fiat Uno is a supermini car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat. The Uno was launched in 1983 and built in its homeland until 1995, with production still taking place in other countries.-First series :...
in the 1980s, with Ford and GM subsequently offering sedan versions of the Opel Corsa
Opel Corsa
The front-wheel drive Opel Corsa was first launched in September 1982 to replace the Opel Kadett C City, and to fill the gap vacated as the Kadett grew in size and price. Built in Zaragoza, Spain, the first Corsas were three-door hatchback and two-door saloon models, with four-door and five-door...
and Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
in the 1990s. (The first generation Opel Corsa was sold in Europe as a sedan as well as a hatchback, but proved unpopular, and the three-box sedan was not replaced in 1993). These models were also sold in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
See also
- Hot hatchHot hatchHot hatch was originally an informal automotive industry term, shortened from hot hatchback, initially coined by the British motoring press in 1984, for a high-performance derivative of a car body style consisting of a three- or five-door hatchback automobile.Vehicles of this class are based on...
- List of car body styles
- Station wagonStation wagonA station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
- Shooting brake