The word “hatchback” has always been a hard concept to swallow here in the U.S. and the automotive landscape here is littered with the rusted remains and shattered marketing strategies of those manufacturers that attempted to market one as a mainstream model. But with gas passing the $4 per gallon barrier and the car market in turmoil, things may be changing.
The dork factor and some history
Let’s be honest. For most Americans, nothing in your automotive wardrobe says “nerd” more than a hatchback. For those of us at LotPro.com that are boomers, any car equipped with a tailgate reminds us of those tinny little econoboxes from the 1970’s – smaller, cheaper versions of the station wagons we were forced to ride in (and drive) when we were growing up. The American automobile market reflects this aversion: the number of performance cars that are available as a hatchback – such as the GTI, R32, Mazdaspeed3 and Audi A3 – constitute a small percentage of the overall sport sedan market.
The original hatchback dates back to 1938, with the introduction of the Citroen Traction Avant. While there were a number of successful designs after the Second World War, none is more famous than the MINI, first introduced in 1959. Not only was it the best selling vehicle in history in England, it set the standard for the classic hatchback: front wheel drive, front and back seats with seating for at least 4, plus a roofline that extended to the rear window and a rear hatch that, when lifted, allowed access to a storage area behind the rear seats.
While Americans flocked to dealerships in the 70’s to buy hatchbacks, most sales were a result of the oil crisis. Once gas became readily available and prices dropped, the only people who drove hatchbacks were those that were unable to afford the more traditional Detroit iron.
That, as they say, was then.
With gas prices headed back to the stratosphere, Americans are changing their buying patterns much more rapidly than any CAFE legislation could possibly accomplish. Fortunately, there are a number of high-quality, fun-to-drive hatchbacks in today’s market. You can even find a number of them with base prices under $15,000.
Every time we put together a list of highly entertaining, fuel efficient vehicles, the Fit immediately comes to mind. With its “magic seat” configurations, the Fit offers 5 different seating and cargo combinations. Passenger volume, at 90 cubic feet, is only slightly less than the previous generation Accord Coupe. Six airbags, ABS and electronic brake distribution are all standard, as is air conditioning, power windows, locks and mirrors.
Choosing the hatchback version of the Rio will give you an upgrade in the wheel/tire department to 15” alloys, along with a better tire package. It’s also better looking than its sedan sibling and a better handling vehicle than its cousin, the Hyundai Accent. Passenger volume is an impressive 92 cubic feet, while cargo volume offers an additional 16 cubic feet (this is, after all, why we’re looking at hatchbacks).Nissan Versa
Okay, the styling does take some time to get used to. But the lack of style is more than made up by the Versa’s utility. Passenger volume is 94.7 cubic feet and cargo volume brings an additional 17.8 cubic feet to the party – 4 more than its sedan counterpart. An AM/FM/CD sound system is standard, along with full instrumentation that includes a tachometer. All Versas (Versai?) come equipped with front, side as well as front and rear side curtain airbags.
Our Canadian friends will recognize the Suzuki Reno as the recently deceased Chevrolet Optra. Both are/were built by GM’s Korean subsidiary Daewoo. Unlike the Versa, the Reno was styled by Italdesign, making it much easier on the eyes. What this Suzuki lacks in cargo volume (8.8 cubic feet) it more than makes up for in passenger volume – a generous 103.6 cubic feet. Power windows, power locks and air conditioning are all standard, as are power, heated, outside rearview mirrors and 4 wheel disc brakes.
Tags: abs, accord coupe, audi a3, cafe, citroen, daewoo, gti, Honda, Honda Fit, KIA, kia rio5, mazdaspeed3, MINI, Nissan, nissan versa, optra, r32, Suzuki, suzuki reno
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