Section Contents:- The Pininfarina -designed 1958 Austin A40 was the first car to introduce the lack of side windows over the load space.(More...)
- Whatever your needs, you'll find first-hand impressions and professional opinions about the new Hatchback models that most interest you like the popular new Honda Fit or the Audi A3.(More...)
- Hatchbacks are also referred to as 3-door or 5-door cars with the back liftgate or "hatch" being considered another entry point.(More...)
- This web site is dedicated to the fifth generation (EG) Honda Civic hatchback.(More...)
The Pininfarina -designed 1958 Austin A40 was the first car to introduce the lack of side windows over the load space. It had a tailgate that was split horizontally rather than in a single unit hinged at the top. However, the 1962 Italian-built Innocenti version, called the A40S Combinata, had a single-unit tailgate, so that car had all the features of the modern hatchback.
[1] Sports cars like the Jaguar E-Type, Toyota 2000GT, and Datsun 240Z were fitted with rear tailgates, but had only one row of seats. While they may be called 3 door cars, they are not generally considered hatchbacks.
[1] Especially in smaller models, hatchbacks are often truncated, with the tailgate nearly vertical, to reduce the car's footprint. This is an important consideration in countries where small streets and traffic congestion are big factors (see for instance the Japanese Kei cars ).
[1] The term hatchback is typically used in reference to small or compact cars, with a smaller trunk than other vehicles. Recently some car manufacture even mark their hatchback vehicle as Mini MPV or Compact MPV.
[1] Detroit manufacturers mostly switched to offering small cars with trunks; customers who wanted versatility began turning to sport utility vehicles as well as minivans. By the early 2000s, the New York Times commented that hatchbacks were the automotive equivalent of sitcoms starring former " Seinfeld " cast members; "no one wants to be associated with them."
[1] Hatchbacks have proved to be less popular in developing countries in South America, Africa, and some parts of Asia than in Europe, and as a result, manufacturers have had to develop sedan versions of their small cars.
[1] 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 was not replaced in 1993). These models were also sold in South Africa and China.
[1] After the introduction of several fastbacks in the late 1960s, hatchbacks gradually became commonplace in North America in the early 1970s as some novel hatchback and liftback models from America's Big Three automakers started appearing in showrooms, soon followed by imports from Japan and Europe. General Motors produced hatchback versions of its Chevrolet Nova, Vega, Monza models, as well as the Pontiac Sunfire, and Buick Skyhawk.
[1] The European-built Ford Fiesta was added later in the decade. The Chrysler Corporation was late in producing hatchbacks for the U.S., developing the Volkswagen-like Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon twins with its European operations and placing them on sale in North America in the 1978 model year.
[1] Two low-slung hatchback coup"s, originally part of the Omni/Horizon lineup but later marketed as separate cars under the Dodge Charger and Plymouth Turismo names, debuted the following year.
[1] Hatchbacks quickly became regular winners of the European Car of the Year award.
[1] More similar cars followed over the decade, including the updated Opel Kadett, Vauxhall Astra, Renault 19, Fiat Tipo, and second generation Rover 200. Alfa Romeo's venture into this market, the Nissan -based Arna, was one of the few unsuccessful European small family hatchbacks of the 1980s.
[1] In the 1970s, the Rover SD1, Renault 30, and Saab 900 attempted to introduce the hatchback style into the executive car market, with limited success.
[1] The first car launched by the then-new British Leyland (albeit a British Motor Corporation design) was the 1968 Austin Maxi, a five-speed, front-wheel drive hatchback.
[1] Many sports and mid-sized cars are also designed using a variation of hatchback design, sometimes called a liftback.
[1] By the early 1980s, most small family cars produced in Europe were hatchbacks.
[1] The market acceptance of larger, more exclusive and expensive passenger cars with the hatchback style has been even more difficult than in Europe.
[1] The typical hatchback roof rakes down steeply behind the C-Pillar, resulting in very little car length behind the rear wheels and thus no room for a side window over the load area.
[1] Manufacturers have even been forced to offer a notchback version of cars that are sold only as hatchbacks elsewhere to comply with the preferences of local clients, as with the Citro"n C-Triomphe.
[1] SUVs, station wagons and minivans often have the top-hinged tailgate that is one of the features of the hatchback car.
[1] Hatchbacks are often described as three-door (two entry doors and the hatch) or five-door (four entry doors and the hatch) cars.
[1] Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window.
[1] Hatchbacks typically have a parcel shelf: a rigid shelf covering the cargo space that is hinged behind the rear seats and lifts with the tailgate.
[1] Two other early contenders are the 1949 Kaiser-Frazer Vagabond and Traveler hatchbacks. Although these were styled much like the typical 1940s sedan, they incorporated an innovative split rear tailgate instead of a trunk and folding rear seats.
[1] In many countries from all regions of the world, where a hatchback and a conventional sedan are available for the same model, the sedan model is often preferred by consumers.
[1] In 2003, a GM/Toyota joint venture 5-door hatchback was created in two models -- the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe.
[1] The first German hatchback was the Volkswagen Passat (Dasher in North America) of 1973, followed by the more popular Volkswagen Golf (Rabbit in North America), as well as the Audi 50, the first German supermini hatchback, in 1974.
[1] The 1990s saw small family hatchbacks firmly pitch themselves as the most popular auto sector in Europe.
[1] By contrast, Ford seems to be giving up on the market segment, with the Focus hatchback having been phased out even as a second-generation Focus is available as a hatchback in Europe.
[1] Ford offered a Pinto "Runabout" hatchback (and a Mercury Bobcat twin) in tandem with a trunked Pinto fastback.
[1] The 1980s began with the launch of two more front-wheel drive hatchbacks: the Ford Escort and Lancia Delta.
[1] Hatchbacks are popular in India with about 80% of all passenger vehicles sold in the country.
[1] Hatchback vehicles are functionally similar to station wagons (which are intended to carry large volumes), but distinguished by a (much) smaller load area.
[1] The Hornet was restyled and renamed the Concord (a Concord hatchback was made for 1978 and 1979 only) while smaller Gremlin was restyled and renamed the AMC Spirit in 1979.
[1] The Pacer's aerodynamic and jelly bean shaped hatchback stood out among the square, formal, box-type designs that were prevalent all the way through the early 1980s.
[1] The first all-Italian hatchback was the Autobianchi Primula, which went into production during 1964.
[1] Understandably, since the term is an approximation, the credit for the first hatchback is attributed to several manufacturers.
[1] Eventually the Chrysler brand offered a LeBaron hatchback which resembled a Saab.
[1] By the middle of the 2000s, a small hatchback resurgence took place in the United States for automakers that could tone down the emphasis on cheapness and excessive practicality.
[1] Hatchbacks frequently include fold-down rear seats, which enable a substantial portion of the interior space to be used as a cargo area.
[1] Ford and Volkswagen held on to selling basic hatchbacks in North America, as Ford's Focus debuted in 2000 with a hatchback model and Volkswagen's fourth-generation Golf included the base three-door model that the previous car had largely lacked.
[1] The New MINI range is a success, and the big three Japanese automakers all offered hatchback models by 2006; Toyota had the Yaris, Nissan launched the Versa, and Honda debuted the Fit.
[1] American Motors (AMC) joined the hatchback market at the start of the decade with America's first sub-compact, the AMC Gremlin that was styled in the Kammback fashion. AMC introduced a hatchback version to its larger Hornet models in 1973.
[1] DaimlerChrysler replaced the trunked Dodge Neon with the Dodge Caliber, a five-door hatchback designed to look like a miniature SUV, in 2006. Chevrolet sells a hatchback version of its Korean-built Aveo.
[1] 
Whatever your needs, you'll find first-hand impressions and professional opinions about the new Hatchback models that most interest you like the popular new Honda Fit or the Audi A3. [2] All Hatchback reviews include comparisons, interior and exterior analysis, options & features, and test drives.
[2] Hatchbacks are also referred to as 3-door or 5-door cars with the back liftgate or "hatch" being considered another entry point. [3] In the 1990s hatchbacks became increasingly rare in North America but have since emerged in the mid 2000s with the Ford Focus, BMW-built Mini Cooper, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, and Honda Fit.
[3] This web site is dedicated to the fifth generation (EG) Honda Civic hatchback. This includes the 1992-1995 Honda Civic hatchbacks. The purpose of this site is to educate and inform others about these cars, as well as to put 5th generation Honda Civic hatchback owners in contact with other owners and resources.
[4] In October 2006, Hatchback Media sold Slice and AHT to Serious Eats
Serious Eats, a start-up food site focused on sharing food enthusiasm through blogs and online community.
[5] 
