car styles explained: hatchback

Just go back ten years and the UK market was completely dominated by hatchbacks and saloons. It’s not hard to see why.

If you want a car that is practical, comfortable, affordable, fuel-efficient, safe, low maintenance, and easy to drive, hatchbacks could be the ideal choice.

Why buy a hatchback?

Ask many people what their dream car is and they may answer with “a sports car” or “a convertible.” Truthfully, while those cars may offer style and charisma, they don’t generally offer the practicality of hatchbacks.

That practicality comes in a variety of shapes and sizes – whether that’s excellent fuel efficiency, strong performance, sharp handling or reliability you can set your watch to. What’s more, because hatchbacks tend to be among the most popular cars, repair costs are often relatively low, and resale value usually holds up quite well too.

On top of this, they are low maintenance and have enhanced storage space. Hatchbacks can be a little noisier than their saloon counterparts – due to that open area all the way back to the rear window – but beyond that the upsides such as extra space for luggage and people outweigh the relatively small downsides. Hatchback cars usually fall into a cheaper insurance group and have many useful features without a high price tag. New models may include Bluetooth and cruise control and cost less than £10,000 – or even less from our trusted UK dealers. Not many types of cars offer state of the art features for so little! For everyday life, it’s hard to beat a hatchback.

The difference between hatchbacks and saloon

These are fundamental differences between these two types of motors.

● A hatchback is a two-box design.

● A saloon is a three-box design A hatchback is defined by its hatch-type rear door. This attaches at the roof and opens upwards. Hatchbacks also have a two-box design. This is when the car’s cabin and boot are both parts of the same space inside – one box is taken up by the cabin and boot while the second box contains the car’s engine.

A saloon differs from a hatchback as it has a three-box design. This simply means that its cabin, boot, and engine are all parts of different internal spaces. A saloon’s boot lid is connected underneath the car’s rear window.

However, there are also some other key differences between the two styles.

● Hatchbacks tend to be more compact in size.

● Saloons are generally more expensive and include more premium models.

Which one you choose is down to what you need and your personal preferences. Hatchback boots tend to be more practical for carrying bulky items such as prams or golf sets, and the interior space tends to feel more airy.

Making the most of boot space

Saloon boots are usually narrower and more restrictive, which can result in harder-to-reach items sitting for long periods at the very back of the boot, while many prefer hatchbacks because of their more accessible boots.

If you’re looking for out and out storage volume, hatchbacks usually come out on top. However, you can expect to see variances across car makes. The new Mazda3 saloon, for instance, has almost 100 litres more capacity than the Mazda3 hatchback.

Best hatchback cars on the market today

There are a range of hatchbacks on the market. It’s such a wide-ranging style – from a flip-back city car like the Kia Picanto and Citroën C1 all the way up to the now genre-defining Tesla Model S all-electric model – that choice in the hatchback segment is made up of endless possibilities. Some of the most popular hatchbacks include:

· Volkswagen Golf

· Honda Civic

· Ford Focus

· Toyota Yaris

· Vauxhall Corsa

What suits you best depends on your needs and what you use your car for.