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. The vehicle commonly has two rows of seats, with the rear seat able to fold down to increase cargo space.

Terminology

Hatchback vehicles are functionally similar to station wagons (which are intended to carry large volumes), but distinguished by a (much) smaller load area. 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. A good example of the difference can be seen in the 1999-2007 Ford Focus, which offers both a wagon (Focus ZTW) and hatchback (Focus ZT3 and ZT5) models. The 2002-2007 Mazda 6 also came in five-door hatchback and wagon configurations.

Alternatively, cars with a longer rear end need a much more slanted rear window which is known as a liftback, in comparison to traditional hatchbacks where the tailgate is more vertical/upright. Liftbacks are sedan-size cars with a fastback profile and a hatchback-type tailgate. However, the term "liftback" did not gain such mainstream acceptance as "hatchback" or "sedan", for instance being almost never used in the United Kingdom where liftback cars are particularly popular. There, 5-door liftbacks are in general called hatchbacks, though 3-door liftbacks are often referred to as coupés by certain automakers, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class.

Typically, most compact cars offer a hatchback configuration, while midsize and larger cars have a wagon style. There are some exceptions, with compact wagons such as the BMW 3-Series (E36), Ford Focus ZTW, Toyota Corolla Fielder, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate. These four lineups have or had hatchback configurations as well, such as the 3-Series hatchback, Focus ZT3 and ZT5, Corolla Matrix (or simply Matrix), and CLC-Class (formerly the C-Class Sportcoupe).

Description

The tailgate is also referred to as the hatch. Hatchbacks are often described as three-door (two entry doors and the hatch) or five-door (four entry doors and the hatch) cars. In Europe, city cars, superminis, and small family cars are usually hatchbacks.

Small cars often incorporate a hatch tailgate to make the best use of available space. 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).

Hatchbacks frequently include fold-down rear seats, which enable a substantial portion of the interior space to be used as a cargo area. Usually, the rear seat can be folded partially (for instance 1/2, 1/3 or 2/3) or completely to expand the cargo space.