We're Starting to Get in on Europe's Hatchback Feast
Anyone who goes to a European car show is sure come talking about hatchbacks. Every car manufacturer has two or three or more over there, and if you take a walk in any European city, that is mostly what people drive (followed by wagons and strange-looking minivans). It's enough to make someone like me wistful -- I'm single, and while I don't necessarily need a backseat that I can use everyday, I do like the idea of having plenty of cargo space, something that nearly every hatchback offers. And finally, some of these vehicles are making their way to the U.S...
It's no surprise the Mini Cooper has done well here, what with its cute-from-every-angle body. But within a year of so, we'll get the Volvo C30, a truly modern-looking hatchback that looks just as good and offers a bit more room. No question, people in my situation will buy this car.
Still, Volvo is hedging its bets a little. While the European market (which will account for 75% of C30 sales) will see a range of fuel-efficient gasoline and diesel engines, we're only going to get the "T5" powerplant from the S40 sedan. With 218 hp, our C30 will be quick, and Volvo will give a sport suspension (sportier than the sport suspension on the S40) so that it can be marketed as a sporty coupe. Nothing wrong with that, but it would be nice if there were enough demand for hatches here so we could get some of the high-mileage powerplants as well.
It's not just Volvo that offers this wider selection in Europe, either. For almost any U.S. car that you can name, you can count on the fact that its European version has 2 or 3 times as many engine options. Take the Toyota Yaris, for instance. Our ungainly-looking three-door hatch accelerates decently and has a 34 mpg city/40 mpg highway rating. In Europe, though, you can get a much better looking five door hatch with a diesel engine option that gives it over 50 mpg in combined city and highway driving. Alas, Toyota probably wouldn't offer that version here even if the diesel did meet emissions regulations -- why spend more on a Prius if you can get the same numbers from a economy subcompact?
- Posted by
- Erin Riches October 9, 2006, 10:22 AM
- Permalink
- Categories:
- Family Cars and Concerns
Erin,
Do you think that the lack of hatches in the U.S. is partly because American consumers have gone sour on the hatch concept since the '70s? Or is it that automakers are worried about cannibalizing other subcompact/compact sales? What would it take to bring the hatch back?
I suppose the answer to your last question is that some people don't want a subcompact but still want the same mileage.
But yeah, this is a great trend. I just wish there were more to it; we're still missing the hatches from Ford, Honda, BMW, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Peugeot, Renault...
I really hope we see more new hatches over here. I'm really looking forward to the new "premium" hatchs, as I think those will help shed the image (over here) that hatches are primarily bottom-feeder models of any given car line.
I have an '06 WRX Limited wagon, which overseas is marked as a 5-door hatch in some markets.
If this vehicle had more sound deadening (waaaaaay too much road noise!), it would be about perfect. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming all-new '08 WRX, which will be built off the (much quieter) Legacy platform.