Industry News: Hatchbacks Could Be Bucking the Downward Trend In Passenger Car Sales

[William Maley]

Hatchbacks have never sold well in the U.S., but that could be changing thanks to new entrants and hotted-up models. According to a forecast done by IHS Markit, sales of hatchbacks are projected climb 19 percent this year. By 2020, the firm projects sales of 567,000 hatchbacks. What has changed?

Some of this comes down to hatchbacks finding a niche market. Michelle Malcho, spokeswoman for Chevy cars and crossovers tells The Detroit News that active, urban buyers who are wanting a bit more functionality with their vehicle are turning to hatchbacks.

“I think the U.S. likes the functional thought. The hatch for some people offers that without stepping up to that next level ... It really does fit what you need to do on a daily basis,” said Malcho.

Helping out are new models and hotted-up versions. The Chevrolet Cruze hatchback made up 10 percent of the model's total sales in January. Over at Ford, the sales of hotted-up versions of the Fiesta and Focus grew 21 percent last year.

But Stephanie Brinley, senior analyst with IHS Automotive cautions this will only cause a slight spur some growth in the compact class.

“Hatchback sales have not traditionally been good in the U.S. It’s a relatively small opportunity ... they should help stem the losses in the (small car) segment,” said Brinley.

“The cars are just so much better than they were, and it’s no longer a penalty (to drive a hatchback). It’s taking a while, but people are starting to understand.”

Source: The Detroit News

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[David]

This totally makes sense, those that want the flexibility of a CUV interior but not the tall riding position will move to the Hatchback. Makes one wonder if we could see the ugly mid size Coupe 4 door sedan become a midsize 4 door hatchback?

[ocnblu]

Diesel baby... 52 MPG! 

[ccap41]

That's because hatchbacks freakin' rock. Same size interior plus the flexibility of a much larger vehicle. It sounds like a no-brainer to me.

[Stew]

Love hatches.  Would love to se Chevy come out with higher power, maybe 2.0 Turbo 4 Cruze Hatch preferably with AWD.  i would be right there. 

[Robert Hall]

2 hours ago, Stew said:

Love hatches.  Would love to se Chevy come out with higher power, maybe 2.0 Turbo 4 Cruze Hatch preferably with AWD.  i would be right there. 

I'd like to see a Malibu hatch...it already has a fastback roofline, a hatch could make it more practical w/ the same styling..

[hyperv6]

The hatch will still have a hard row to hoe. 

Americans are just becoming anti car in general be it coupe, sedan and hatch. 

They do love the versatility of a CUV but most also like the higher ride height and the option of a AWD at not a large cost. Many hatches either do not add it or it takes the price beyond what it should be for a car like a Cruze. 

Lets face it the small Buick CUV is doing better than a if it were a hatch sedan. 

Just look at the HHR as it was nothing but a Cobal wagon but it sold generally 5 times what a Cruze wagon would have sold. 

I love a hatch but in America make it look like a truck or SUV and it sells. This is a truck/SUV driven market as people just like them and feel they are getting more for their money. It is going to be difficult to change this with more CUV models coming sucking all the oxygen out of the market for the hatch. 

At least with the global market now you will get small volumes of hatches here that you never would have gotten other wise so all is not lost. 

Same applies to the wagon if not for global sales and Opel we would not be seeing the Regal wagon. Sad how good it looks and it will still sell in small volumes. It looks better than the sedan. 

 

[Frisky Dingo]

Glad I did my part!!

[ocnblu]

Diesel baby... 52 MPG!    < what is going on with this site?  I hit the "new comment" button and it dredges this up.

Anyhoo, are you saying hatches in America need to be outfitted like this little bugger to be appealing?

 

[David]

1 hour ago, ocnblu said:

Diesel baby... 52 MPG!    < what is going on with this site?  I hit the "new comment" button and it dredges this up.

Anyhoo, are you saying hatches in America need to be outfitted like this little bugger to be appealing?

 

Yup, they do.

Welcome to the new Revolution!  

[daves87rs]

Like the Cruze hatch....but it looks so short!

I think if I could look past that, I could see myself in one.....

[hyperv6]

Now use care when reporting hatch sales as you will see an increase in sales but they will report percentages. The true number of increases will be limited.

Lets face we will have more models that never existed.

Kind of like them saying Alfa sales doubled in December. While true the real numbers went from 23 to 52 models sold. This is why I hate them reporting percentages with lower volume models as it can be very misleading. We see it at Cadillac when they report a 15% drop but in sales but if you look it is 75 units of one model.

The worst thing for Cruze hatch sales are all the new CUV models GM is introducing. Their worst competition will be from within.

[Stew]

14 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I'd like to see a Malibu hatch...it already has a fastback roofline, a hatch could make it more practical w/ the same styling..

That wiould look good.  The way 6o get people into hatches, sadly, is to make them look like CUVs. 

[ccap41]

14 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I'd like to see a Malibu hatch...it already has a fastback roofline, a hatch could make it more practical w/ the same styling..

Has there ever been a hatch that large that wasn't a wagon or CUV?

[Robert Hall]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Has there ever been a hatch that large that wasn't a wagon or CUV?

Several.  Not US GM, but midsize hatches are common in Europe..such as the current Mondeo, Insignia, etc..Audi A7 and Panamera are two big ones in the US, for example.  

Edited February 14, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[FordCosworth]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Has there ever been a hatch that large that wasn't a wagon or CUV?

There was that awful Malibu Maxx thing from a few back. 

[David]

3 minutes ago, FordCosworth said:

There was that awful Malibu Maxx thing from a few back. 

Disagree with you as the Malibu Maxx had awesome rear space. You could be comfy or fit a ton of stuff in it. Style sucked, but the over all space was right on for big people.

[FordCosworth]

3 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Disagree with you as the Malibu Maxx had awesome rear space. You could be comfy or fit a ton of stuff in it. Style sucked, but the over all space was right on for big people.

It may have had good space. But that generation of Malibu was horrible. 

Squeaks, creaks, and groans ( interior and exterior ), shoddy front ends ( steering and suspension ), numerous electrical issues...

 

[David]

3 minutes ago, FordCosworth said:

It may have had good space. But that generation of Malibu was horrible. 

Squeaks, creaks, and groans ( interior and exterior ), shoddy front ends ( steering and suspension ), numerous electrical issues...

That I would totally agree with you on.

The Malibu Maxx was a great idea with poor execution.

Take that size and space with today's quality of built auto's and make a hatch out of it and there will be plenty of people who would love it.

[ccap41]

47 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Several.  Not US GM, but midsize hatches are common in Europe..such as the current Mondeo, Insignia, etc..Audi A7 and Panamera are two big ones in the US, for example.  

The A7 and Panamera are technically hatchbacks but they don't reward the owner with the space of a "conventional" hatchback like a Focus, Mazda3, or Golf.  They are "coupes" because that's about all the space behind the driver there is(exaggeration but the sloped roof line leaves the back tighter than the cars footprint would suggest).

20 minutes ago, dfelt said:

The Malibu Maxx was a great idea with poor execution.

That sounds like it summed it up perfectly.

Heck, I'm just curious what a mid size sedan would look like morphed into a real hatchback(not that A7/Panamera crap).

[FordCosworth]

Above is the Euo Ford Mondeo hatchback...Below is the Wagon

[ccap41]

See those hatchbacks like the Mondeo don't really add much utility to the car outside of a truck. Yes, there is a little more space and versatility but not a whole lot.

Why don't companies do a "short wagon" version of wagons and they would then look like a "normal" hatchback? Eliminate the rear overhang and it is no longer a wagon that people seem to be afraid of and is now a hatchback that less are afraid of and like.

[ccap41]

That's about the only different between a wagon and a hatch is the rear overhang.

[David]

51 minutes ago, FordCosworth said:

Above is the Euo Ford Mondeo hatchback...Below is the Wagon

Do they come in AWD?

29 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

That's about the only different between a wagon and a hatch is the rear overhang.

Not that much difference in overhang. What 6-8 inches maybe 10?

I would and feel all Hatches need to change one thing, the C pillar, that angle forward kills entry  and exit. I would rather have it go straight up and give maximum entry into the back seat.

[ccap41]

24 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Do they come in AWD?

Not that much difference in overhang. What 6-8 inches maybe 10?

I would and feel all Hatches need to change one thing, the C pillar, that angle forward kills entry  and exit. I would rather have it go straight up and give maximum entry into the back seat.

No there really isn't a whole lot of difference in a wagon vs hatch and that's why I was thinking a mid size hatch would sell because wagons just don't over here but hatches seem to do well enough. Yeah I can see what you're talking about on the C pillar. It's never bothered me but I'm also only 5'8" and not 6'6" and if they're going to make a mid sizer they would have to cater more to larger folk.

Does anybody here photoshop? I'd love for somebody to chop 8-10 inched off of the Mondeo Wagon just to see what it would look like.

[Robert Hall]

I like the fastback style hatches like the A7 and Mondeo.  The more vertical hatch works better for a wagon or CUV. 

[David]

^^^^^

I agree, who can Photoshop this for us and cut off the space between the rear wheels and the tail light. That would be interesting to see.

[Frisky Dingo]

The Fusion looks good as a wagon.

 

I saw a new A4 Allroad yesterday, and it looked fantastic.

[Robert Hall]

The current Euro Passat wagon is a really good looking car...saw a brown one in Scottsdale last year.

[ocnblu]

HAHAHA look at this adorable little dude!  He's like Alvin the Chipmunk!  2017 Spark Activ Manual in Toasted Marshmallow!

[balthazar]

On February 14, 2017 at 11:44 AM, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Several.  Not US GM...

Sure there were :

[Robert Hall]

36 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Sure there were :
 

I wasn't thinking of old cars..thinking modern era.  GM hasn't had any US market midsize hatchbacks that I can think of in recent decades except the goofy looking Malibu Maxx..

Edited February 17, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ocnblu]

Corsica was borderline, or "large compact".  Gorgeous hatchback bodystyle available.

[Robert Hall]

15 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Corsica was borderline, or "large compact".  Gorgeous hatchback bodystyle available.

 

Don't think I've ever seen a Corsica described as 'gorgeous'..thought of them, but decided that was too long ago..vehicles GM did 20-45 years ago aren't relevant to the thread.

[hyperv6]

HHR was a tall Cobalt wagon Hatch.
 

So in essence the Cruze hatch and the HHR hatch both were in the same class and similar sized platform. In fact the Cruze is the HHR equal in size and platform.

The problem is the Cruze will never sell in the numbers the HHR did due to the fact is does not look like a SUV. Also the lack of hatch room in the back with the seat up renders the Cruze hatch less usable with 4 people in it.

Edited February 17, 2017 by hyperv6

[David]

Lets Just admit it, that society has moved on from their love affair with cars to a love affair with CUVs.

[Robert Hall]

31 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Lets Just admit it, that society has moved on from their love affair with cars to a love affair with CUVs.

True. I've long liked SUVs, am warming to CUVs.  Practicality is winning.  So many cars are just too impractical with their tiny trunks and lack of space. 

[ccap41]

11 hours ago, ocnblu said:

HAHAHA look at this adorable little dude!  He's like Alvin the Chipmunk!  2017 Spark Activ Manual in Toasted Marshmallow!

That color kicks so much ass! Maybe it's just a great picture of it or maybe it's actually cool but it looks awesome in this picture.

[David]

12 hours ago, ocnblu said:

HAHAHA look at this adorable little dude!  He's like Alvin the Chipmunk!  2017 Spark Activ Manual in Toasted Marshmallow!

Nice Ocnblu, the photographer did an outstanding job of using bounce lighting to highlight the side profile, the body lines, plus the warm color just makes it over all an outstanding looking Spark!  

[daves87rs]

Like the Cruze hatch....but it looks so short!

I think if I could look past that, I could see myself in one.....

 

 

Seen 5 hatches in the last week.....

[balthazar]

Having had a Jeep Liberty in the driveway for a year now, I have no problem with CUVs (tho being BOF, perhaps the Liberty is an SUV). But it has a passable amount of room in it, esp with the rear seat folded (flat).
SO many of these uber-teensy CUVs have room for 2 grocery bags, but I agree; it's not that they are appealing, it's that cars have gotten so cramped.

IMO; OEMs F-ed up when they strove to make cars smaller & smaller; first it forced truck sales to explode, then SUVs, now CUVs. Meanwhile convert & coupes are like woolly mammoths anymore. I know it's not going to happen (and I don't believe it will, either), but in the day when a mid-size car was 200-in and a full size was around 212 and larger, the insides, the rear seat and the trunks were immense. There were only a few SUVs and trucks were for farmers.

Edited March 5, 2017 by balthazar

[David]

Seems for the first time ever, Chevy Cruze beat all the Asian and German compact cars. Consumer Reports says the best compact to buy is the Chevy Cruze, beating the long time leaders from Honda and Toyota.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cruze/2016-chevrolet-cruze-review/