A car body style with a rear hatch that opens to access the cargo area. Common in compact cars, hot hatches, and crossover designs.
Hatchback is a car body style with a rear hatch (a single panel covering the rear cargo area, typically including the rear window) that opens upward to access cargo. Hatchbacks combine passenger and cargo areas into a single space, providing flexibility in cargo configuration. The format is particularly popular in compact and subcompact cars where interior space efficiency is important.
Hatchback variants include three-door (with two front passenger doors plus the rear hatch), five-door (with two front and two rear passenger doors plus the rear hatch), and shooting brake (a sport-coupe derivative with extended cargo area). The Volkswagen Golf, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Elantra are all available in hatchback variants alongside sedan variants. Hot hatches (Civic Type R, Volkswagen Golf GTI, etc.) are typically hatchback-only or hatchback-emphasized.
Modern hatchback design has evolved with crossover SUVs that share many hatchback characteristics (rear hatch, fold-down rear seats, extended cargo capacity). The line between large hatchback and small SUV has blurred. Some manufacturers (Volkswagen Tiguan, Toyota RAV4) market vehicles as crossovers when they could equally be classified as raised hatchbacks. The hatchback format remains influential in modern car design.