A hatchback is a car with a cargo-access door (a hatch) on the rear of the vehicle that opens to the passenger compartment. The hatch is typically a liftgate with hinges on the top, so it is simple to open and pass cargo through. The primary advantage of a hatchback is that it allows easy access to cargo stored in the rear of the vehicle’s interior.
Hatchbacks are often classified into 3-door vehicles and 5-door vehicles. A 3-door hatchback generally consists of two passenger-entry doors and the hatch, while a 5-door hatchback consists of two passenger doors in front, two doors for the second row of seating, and the hatch.
The hatchback body style originated in the 1930s, although the term hatchback has only been in everyday use since the 1970s. A hatchback is a body-style option for a vehicle model and is available on several types of cars, including compacts, family cars, sports cars, and executive cars. A hatchback may also be sold under a separate model name from the sedan version but still be similar except for the rear end.
The hatch in the rear of the vehicle makes hatchbacks more convenient for loading cargo, especially long or bulky objects. You may be able to increase the length of the cargo space even further by folding the rear seat down in some hatchback models.
