hatchback

A car design in which the rear trunk and lid are replaced by a rear hatch that includes the backlight (i.e., rear window). Usually the rear seat folds down to accommodate more luggage. Originally a hatch was a small opening in the deck of a sailing ship. The term "hatch" was later applied to airplane doors and to passenger cars with rear liftgates. Various models appeared in the early 1950s, but weather-tightness was a problem. The concept emerged again in the early 1970s, when fuel economy factors began to signal the trend toward compact cars. Technology had remedied the sealing difficulties. By the 1980s, most manufacturers produced one or more hatchback models, though the question of whether to call them "two-door" or "three-door" never was resolved. Their main common feature was the lack of a separate trunk. "Liftback" coupes may have had a different rear-end shape, but the two terms often described essentially the same vehicle.

Also see

five-door hatchback

four-door hatchback

liftback station wagon