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Hatchback

classic ad watch

'78 Civic Fits Four Shopping Bags, Will Fit In '08 Civic's Glovebox

No car illustrates the concept of Long Term Model Bloat better than the Civic (for a good example of Short Term Model Bloat, compare the 1970 Mercury Cougar with the 1974 version). Here's Honda boasting about the ability of the '78 Civic hatch's ability to swallow four shopping bags. The '78 Civic hatchback weighed 1,708 pounds... about 1,000 pounds less than the '08 Civic sedan.

gadgets

Rucksack Is A Sack, To Give Your Hatch's Booty Some More Back

Yes, when you bought that hatchback you thought you would have more than enough room to grow, but one marriage and 2.5 kids later the hatch's back no longer has the cushion for all the crap you're pushing in. Don't splurge on the minivan, yet, just invest in a super trendy and cool Rucksack! Think of the Rucksack as a backpack for your hatchback. It straps on the hatch door and provides more than four cubic feet of extra space for all of those things that randomly accumulate in any family-mobile. You know, like soccer balls, Dora the Explorer videos, and empty orange bottles of "Mother's little helper." More »

tuners

Abt Sportsline Tunes VW R32, Hits 370 HP Note

The German tuners of Abt Sportsline have had their way with the VW Golf R32 taking the well-known and already sporty hot hatch down the road of higher horsepower. Although you'd never expect it with such few changes Abt's made to the exterior shell. Although Abt gives their R32 a new side skirt, blackened chrome dual pipes and of course, 19-inch wheels and Abt decals, very little else signals the changes Abt's got going on under that blue bonnet.

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geneva motor show

Ford Fiesta 3 and 5 Door Live And In Color, Retina-Searing Color

Lord almighty these cars are bright in person. Ford went ahead and dropped the real deal Ford Fiesta on us and they went out of their way to slather then in colors the Joker would be very proud of. We're pretty excited by the idea of a compact Ford in the market again, though we don't have confirmation yet on the 5 door coming stateside yet. One thing the original (good) Focus was never faulted for was its handling, and it's something Ford has figured out which we're hoping transfers to a potentially more flickable car.

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geneva motor show

New Mazda2 3-Door To Debut At Geneva On The Fourth Of March, We Want Five

We're already big fans of Mazda's mini hatch, the Mazda2. It's sharp looking, safe, relatively quick and unpretentious. Up until now, there's only been the five-door and sedan version, which recently debuted in China. Not wanting to let a segment go unfilled, Mazda will be debuting the Mazda2 three-dour hatchback at the Geneva Motor. They've only released this image of the rear three-quarter view, but it seems to retain all the hotness of the other versions and will come equipped with the same engines. Photos of the other variants and the press release below.

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tokyo auto show

Tokyo Motor Show: Subaru G4e EV Concept

We hear electricity is going to be huge someday, though we're not sure Subaru got the same memo. The company rolled out its all-electric G4e concept concept car in Tokyo, thought it was outshined handily by the new Impreza STI. The small hatch combines underfloor Li-on batteries with seating for five and a relatively meager 124-mile charge range. Sure, the designers got the spacial engineering right, but we get the feeling Soob's rally-spirit heart just isn't in this one.

spy photos

Ford Focus RS

If you're following our drive time in the latest US-model Ford Focus, you'll be pleased to know Europeans will soon have another reason to gloat. It's the Ford Focus RS, soon to succeed the quick-and-agile (and none too ugly) Focus ST. It's the Ford Focus RS, a hot hatch powered by a 3.0-liter in-line six producing 300 horsepower. Note the large air intakes at the front, alloy wheels and rear wing. To make matters more trackworthy, Motorsports engineering firm Prodrive is working up the Focus's all-wheel-drive system, which along with the engine is likely from the Volvo parts bin. Look for the Fordian rival to the Subaru Impreza STI and Mitsubishi Evo X at the Geneva show next March. [World Car Fans]

new cars

Hatchback Hello: GM to Plug Astra With Test Drives to Win Friends

Some skeptics say the hatchback will never return en mass to the states. Others say high gas prices will release demand for such odd-door models, just like during the great hatch invasion of the late-1970s. Of course, the new (for the US) Saturn Astra is no bargain-basement hatch; GM announced it'll start at nearly $16,000 and likely break 20 grand with not many swipes at the options list. To stack the odds in its favor, GM's taking the Astra on a coast-to-coast driveathon to win friends and influence same to take one home. It's the latest tactic supporting the General's strategy of raiding Opel's drawing room to fatten the Saturn catalog. We're standing by. If this works, the odds may be better that we'll get a version of the hotter, Opelfied OPC version. Then, the insertion of hot hatchness will be complete. Viva! More »

frankfurt auto show

Frankfurt Auto Show: New European Chevrolet Aveo Has Huge Boot And Overbite To Match

There's a new Chevrolet Aveo hatchback for Europe and as we've already shown you, it's got a new front face with a gaping wide mouth. Still has the same great storage space and fuel economy it's always had and hey, now you can get an auto tranny on this as of now European only model. (Yes, we know a Aveo hatch exists in the US, but it doesn't have anywhere near as great of an overbite — yet) We'll actually read the press release when we've had a moment to breathe, but for the moment check it out yourself after the jump.
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diesel

Euro Honda Civic Spotted in Detroit Is Diesel Prototype

Thanks to Kamran for the tip that the 2007 Honda Civic five-door hatch — the Euro model — spotted in Detroit is a prototype turbodiesel Civic — the 2.2-liter iCDTi. Most credible sources say we'll have to wait a couple of years to see the first Honda diesels in the states, but some journos got an advance drive earlier this year. Click through for specs. [UPDATE: New photos. Looks like it was bought from a dealer in Switzerland.] [via Clean MPG] More »

tokyo auto show

Audi A1 Hybrid Coming to Tokyo

What's small, has four rings and sports a hybrid-drive system? Time's up, bitchez! It's the Audi A1 minicar, which Germany's Auto Motor und Sport says will appear at the Tokyo Motor Show this October powered by the company's new hybrid drive system. The new premium-entry hatch will reportedly go on sale in 2010, and could spawn a new Q1 small SUV. No steak sauce jokes, please, we're over it. [Auto Motor und Sport via Motor Authority]

frankfurt auto show

High-Mileage Volvo C30 to Debut in Frankfurt

Volvo says it's showing a special-edition Volvo C30 in Frankfurt that offers a few energy-efficiency tweaks, giving it an estimated 52 miles per gallon. It's powered by a 1.6-liter turbodiesel and fitted with a new autobox that reduces torque loss during upshifts, which Volvo says boosts efficiency by eight percent. It's called Powershift, and it's the equivalent of two manual gearboxes controlled by separate clutches. Along with VW's BlueMotion and Mercedes's Bluetec, the model furthers the idea that this year's Frankfurt show will be all about the cleaner diesels. Hybrid who? More »

mini porker

Over the Back Fence: A Hatchback From Porsche?

A Golf-sized hatchback from Porsche? It could be in the works if Germany's car rumor-swirler AutoZeitung is on the mark. Most loose talk about Porsche has focused on a new mini SUV, sometimes dubbed the "Roxster." But the specter of stiffening C02 emissions regulations in Europe could mean the arrival of an even smaller Porsche. That is, an entry-level hatchback. AutoZeitung says it's already in the works, and set to be produced after the Panamera four-door hits in 2009. The smallest of Porsches will reportedly be developed using VW parts, and get a 295-hp boxer engine, lifted from the Boxster, though front mounted. A new compact all-wheel-drive system would send power to the four corners. Although purists may balk, we'd hitch our laptop to something like this in a heartbeat. And of course, the BMW 135i totally needs another playmate. [via Motor Authority]

frankfurt auto show

Another Side to the C'eed: Kia Reveals Back of Hatch

It may just look like the rear section of a run-of-the-mill European hatchback to you, but to Kia it's yet another facet of its new C'eed three-door, the company's most important model in the grab-a-piece-of Europe sweepstakes. Earlier this month we saw the front, of ex-Audi designer Peter Schreyer's continental design. The rear reminds us of Opels and Volkswagens and other such asymmetrically portal'd runabouts. That's exactly what Kia doesn't want, though we're not sure a few carve-outs placed strategically are enough to make the C'eed a standout in a hatch-crowded market. We'll see in Frankfurt.

frankfurt auto show

Kia Reveals Three-Door Cee'd

It may not look like a big deal, but the Kia C'eed three-door hatch is the most significant vehicle to hit European shores since that 1911 Gräf & Stift Rois De Blougne tourer blew a rod, killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand and subsequently starting World War I. Maybe not quite that, but the C'eed three door is significant for its leading-edge design by former Audi scribbler and head of Kia's European design office, Peter Schreyer. The Slovakian-built hatch will show up at the Frankfurt show before going on sale, continentally, in December, competing with such C-segment mainstays as the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Vauxhall "Prince Henry." More »

spotted

BMW 1-Series Spotted in Long Beach, Cal-i-forn-i-a

Long time Jalop lurker and new buddy John spotted a BMW 1-Series on the streets of Long Beach, sans badging, and nabbed it by cameraphone.
I saw this on my way home yesterday (along Ocean Blvd. heading away from the Ports of LA & Long Beach) and didn't recognize it. No badges, but it had dealer plates and was following another beamer (also with dealer plates).
Although a new, 1-Series coupe is reportedly headed this way, it won't likely be a hatch like this one. (It'll be the one with the trunk). Some company man's probably just having a bit of a laugh. Still, it cruises the LB as if it belonged there. We could almost picture Dub Allstars and the Carpenters sharing a sandwich and gossiping about inline sixes. More »

plotting a hatch

Peugeot Reveals New 308

So long 307, we hardly knew ye. Actually, we didn't know ye at all. But no matter, countless Journos from around the world praised the 307's deftness, voting it the European Car of the Year for 2002. Oh, who are we kidding. It was chastised roundly as being an also-ran to the Ford Focus, a lemon-in-waiting and as dynamic as Brittany butter. In light of these flaws, there are high hopes for its replacement, the new 308, revealed this week. No word on performance figures yet, but it will share a base, 120 hp, 1.6-liter engine with the new 207. That's the same engine PSA developed with BMW for the Mini cooper. Does that mean the 308 will shed its doggy image? We'll see after its arrival at the Frankfurt motor show in September. More »

news

Volkswagen AG: No Scirocco for US!

Bah. After all the loose talk over the past year, we now must report the Volkswagen Scirocco won't make it to the states after all. The Paris launch for the Iroc Concept should have tipped us that the company was planning a Euro blitz without corresponding US assault. According to Automotive News, Adrian Hallmark, EVP of Volkswagen of America Inc., said emphatically, "We don't want it." (Who's this we, white man?) Nonetheless, skeptics' assertions that that the Scirocco would never be allowed to cannibalize sales of the GTI were on the money; both cars are built from the Golf platform. Also, VW America isn't sold on the potential for coupes and hatchbacks in the US market. That'll teach us to let nostalgia get the better of our judgment. More »