Text/Civil
Opening the car sales charts, perhaps the sales rankings vary from month to year, but what remains constant must be that sedans and SUVs are competing, and hatchbacks never seem to have names. This is not difficult to analyze, after all, mainland consumers have more requirements for the space of the car. Hatchbacks have gradually become something that performance-seeking consumers communicate in their own small circles.
There are only a few hatchbacks that can be named now, such as the Audi A3 hatchback, Fox hatchback, Civic hatchback, Volkswagen Golf, and the newly promoted domestic small steel gun Lynk & Co 02 Hatchback.
It is believed that some consumers also pay attention to hatchback models, but because of family reasons, they still choose sedan models. There may also be many consumers who don't even know what the difference is. Are the two simply one-sided due to the difference in space size? Below we conduct a multifaceted analysis.
Differences in the model structure of hatchbacks and sedans:
Hatchback: In foreign countries, hatchbacks are usually called "Hatchback", which means hatchback, but it is different from the hatchback called in China.
In China, a hatchback refers to a car without a prominent trunk, which makes the carriage and the trunk into the same compartment, and the engine is arranged independently. This layout increases the interior space and is therefore used in both small cars and compact cars.
Sedan: The sedan is the standard form of a sedan, and its body structure consists of three "compartments" that are closed to each other for different purposes: the engine compartment at the front, the crew compartment in the middle of the body, and the luggage compartment at the rear. Abroad, sedans are often called Sedan or Saloon.
The main differences between the two:
1. Tail box storage capacity
In general, the trunk volume of the sedan version of the same model is larger than that of the hatchback version. However, the hatchback version is more flexible than the sedan version of the tail box, the tailgate is more open, the rear seats can be reclined, and it is more convenient to load tall objects.
2. Noise
In terms of noise control, the sedan is slightly better than the hatchback, and the rear of the sedan and the crew compartment are partitioned, which can isolate some of the noise from the rear wheel arch. But the rear arches of the hatchbacks are in the carriages, so there is relatively more noise from the wheels.
3. Weight, fuel consumption
The hatchback is similar to the SUV, both have space expansion, support the rear seats to be reclined, and solve the problem of space in the car. And because it has one less trunk, smaller body size, and lighter weight, it is relatively better in fuel consumption performance.
4. Control
In general, hatchbacks generally handle better than sedans, but not absolutely. When evaluating the handling of a family car, it will first look at whether the front and rear wheel counterweight ratios reach or are close to 50:50, only a balanced weight distribution can get a good handling experience, but because most of the hatchback weight is concentrated on the front, and the sedan version of the tail is longer, the rear weight will be heavier, so the balance of the sedan version will be better at this point.
The handling advantage of the hatchback is mainly the short stature. For example, when cornering quickly, due to the short tail of the hatchback, there is not much weight behind the rear wheel, so the dynamic inertia of the rear car is smaller, the turning is more active, and the shorter body can also make lane changes more dexterous and driving pleasure better. On the whole, in the family car with a relatively high cost performance, the hatchback is better than the sedan model.
A "hatchback" that complements each other's strengths:
Hatchbacks and sedans have their own advantages, so another option emerges – hatchbacks.
The hatchback structure is characterized by the integration of the tailgate and the rear window into one and the rear seat into a certain tilt angle, the roof through the hatchback tailgate smoothly transitioned to the rear, such a shape is very similar to the sedan but the passenger compartment and the trunk are not separated but integrated, such a structure helps to reduce the wind resistance coefficient of the car. Comparing the design of the sedan, it will avoid affecting the rigidity of the body due to the total length of the side of the rear opening, and at the same time absorb the advantages of the sedan and hatchback.
In general, the hatchback trunk will be equipped with a movable trunk partition, which will be connected by ropes on both sides of the tailgate (with a detachable interface) and the other side will be fixed to the rear. When the tailgate is opened, the partition rises as the tailgate opens, making it easier for the owner to load and unload luggage. Some hatchback versions will also abandon this partition in order to get more rear space.
Demand determines choice
In fact, there are not many advantages of hatchbacks, but mainland consumers have conventionally regarded sedans as the orthodoxy of cars, so the shape of hatchbacks is unusual. At the same time, the home attributes of mainland consumers' multi-family families are stronger, so the requirements for space are higher, which can be seen from the hot sales of SUV models. As a result, this hatchback with an out-of-shape shape and insufficient space is destined to become a niche.
But in any case, the hatchback also has a lot of loyal fans, which is why it can still have a place. At the same time, with the rejuvenation of consumers, the demand for appearance and configuration is more exuberant, and the characteristics of hatchbacks with small shape and comfortable handling may also attract many female car owners and young consumers who enjoy control.
Summary:
Hatchbacks are shorter and easier to park, with less trunk space, but more flexible space changes and internal noise is usually larger. The sedan is longer, slightly inconvenient to park, and the rear trunk space is larger, which can isolate the tail box odor, but there are fewer changes and better internal noise control. If it is a family of two or three, often used in the city, parking needs to see the needle in the seam, biased towards a short trip with fewer people, then the hatchback is worth considering. If it is a family of four or five, or a business car, often running at high speed, the sedan is still more fragrant.