Hatchbacks

The current Seat Leon hatch has been in production for a little over four years and in that time we have seen the launch of a number of special edition models and even a TwinDrive hybrid concept. The Spanish carmaker has now revealed details about a facelifted version of the Leon, which will be...

Last year Axon Automotive, creators of 2007’s Eco-M super lightweight speedster, entered the $10 million Automotive X Prize with a new hatchback aimed at city dwellers. The vehicle features a full carbon-fiber chassis and will likely be powered by a compact turbodiesel engine. Today the...

The Clio line of cars are very popular in Europe due to the flexibility of their small size, wide range of body styles and relatively long features list. To help bolster the range and boost sales further, Renault has today revealed a facelifted version of the basic three-door hatchback. The new car...

Vizualtech, a Swedish design firm that specializes in constructing virtual 3D models of cars and boats, has just released a new set of images of a race-inspired Volvo C30 hatch. The focus when designing the car was to create something that could compete in the DTM touring car series or possibly a...

After first previewing its modified Mark VI Golf at last year’s Essen Motor Show, Germany's equivalent to SEMA, Volkswagen tuning specialist ABT Sportsline has unveiled the final production specifications for its range of enhancements for the popular hatch. A mild package by ABT's standards...

Last year we saw the first test-mules for the next-generation BMW 1-series driving around the streets of Munich in Germany. At first appearance the test vehicles looked like ordinary 1-series hatchbacks but on closer inspection a number of key features revealed several vital clues about the next...

Toyota’s new iQ minicar is set to go on sale in Japan and most parts of Europe very soon, but there are now indications from one of the carmaker’s top officials that the diminutive hatch could make its way to the United States. There has been plenty of speculation that the iQ could be...

In the never-ending pursuit of efficiency, performance and smooth power delivery, the next step forward for many carmakers is the adoption of the dual-clutch transmission. Once the province of high-end performance cars, dual-clutch units have been finding their way into everyday vehicles from...

The first 2010 Ford Focus RS rolled off the production line today at the Blue Oval’s Saarlouis plant in Germany, with the first cars expected to hit showrooms in April. The Focus RS will be available in more than 20 European countries including Russia, with the UK, Switzerland and Germany...

Although Lincoln's C Concept may have struck few chords with show-goers, its theoretical internals could live on in a future Ford Focus. The latest reports indicate Ford is considering a 1.6L 180hp (134kW) four-cylinder EcoBoost engine for its next Focus, capable of pushing highway fuel economy as...

Audi currently has a range of models that carry a lower case ‘e’ as part of their title to denote their fuel-efficiency prowess, but a new report has revealed the carmaker is planning a new family of eco-friendly vehicles, codenamed E1 to E5 and spanning everything from minicars to...

The small-car surge in the U.S. was cut short in 2008 when once-high fuel prices dropped as suddenly as they'd risen, but the future of the market seems clear: prices will rise again, and small cars will be the best solution. To that end, Volkswagen now appears to be contemplating bringing the Polo...

Though the excitement over the 2009 Detroit Auto Show is just starting to settle - its public days still remain in the future - already carmakers are gearing up for and releasing the cars that will be at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. BMW's Mini brand is among the first, revealing the new Mini One...

The horsepower wars are being supplemented by the efficiency wars now that global warming issues are being taken seriously by the world's major governments, and one of the primary weapons of the new war is the diesel engine. Audi cars have long had a close relationship with diesel fuel, and since...

Chevrolet has confirmed today at the Detroit Auto Show that it will bring a new compact car called the Spark to the United States by 2011. This will be joined by a seven-seater compact MPV dubbed the Orlando at the same time in an effort to boost Chevrolet’s fuel efficiency ratings. More...

As the Detroit Auto Show approaches, more vehicles that will be on display are coming to light. Today Scion announced the xB Release Series 6.0, the latest in its limited-edition Release Series (RS) line of vehicles. Starting at just $1,743 over the base xB's pricing of $16,420, the RS 6.0 will get...

Japanese tuning firm and manufacturer of custom aero parts, ings, has unveiled a bodykit for the new generation Subaru Impreza WRX STI. The latest kit is part of its N-SPEC series of bodykits, which includes a kit designed specifically for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. In addition to tuning...

Kia has released a teaser image for an all new concept based on its Soul hatchback, despite details for the production version, due next year, already being released. Kia has announced that it will be showing the all new Soul concept to compliment the trio of concepts seen earlier this year at the...

The Mark VI Volkswagen Golf is now available with the Wolfburg company's 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system, which has been added to the lineup as an option on the 2.0L TDI model. While usually the 4MOTION system is found in performance oriented models such as the Golf R32 and Golf GTI, adding the AWD...

As U.S. and European car sales plummet, developing brand recognition and loyalty in the so-called developing markets of China, South America and Russia is becoming more and more important. To that end, Volkswagen is planning a six-event spec race series in China for 2009, and the company has now...