Hatchbacks That Should Never Have Been Turned Into Sedans

A few body style transformations turned out great. Others not so much.

Automakers always look at ways to modify platforms or even certain body styles in order to save costs and expand sales. Business is business, plain and simple. Sometimes this works out brilliantly. One example that immediately comes to mind is the original BMW X6.

BMW simply started with the X5’s platform, redesigned the body, went to its massive parts bin for various components and there you go… a best-seller that changed the crossover segment forever and forced competitors to respond.

But it doesn’t always work as well as that. Take these following hatchbacks that were also sold in various global markets sedans to satisfy the appetites of American and Chinese buyers.

Ironically, those same sedans are losing ground to crossovers, which are really just raised hatchbacks. We picked out six sedans/hatchbacks that, in our opinion, are probably best off as hatchbacks, one of which is yet to debut as a sedan but is widely rumored to do so soon. Do you prefer these as hatchbacks or sedans? Let us know in the comments.

Audi A3

The Audi A3 may be the one main exception on this list where the sedan version of the popular hatchback looks really good. Problem is, it loses the convenience of being, well, a hatchback. Currently in its third generation, the A3 became a sedan for the first time in 2013. This was done mainly to lure younger American buyers into showrooms who wanted a step up from their Volkswagen Golf hatchback.

As a sedan is viewed as something more “grown up,” especially by someone just beginning to climb the corporate ladder, Audi created the A3 sedan. To give you an idea just how well the A3 sedan has done in the US, you can only buy the A3 hatchback as the Sportback e-tron. Heck, the S3 and RS 3 are also sedan-only.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

While the first and second generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class were way too dorky to be sold in the US (do a Google search and you’ll understand), it wasn’t until the third generation model debuted for 2013 that it could consider a US market attempt. In short, it looks great, but that still wasn’t good enough for Mercedes. Instead, the German automaker created the CLA-Class. Built on the same platform as the A-Class, the two share pretty much the same components and interiors.

The CLA is a funky-looking three-box sedan that, well, looks better as a hatchback. It was also Mercedes’ first front-wheel-drive sedan, and it originally carried a starting price of just under $30k. Just like the Audi A3 sedan, Mercedes wanted to specifically target young up and comers and bring them into the Mercedes family early. The CLA has sold well enough to warrant a second generation, due to arrive sometime next year as a 2020 model. Oh yeah, the just unveiled next-generation A-Class will also be coming to the US soon - as a sedan.

Mazda2

Americans are most familiar with the previous generation Mazda2, although its origins date back to 1996, before its US arrival. The third generation Mazda2 hit the US market for 2008 but was discontinued after the 2014 model year. Sold only as a five-door hatchback, other markets received a traditional sedan version that, while didn’t look anywhere near as awkward as the Mercedes CLA, still didn’t make much sense.

Why? Because owners lost the hatchback’s additional cargo space and overall better versatility. Despite that, the Mazda2 sedan sold decently in China, but was dropped after only nine months in Australia. But what if you, as a proud American, wanted a subcompact sedan with sporty looks and a fun to drive attitude? Well, look no further than the Ford Fiesta (see below).

Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta dates back to 1976 and was originally sold in Europe. It quickly became a smashing success. The first-gen Fiesta three-door hatchback was sold for three years in the US beginning in 1976, but was later replaced by the Escort and Pinto. When it returned to America in early 2010, Ford billed it as an answer to thirsty SUVs and trucks. Times have certainly changed. The Fiesta will soon be dead in America and trucks like the always popular F-150, reborn Ranger, and a range of SUVs and crossovers now rule the day.

But America’s brief time again with the Fiesta also saw a sedan version. Considering the Fiesta and Mazda2 were close cousins, the Fiesta sedan was for those who wanted a tiny sedan because for whatever reason a hatchback was unacceptable. The sedan was also sold in China, parts of South America, and even Russia. While it didn’t look terrible, the Fiesta sedan made little sense compared to the hatchback for a variety of reasons, perhaps the best one being the Fiesta ST was hatchback only.

Volkswagen Polo

You can’t even buy the Volkswagen Polo in the US. Never could. It’s probably for the best because VW, at least up until fairly recently, couldn’t figure out how to make its Golf popular in America at the level it was in Europe. Again, Americans have never been hatchback lovers. It wasn’t until the Polo’s fourth generation when a dedicated four-door sedan body style arrived. Like the Mazda2 and Fiesta, it honestly made little sense, convenience wise. Cargo space was down and its general design proportions just didn’t look quite right compared to the hatch.

The Polo sedan survived to be part of the fifth generation lineup, specifically targeting buyers in India, where it was called the Vento, as well as Russia. It must not have sold particularly well because when the sixth-gen Polo debuted in 2017 it was, once again, a hatchback only.

BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (Coming Soon?)

The BMW 2 Series is one of our favorite BMW models currently sold in the US. Available here only as a coupe and convertible, other markets, specifically Europe, received an MPV version dubbed the 2 Series Active Tourer. But the 2 Series can trace its roots back to the first generation 1 Series, itself sold as a coupe, convertible, and hatchback. Today, the 1 Series, which isn’t available in the US, comes as a three- or five-door hatchback and a four-door sedan. Why the sedan? Because China.

However, because Audi and Mercedes have achieved success in the US with the A3 and CLA, respectively, it’s widely rumored BMW will launch the 2 Series Gran Coupe in the coming years.

The 2 Series Gran Coupe is expected to be built on the same platform that’ll underpin the next 2 Series MPVs, meaning it’ll be FWD-based. However, all-wheel drive is expected to be offered for the hot M Performance version. Expected arrival date: not before 2020.

BMW M6 Coupe Turned Into 800-HP Supercar

The more aggressive styling also makes it look more like an M4 GTS.

If the BMW M6 Coupe is too tame for you, tuning firm G-Power has a solution. In stock form, the M6 Coupe's 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 produces 552 hp and 501 lb-ft of torque on tap, but thanks to G-Power’s modifications it now has 789 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque, putting it firmly in supercar territory.

To achieve this, the tuner reworked the turbochargers and added numerous performance parts under the hood. As a result, the modified M6 can hit a top speed of 205 mph. G-Power hasn’t revealed the 0-62 mph sprint time, but considering the stock M6 equipped with the Competition Package takes 3.9 seconds there’s a good chance that number is now closer to the three-second mark.

Unsurprisingly, turning the BMW M6 into a 800-hp beast isn’t cheap. In Germany, G-Power’s Performance Software V4 costs €3,519.43 ($4,009), the modified turbochargers add another €4,581.50 ($5,219), the downpipes with sport catalyst are priced at €4,593.40 ($5,232) and the exhaust titanium system will set you back another €6,501.47 ($7,406) – and that’s without the €1,446.59 ($1,649) carbon tailpipes. Opting for the increased V-max will set you back another €516.70 ($589). Oh, and these prices don’t include the cost of installation.

To complement the car’s performance boost, G-Power modified the M6 to look more like an M4 GTS thanks to a carbon fiber body kit that adds a new front spoiler, side skirts, diffuser, rear wing and a new hood. These new parts have been aerodynamically engineered and give the car “significantly” more downforce on both axles. Rounding off the changes is an adjustable an suspension and a new set of 21-inch wheels wrapped in 255/30 and 295/25 tires. Too bad BMW stopped producing the 6 Series Coupe in the US last year.

How PSA turned around Opel, GM's German castoff

In contrast to the flybys of GM executives, PSA's Tavares made a six-hour inspection tour on his first official visit to Opel in Ruesselsheim.Tami Maximiliane Holderried
Christoph Rauwald
Ania Nussbaum
Bloomberg
August 29, 2018 10:37 CET

The giant Opel factory in Ruesselsheim, an industrial city a half-hour's drive west of Frankfurt, appears little changed from last summer: Employees still wear "We are Opel" T-shirts and spend their days building Insignia sedans and Zafira minivans. One thing, though, is dramatically different: The cars that roll off the end of the line are sold at a profit.

"When I see friends in the pub, I can finally put the keys to my Opel on the table with pride again," Matthias Deschamps, a 33-year assembly-line veteran, says looking over the production floor. In July, when the automaker reported its first profit since 1999, "there was a big sigh of relief."

The end of Opel's run of losses -- $20 billion in red ink over two decades -- came less than a year after General Motors sold the company to PSA Group.

PSA CEO Carlos Tavares, who was ousted as Renault's chief operating officer after publicly seeking the top job at GM, has made peace with skeptical unions and figured out how to profitably produce low-margin cars in a high-cost country.

Opel posted earnings of €502 million ($583 million) in the first half, against a €179 million loss from August to December 2017, the first five months under PSA. Opel's 5 percent profit margin is now on par with Volkswagen Group's namesake VW brand, which has double the market share in Europe and sells more than five times as many cars globally.

As he did at PSA, Tavares avoided angering the staff with expensive and disruptive factory closings. Instead, he secured an agreement with labor to trim salary costs by reducing the standard work week to 35 hours from 40 and eliminating 3,700 jobs through buyouts.

Tavares has also cut output—Opel's European deliveries dropped 6.2 percent in the first half to stem losses and focus on cars customers actually want to buy. In Ruesselsheim, that means assembling 42 vehicles per hour instead of 55.

For PSA, Opel offers an opportunity to survive in the ultracompetitive mass-market auto business by spreading costs across more vehicles. And for Tavares—a notorious penny-pincher who flies discount airlines, urges colleagues to turn off office lights when they leave, and abandoned the prestige of a headquarters in central Paris for the suburbs—it was another chance to prove himself.

Reducing complexity

In contrast to the flybys typical of GM executives, his first official visit to Ruesselsheim a year ago became a six-hour inspection tour as he took a deep dive into Opel's operations, initiating part-by-part comparisons with Peugeot and Citroen. The review uncovered hard-to-justify excesses such as the 57 possible infotainment systems for the Corsa, a small hatchback that starts at about 12,000 euros. That is being reduced to fewer than 10. Similarly, Corsa buyers will have nine windshield and wiper options, down from 16.

"Under PSA, there is a stronger focus on reducing complexity," said Flavio Friesen, a director for vehicle engineering who has worked at Opel for 11 years. "That has helped us get more efficient."

PSA faces more challenges, as it's highly reliant on the saturated European market where it competes with global giants such as Volkswagen, Toyota, and Renault-Nissan. The group's brands largely target the same price-conscious consumers, and Opel's reputation needs polishing after GM's ownership. The U.S. company sought to sell the brand in 2009 but pulled the plug at the last minute to maintain a presence in Europe, and Opel had five chiefs in its last seven years under GM.

PSA must figure out what to do with the Vauxhall nameplate, which sells almost identical cars to Opel in Britain, adding cost and complexity to its operations. And Opel will have to make the transition to electric vehicles under the guidance of PSA, which has lagged behind rivals such as Volkswagen and Renault-Nissan.

"Opel is not done," says Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. "The challenge is to combine good numbers with good marketing and change their image."

While Tavares has called the ahead-of-schedule profit a "first very positive sign" of Opel's recovery, he cautions that achieving PSA's goal of 1.7 billion euros in annual savings from the deal will depend on combining the companies' engineering teams. The revamped Corsa, due next year, will share most basic parts and technical elements with compacts from PSA's French brands, and other models will soon follow.

And then there are Tavares's long-term goals, including an eventual return to the U.S. and transforming PSA from a European specialist to a global player. While he won't rule out further acquisitions, he says PSA doesn't need to grow dramatically to be successful. "More than volumes, profitability is the most important element," he says. "I prefer agility and efficiency to being the biggest car group."

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