Hatchback vs Saloon: What's the difference and which is better?

When it comes to buying a new car, there are a few decisions to make about the type of car you want. Will it be a hatchback or saloon car, for instance?

Deciding between a hatchback or saloon can be tricky. Both have their strengths, from practical boot space to sleek styling.

What’s the Difference Between a Hatchback and a Saloon?

The key difference comes down to the rear design:

Hatchback: A rear door that lifts upwards, including the window, giving access to the boot and cabin in one space.

Saloon: A traditional four-door design with a separate enclosed boot.

This affects everything from practicality to styling and how the car feels to live with day-to-day.

How popular are saloons and hatchbacks?

While sales of SUVs are on the rise, there is still a lot of interest in hatchbacks in Ireland. In fact, hatchbacks account for about 35% of the new car market, according to the latest figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry.

Sales of saloons account for about 8% of the market, which has been declining in recent years. Many manufacturers are still bringing new saloon cars to the market, like the ever-popular Tesla Model 3, BYD Seal, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA, along with old favourites like the Toyota Corolla Saloon.

When you are researching buying a new car, you will find that some manufacturers offer both in the same model range. For example the Mazda3, Kia EV4 and Toyota Corolla are offered as a hatchback and saloon.

There is also still a market for large premium saloons like the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Now let’s clarify what is a hatchback and what is a saloon car, and then look at why you might choose one over the other.

Hatchback or saloon?

1. Design

The ‘five door’ hatchback has an integrated boot and when you open the boot you are really opening that fifth door. The boot lid incorporates the rear window and opens directly into the cabin of the car. By contrast the boot lid does not include the rear window in a saloon and the boot is opened in isolation from the rest of the car.

2. Style

This fundamental structural difference between a hatchback and saloon naturally has style implications. The saloon’s boot extends more out the back making the car appear bigger. A hatchback tends to have a more integrated, compact style at the rear. Some people prefer the more sporty, compact look of a hatchback. Others like the somewhat larger and more refined appearance of the saloon.

In recent years, manufacturers have begun to give saloon cars more gracious and flattering ‘coupé-like’ design. Some hatchbacks are even cleverly designed to have the appearance of a saloon. The Skoda Octavia is a perfect example.

3. Space & Practicality

The hatchback’s boot tends to be more practical for carrying things compared to a similarly-sized saloon car. Saloon boots tend to have narrower, more restrictive openings. This means it can be hard to reach items at the very back.

By contrast, a hatchback boot is a more flexible space. Folding down the rear seats will increase the practicality of the space even further for carrying larger items.

Interestingly, some saloon cars actually have more boot volume than their hatchback counterparts. So if you are looking for outright volume do take a look at the figures in the catalogue. For example, the boot in the new Mazda3 saloon is almost 100 litres larger in capacity than the Mazda3 hatchback.

Anything else?

Hatchbacks are incredibly popular for a reason. They’re compact, easy to drive and highly versatile. Examples include the Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Corolla Hatchback.

Saloons are designed with comfort and long-distance driving in mind, and many people prefer their sleek styling. Popular examples include the BMW 3 Series and Tesla Model 3.

In the end, it comes down to your personal preference and your needs when it comes to practicality.

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Written by Caroline Kidd

Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year