[imagesource:wikicommons]

The good old family hatchback used to be the go-to vehicle for many South African families, but it seems as if they have become a dying breed on our roads.

Family hatchbacks were once one of the most popular car types in South Africa, but they are no longer as popular due to the popularity of the crossover body design.

Large hatchbacks have virtually gone from numerous automakers’ brochures in recent years, and many of those that remain are too pricey for the great majority of purchasers.

Many of these cars, such as the much-loved VW Golf, Ford Focus, Opel Astra, and Mazda 3, were a sensible step up from the smaller vehicles like the Corsa, Polo, and Ford Fiesta, but the emergence of trendy ‘small SUVs’ with their trendy shapes and cool colours have all but killed the smaller cars.

(As a side note: Has anyone noticed how few VW Beetles are still cruising Cape Town streets lately? They used to be as Capetonian as a gatsby, but seem to have reached the point where only nostalgic folks with deep pockets can keep them running.)

While full-size SUVs are expensive and impractical for a lot of people, their smaller siblings have proven to be well within the price range for young families, straddling the middle ground between hatchbacks and SUVs, offering the styling and improved ride height of the latter while retaining the advantages of the former.

Arguably the best illustration of this comes from Ford, as the once mighty Fiesta and Focus have been pulled from South Africa, leaving a gap that has since been filled by the Puma.

Crossovers are only half the story; pricing is also a major reason large hatchbacks have gone.

It’s no secret that vehicle costs, as well as the overall cost of living, have skyrocketed in South Africa, and many families are now downsizing to just one vehicle. As a result, families are choosing to buy a single SUV as a practical all-rounder rather than two cars, such as a hatchback and a bakkie.

Prices are also an issue, with every C-segment hatch in South Africa currently costing more than R450,000, making them difficult to justify when dozens of competing cars appear to provide greater value for money.

Carmakers are also feeling the pinch, with profit margins on hatchbacks often too low to make it worth their while, and so cars like the Opel Astra are simply being dropped.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi are seemingly immune to the new trend and their 1 Series, A-Class, and A3 remain popular. The reason for this is mostly due to their price already being high enough to escape the ‘middle-class belt tightening’ that has proven the death knell for hatchbacks.

The emergence of electric vehicles is sure to upset the vehicle market even further, but to be honest, I am fine with letting the Opel Corsa and VW Polo go the way of the Uno.

[source:topauto]