Best of: 2019 Hatchbacks Compared
Kind of like the Swiss Army knife of cars, the hatchback is well loved due to it’s sporty looks, spacious interiors and flexible storage options. The good news is a there’s lot of variety to choose from across several brands and in today’s blog post, we’ve included our top three picks in the list below.
2019 Mazda3 Sport
The amount of Mazda3s seen driving around on city streets should be proof enough of just how great a vehicle the fine folks at Mazda have created. The Sport enters its fourth generation for 2019 turning into the sleekest, sexiest and most premium product to roll off the assembly line yet. The highlights are many, such as new era KODO “Soul of Motion” styling, standard full LED exterior lighting, 8.8-inch widescreen MAZDA CONNECT infotainment display and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
Propelling the five-door is either an ultra-efficient SKYACTIV-G 2.0-litre mill making 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque, or alternatively a beefier 2.5-litre in the GT trim uprating the output to 186 and 186, respectively.
2019 Hyundai Veloster
The second-gen Veloster, the result of a partnership between Hyundai main headquarters and the U.S. design center in Irvine, California, was released just last year. The quirky five-passenger hatch returns with an asymmetrical two-plus-one door configuration and shows off a bold 3-D interpretation of the Hyundai cascading grille, similar to the one seen on the 2018 Sonata. The A-pillar has been pushed further back, the roofline lowered and 18-inch alloy wheels made standard to emphasize an aggressive, coupe-like silhouette.
The regular Veloster gets a 147-horsepower 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine while the top-of-the-line Turbo receives a boosted 201-horse 1.6-litre unit. For performance junkies, an N variant is also available featuring more aggressive bodywork, bigger wheels a 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinder, churning out a healthy 275 horsepower, mated to close-ratio six-speed manual transmission.
2019 Volkswagen Golf
An all-new version of the “hot hatch” originator is coming next year, but in the meantime the current Volkswagen Golf is still a great buy. Late model updates include signature LED daytime running lights integrated within the headlamp housing, a chrome-trimmed grille and matching full LED taillamps at the back. Inside, passengers can look forward the 960-plus millimetres of head room, and when the second row seating is folded down, 1,521 litres of cargo space opens up.
A torquey and more fuel efficient 1.4-litre TSI motor — the same as the one found in the all-new Jetta — replaces the outgoing 1.8T. Both a six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic gearbox is offered.
