‘Premium large hatchbacks’ were a previously quirky idea, and Saab was the king of them until it lost its bottle and went for a saloon in its current but now ageing 9-3.
More recently, two German manufacturers have revisited the idea – Audi with its A5 and A7 Sportback and BMW less successfully with its oddly proportioned GT. But get the proportions right as Audi has and you get great looks plus space, a dream ticket you couldn’t dream of from a similar-priced coupe.
I’ve banged on about the load lugging capability of the Sportback before (480 litres with the rear seats down and 980 with them folded) but it is the access to that space that really makes it so practical. Its hatch hole is 1m x 1.08m, and that’s plenty big enough to swallow a full-sized adult bike whole without detaching the bike’s front wheel and with only the car’s rear seats folded. It’s a useful trick and one I’ve used on more than one occasion.
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