Hatchback Reviews

Honda relies heavily on the name and many owners hang off the badge's coat tails such is the integrity of the Civic.It has arrived new for the eighth time since the first one, a much smaller and more modest version, put a new spin on the local small car landscape in the early 1970s.There are four versions of the newest Civic (including the hybrid petrol/electric) which have joined the heavyweight small car fight led by the Toyota Corolla, Holden Astra and Mazda 3, among others.Sales have never been hotter in this segment so any contender needs to cut it against some heavy hitters or risk being floored by an uppercut.There are a few weaknesses in the new eighth generation range but none which threaten to expose the Civic to a knockout blow.For the most part the Civic remains an extremely well-oiled civil servant to its many thousands of loyal fans.And what's more there's a Civic for every taste.So how do the different trim choices measure up?VTi, $20,990 (add $2000 for automatic)This is the entree to the range and the base banger has a good dose of standard kit including power windows, single CD player and airconditioning.It is quite cosy and inviting in this guise and probably the biggest let-down is the low-rent cloth seat trim.Still, there is a lot of comfort here, good vision and it is easy to find the optimum seating position.Braking safety hasn't been skimped on either with ABS aided by electric brakeforce distribution helping the four-disc package.There is a bit more space than the previous model, 70mm longer and 35mm wider.The 1.8 litre four-cylinder engine, which is claimed to produce 103kW of power, seemed a little dozy on this test although it probably frees up a bit with a few more clicks on the clock.It is by no means as sprightly as a Mazda 3 or Corolla, biased more toward being neutral in handling.The VTi offers a good, honest calm ride and there are airbags for the driver and front passenger.For the main, the interior is neat, tidy and uncluttered. But what is going on with the spacecraft dash layout?Right smack bang in the middle of where the conventional odo and speedos are is the rev-counter.Then go up another level, closer to the bottom of the windscreen, and there is a digital speedo which, depending on a driver's height, seating and steering wheel positions, runs the risk of being obscured by the top of the tiller.It's a little disconcerting and maybe a little distracting initially but there is no doubt that if you get the position just right it is much easier and safer to monitor your speed because you don't have to adjust your line of sight as much as with a conventional dash.The design of the dash is the one thing that that stands to divide opinion on the latest Civic.VTi-L, $24,490 (add $2000 for automatic)This is the luxury-spec and it, along with the Sport and Hybrid, gain front and rear curtain airbags.And other gains are 15-inch alloy wheels, climate control aircon and a six-disc CD player.That is the thrust of the difference but don't expect hide-covered seats - there is still the rather drab cloth found in the entry model.Sport, $29,990 (add $2000 for automatic)You move from the 1.8 to the 2 litre engine and a rise in power to 114kW but it still doesn't go as hard as it should or could.But to be fair, the Sport Civic is not meant to be a Type R or Type S, even though the powerplant is a hobbled version from the S.Where it does gain kudos is the leather seats and sunroof.There's also a bit more to choose from in the colour and trim department over and above the VTi and VTi-L underlings.What it does like is to be driven hard, the motor kept on the boil and that's where it does its best work.

We normally spend at least a week behind the wheel of the cars we test and write about, but even then it it is still easy to overlook things.Our hearts goes out to the average punter forced to make a decision after just a few minutes shopping for a new car.The more time we spend behind the wheel of Volkswagen's diesel Polo the more we appreciate what a little gem it is.We've got about 7500km on the clock now and the fuel economy is getting better and better with each passing week.On our last fill we topped 720km and have persuaded Volkswagen to let us have the car a little longer so we can have a crack at the 800km mark.This is something of a milestone because neither of our previous hybrids - Toyota's Prius and the Honda Civic - were able to crack this nut.Prius came the nearest with 777km.Over the past weeks we have discovered our Polo excels on long trips, sitting in top gear on the motorway where fuel use is at its lowest.Around town, however, consumption tends to rise, but it still remains very good.We were especially keen to drive the Polo because at $22,990 it is the cheapest diesel- powered passenger car currently available here.With a 1.9-litre turbocharged diesel engine, fuel consumption is rated at a miserly 5.0 litres per 100km.The diesel engine delivers 74kW of power at 4000rpm and 240Nm of torque from a low 1800rpm.It is mated to a five-speed manual transmission.Apart from the obvious economy, the other thing that we have noticed about the car is that even fully loaded, it doesn't put much of a dent in performance.This is in stark comparison with small petrol-engined hatches that are reduced to a crawl up hill with any more than two people aboard.Many people point to the higher cost of diesel, but as we have discovered you get much better mileage.The Polo has a 45-litre fuel tank but it seems no matter how hard we try, it rarely takes more than 40 litres to fill which puts 800km within our grasp.Our fuel economy has ranged between 5.8 and 6.8 litres per 100km.The Polo pulls like a steam train from second gear and cruises smoothly and easily on the motorway.If I were a commuter (and I am) it would certainly be on my shopping list.The TDi has a four-star safety rating, with two airbags, three point seatbelts for all occupants and four-wheel ABS disc brakes with electronic brake-pressure distribution (EBD).Standard equipment includes climate air, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, height and reach adjustable steering wheel, remote central locking, tinted glass and four- speaker CD sound system.Unfortunately, there's no auto available and we'd check out the cost of servicing. 

We're the first to confess we're not huge fans of small cars with automatics, but the sporty Fiesta Zetec stands out as an exception to this rule.Even hooked up to the four-speed auto is a cracker.It goes off! All Fiestas get the same 1.6-litre DOHC 16 valve engine that delivers 74kW of power at 6000rpm and peak torque of 146Nm at 4000rpm. May not sound like much but combined with the car's relatively light weight it delivers a lively power to weight ratio. Our four-speed auto test vehicle weighed in at a modest 1089kg, about 25kg heavier than the manual model. For the mine's bigger than your's crowd, having the same donk as the entry level model kind of takes the shine off the sports machine but that's life. What you do get with Zetec is sports suspension. Combined with larger diameter wheels fitted with low profile tyres it makes for significantly better handling. The sports kit delivers a firmer ride, with sharper handling and a more precise steering feel. The kit drops the ride height, with stiffer springs and dampers, revised suspension bushes, larger diameter front anti-roll bar and a stiffer rear suspension twist beam. 16-inch seven-spoke alloys are fitted with 195/45 R16V low profile tyres, Fuel consumption from the 45-litre tank is a claimed 7.5L/100km using standard unleaded petrol, compared with the manual's 6.8L/100km. Performance is sharp and the engine is a real buzz saw, revving all the way to 7000rpm in third gear without forcing a gear change. An overdrive lockout button can be thumbed to keep the car in third. Ford has given the car a makeover, with changes to bumpers and grille, new head lights, new tail lights, thicker body side mouldings and body coloured handles and mirrors. Airconditioning is now standard across the range. The front spoiler is quite deep and easily scraped on dips and driveways unless the driver is careful. Standard equipment includes ABS anti-lock brakes and electronic brake distribution, but not brake assist which shows in the amount of pedal force required under heavy brakling. It's worth noting too that the car misses out on rear disc brakes, but in a small car it is the front brakes that do most of the work anyway. Front driver and passenger airbags are also standard. We found the sound system in our test car a little temperamental in dealing with burned CDs, but it produces better than average sound.VERDICT: No hesitation recommending this little beauty. Offers plenty of performance even when you opt for the convenience of automatic transmission. Not quite as roomy as Barina but heaps more fun to drive by a country mile.

While it falls short in key areas, it is still a great piece of eye candy and one that's a hoot to drive.

It is not the cheapest of the bunch but there is quite a willing three-door here, in line with the idea of junior hot hatches from Europe. And the Fiesta is no wild child on the styling front, rather this compact Ford looks a little serious, verging on plain, alongside the likes of Honda's Jazz, Suzuki's Swift, the Toyota Yaris or Mitsubishi Colt.And the Fiesta has a traditional approach to the interior and instrumentation, precious few swoops and curves and digital readouts sitting closer to the front wheels than the driver.No, this is a subdued package, inside and out, looks a little more mature than most rivals.And that may well suit some in this market. With a price premium and that more conservative approach to motoring style, the Ford Fiesta positions itself as a serious alternative, more Volkswagen Polo rival than Holden Barina.Drivers sit tall and pretty in the Fiesta. There is plenty of headroom and good visibility over that stubby bonnet although the big transmission tunnel does impinge on room in the driver's foot well.The steering wheel and controls are all logical enough (with indicator stalk on the left) with simple arrangements for stereo and air-conditioning controls. It is a compact car with decent accommodation for the front two occupants.Best fun is attacking the gearbox with short-throw shifts through five forward ratios. The Fiesta's engine does not mind finding all those 74 kilowatts before moving on; this is a free-spinning powerplant that likes to keep on the move.The encouragement here is well met by a keen, front-drive chassis. Here and there the suspension can feel a bit sharpish over broken bitumen yet, in the main, this is a quick and comfortable small car.There is mild understeer as road speeds rise but the Fiesta's attitude is easily controlled and changed on the throttle.The Zetec Fiesta scores a little extra suspension work over a standard Fiesta, this one sits lower and firmer. It all suggests a quick little machine and adds to the zip and confidence through city streets.Although there is a good chance a full load may dull some of that 1.6 litre engine's sparkle.The Fiesta Zetec is a neat and tidy machine with an engaging nature, albeit also carrying a price premium over most of its rivals.

Most people will recognise the Citroen C4 hatch as the one from the TV ad with the dancing robot.The C4 comes in hatchback and sports coupe versions and although our test car was the hatch it is a little different because it features a 1.6-litre diesel engine.It seems just about everything we've driven lately has been a diesel which is not necessarily a bad thing considering the rising cost of petrol.The C4 HDi is good for a miserly 4.7 litres per 100km and that translate into a long way between fill ups with the aid of a large 60-litre fuel tank.The heart of the matter is Citroen's newest diesel engine that uses common rail direct injection and piezo electric injectors, aided by a variable displacement turbocharger with overboost to provide extra torque under acceleration.The 1.6-litre power plant generates 80kW of power at 4000rpm and 240-260Nm of torque from a low 1750rpm.It is mated to a five-speed manual transmission, with an auto expected to be available in future.The HDi is no sports car out of the gates, but delivers strong mid to high-range performance where the majority of people want it.For a diesel, it is extremely quiet and particularly smooth, one of the smoothest we have driven in fact and in its element cruising in top gear on the motorway.You get a car that is well equipped, with six airbags and a five-star safety rating.Standard equipment includes ABS brakes, electronic stability control and cruise control with a speed limiter that stops the car from exceeding a set limit, say 60km/h in a built up area. It also comes with fogs, alloys and a full-size spare.Enthusiasts won't find the car disappointing. It might be a diesel but it gets mobile with stability control to keep things from getting too out of hand. Hills are no problem with plenty of torque even in fifth gear. We averaged 6.1L/100km during in variety of conditions easily giving the C4 a range of 1000km. The interior is quiet and the sound system is a half decent one too.We wouldn't mind putting the HDi to a longer test with Citroen's co-operation. The Citroen C4 HDi is priced from $29,990.

But while the catch phrase will have you believe you will feel "really, really, really good inside" when driving the Tiida, the reality is the expectations are a little high. The Tiida leaves you with the feeling you get when you have a discount movie ticket, but then the flick you choose is just average. Not bad, but not as good as you would like.At first glance, the top of the range 1.8-litre Tiida Ti Sedan seems ordinary and not as eye-catching as others in its class, such a Mazda3, Holden Astra or Ford Focus.It just doesn't get you as excited as you would like to be for $26,490. And after driving it for a week, the feeling is the same as it blends into peak-hour traffic, lacking that trendiness. But the metallic red paint on the test car does allow the Tiida to have its moments, as do the stylish repositioned rear-view mirrors further down the door, with tiny fixed windows where the mirrors would usually sit.The name Tiida derives from the word "tide" which refers to the flow of the ocean.Nissan feels this reflects its commitment to constant change highlighted with the Tiida replacing the Pulsar, which established the $19,990 price-point.But it remains to be seen if this change is really as good as a holiday.The Ti's interior is more impressive than its exterior, especially the comfortable seating, leather and cloth trim, making those long drives more tolerable. Nissan rightly boasts the spacious cabin, which had no problem in fitting four adults quite comfortably, with ample leg room.The dashboard tries to give off a sporty vibe, with silver strips above the glovebox, on the gearstick and the steering wheel.The sporting theme continues down to the individually defined gauges. However, it feels like it's trying a little too hard to impress and falls short of pulling off the sporty look.The 1.8-litre engine provides 93kW of power at 5200rpm with 174Nm of torque at 4800rpm. In terms of performance, the Tiida lacks the power to tackle hills, with the automatic transmission struggling to take on any reasonable incline.Equipped with ABS, the Ti Tiida has responsive braking, which handles well in stop-start traffic. But the drive is a little bumpy and not quite as smooth as desired.The Tiida hatch is a little more impressive in appearance and has a sense of style about it, particularly more appealing to its younger female audience.The more affordable starting prices of $19,990 for the ST and $22,240 for the the ST-L, come with a less impressive interior.The seats are a lot harder than those in the top-of-the-range hatch Q and Ti Sedan and there's no added luxuries, such as arm rests in the front and back, front map lights or a leather steering wheel.In the middle back seat of all hatch models, there is only a lap belt, which is a little disappointing. There is plenty of space to store wallets and mobile phones, with reasonable-sized compartments.While the Nissan Tiida is considerably priced against its competitors and has the new-car vibe, you can't help but feel you're missing out on something — that it's just a little too ordinary, and not quite as enjoyable as Kim Cattrall might make it out to be.

These are the smallest and cheapest cars, priced from a mere $13,490, with engines as small as 1.3 litres and baby-sized bodies.Hyundai helped create the class with its original $15,000 Excel, now superseded by the funky little Getz and ageing Accent. It is still a powerhouse, though GM Holden has tapped its own South Korean connection and is doing big business with its new value-priced Barina hatch and sedan.The Getz is now second in the segment, romping along behind the pace-setting Toyota Yaris and comfortably ahead of the Holden Barina and Suzuki Swift.Sales numbers for March are 2079 for the Yaris, 1716 for the Getz, 1367 for the Barina and 1073 for the Swift.And the year-to-date figures show Australians bought 27,027 light cars in the first quarter of this year, 11.5 per cent more than in the first quarter of 2005.But Hyundai is not sitting on its Getz and Accent hand. It has introduced a Getz hero car as part of a major update and is preparing a new Accent for the second half of the year.The Getz SXi is the new star, though its $16,490 price puts it well above the $14,490 bottom line of the starter car, which has a 1.4-litre engine. All Getz models have more safety features, an upgraded cabin and smoother nose.Engines sizes have grown from 1.3-litres and 1.5 litres to 1.4 and 1.6, and Hyundai says its Alpha design now gives more power and torque with improved economy.It is putting more emphasis on the 1.6-litre models in the range, which also have anti-skid brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and active front head restraints.Hyundai is also pushing its "Getz Protectz" pack: electronic stability program, traction control and side airbags for $1290.But the Getz is still pretty much as it was when it arrived in Australia four years ago — a city-focused youth car. This explains why it is available only as a three or five-door hatch.Sedan buyers can take the Accent, which is seen as the car for older customers.The youth push with the Getz ranges from its styling to small things such as MP3-compatible CD sound.The SXi has alloy wheels, a small rear spoiler and fog lamps.The baby Getz has always been good, but never great. Our first drive, four years ago, showed Hyundai had the right style to lure younger buyers who had moved away from the Accent after enjoying the Excel, but the car was let down by a basic chassis and a cabin stuck in the South Korean time warp.Not much has changed this year. The Getz still looks good, we love the safety focus, the new nose is less boxy, but the car is still not close to the class leaders on driving refinement or cabin quality.Plenty of people will be lured by the $13,490 starter price, and we would definitely take the Getz over the new Barina hatch, but it is way behind the enjoyable Ford Fiesta, refined Toyota Yaris and the sporty Suzuki Swift.We have seen a lot of improvement in Hyundai quality in the Elantra and impressive new Sonata, but not the Getz.The plastics look and feel cheap, the interior fit-and-finish work is nowhere near a Yaris.We were also disappointed by the car's lumpy ride and board-hard, unsupportive seats.Our test car was an SXi and it looked good, with the bright red splashes through the cabin and the five-blade alloy wheels. The alloy-look on the trim also lifted the cabin and baby car braggers will like the spoiler and fog lamps.The latest 1.6-litre engine is surprisingly strong, pulling from just above idle with good torque. It runs flat beyond 5500 revs, which has been a characteristic of most Hyundai motors, but gives the car fairly lively performance with good economy.The five-speed manual shift is good, and considerably better than the Kia Rio which is up against it with the same running gear.We like the anti-skid brakes and electronic brakeforce system, which will make a large difference to safety, and believe that Getz buyers should go all the way with the Protectz pack with stability control.But we would also like to see Hyundai's engineers do some more work on the suspension, which is still too bouncy and mismatched front to rear.It doesn't take much of a bump to set it rocking and the company can do better, as we know from the Elantra.Hyundai is not making a big prediction for SXi sales but believes the car will be a good bait for the brand at a time when the competition has never been tougher.It will definitely draw people, but they are more likely to go for a Getz starter car than the SXi if they shop and drive it against a Fiesta, Yaris or Swift, which still have a big break over the South Korean baby.The Getz is good value, and Hyundai is doing an excellent job pushing baby-car safety, but it still trails the class leaders.

The VW Beetle, while conceived by Hitler in the 1930s, was designed by Dr Ferdinand Porsche, one of the most gifted automotive designers of all time.

Here is a three door super-mini hatch back with a 2.0-litre turbo-charged engine delivering a hefty 142kW/280Nm output through the electronically modulated front wheels.To say it has some get up and go out of the blocks is an understatement.Not as wild a ride as say a Subaru WRX or similar hot-rod , the Benz Turbo turns a 0-100km sprint in 7.5 seconds but it feels fast due to all that torque at low to medium engine speeds. The Turbo's relatively light weight also adds to the sporty feel.The test vehicle was equipped with a CVT automatic transmission called Autotronic which accentuated the roller skate analogy. There is no buttoning off when you push the throttle, just a seamless headlong rush of strong acceleration, no gear changes, no stumbles.See a gap in traffic and bang, you're there.Need to get out of the way of a 62 tonner on the freeway, not a problem.This is the ultimate A-Class available in Australia with plenty of luxury and safety and is pretty good buying at $44,400 for the six speed manual. The CVT is extra but worth it for driving ease, performance and economy.It offers a sequential shift mode with seven "steps" or gears.It drinks premium unleaded but not much averaging around 8.0-litres/100km in mixed driving.The three door body looks sporty in this guise with chunky 17in alloys and deeper bumpers with dual tail pipes poking out the rear.It's equipped to the Benz Avantgarde standard which brings a swag of goodies and a funky interior including metal pedals.The gorgeous deep maroon test vehicle featured a check upholstery and metal insert accents inside along with sophisticated aircon, steering wheel controls, cruise and a cool sounding audio system.Ancillaries are electrically operated.The three door body can accommodate five in relative comfort thanks to the clever design of the A-Class. You sit fairly high which aids access and gives good all round visibility.The rear seat folds to expand luggage space which hides a full size spare under the floor.Handling dynamics are impressive as the Turbo is screwed down firmly and has sharp steering. The brakes are excellent. A special rear suspension system was developed for the car and the dampers are adaptive - change according to driving conditions.Ride is firmer than other A-Classes but you expect that in a sporty number like this.Despite its size, the Turbo has a five star NCAP crash rating.It's a practical size offering more room than expected inside and easily fits in small parking spaces and the garage.Welcome to the future.