Hatchbacks are those segments pf cars that has the car body configuration with a rear door that swings upwards to provide access to the cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating. A unique feature of the hatchback is that the interior can be easily reconfigured to prioritize passenger versus cargo volume. Cars with such body configurations can be traced back to 1930’s.

Hatchbacks are a good option if your travel is limited in the city streets and also if you have limited budget.

Here are a few hatchbacks of 2017 that you can consider buying

The new Chevrolet Spark is four doors and four passenger hatchback that has a 1.4 liter four cylinder engine which produces 98 horsepower and 94 lb-ft of torque. With a front wheel drive and 5 speed manual transmission, it provides an estimated fuel economy of 39MPG on highway and 31 MPG in cities. The fuel system type of Chevrolet Spark is electronic fuel injection. With Chevrolet MyLink Radio it has a 7 inch color touch-screen which you can use to control AM/FM stereo. It also has Bluetooth streaming audio for music.

One of the top automobile brands, Ford gives other hatchback counterparts a toughie with their own hatchback, Ford Focus. The Ford Focus is a 2 door, 5 passenger front wheel drive. It has an engine capacity of 2.0 liter with 4 cylinders that provides 160 horsepower with 146 lb-ft of torque at 4250RPM. With a 14 gallon of tank capacity and 5 speed manual transmission it provides an estimated fuel economy of 37MPG on highway and 27MPG in cities. In terms of safety features, the Ford Focus has a moderate overlap front, side, roof strength. Although there are no front crash prevention systems offered on the Focus.

Kia Forte is a four door, 5 passenger front wheel drive that provides an estimated fuel economy of 29 and 38 MPG in city and highway respectively. Its 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine provides a 147 horsepower and churns out a 132 lb-ft of torque. Interior features include AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system and SIRIUS satellite radio with USB and Auxiliary input jacks with 4 speakers. It also offers Bluetooth wireless technology with voice recognition.

Subaru is popular among racer enthusiasts. The new Subaru Impreza has 2.0 liter 4 cylinder which produces 152 horsepower and a 145 lb-ft of torque. With a 13 gallon of tank capacity and a 5 speed manual transmission, it has an estimated fuel economy of 25 and 34 MPG in cities and highway respectively. With a top speed of 122mph, Impreza clocks 0 – 60 mph in 8.6 seconds.

Mazda is yet another one of those brands that is a hit among racers, pros and amateurs alike. The Mazda 3 is a 4 door 5 passenger ‘peppy’ hatchback that has a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine that delivers 184 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque at 3250rpm. It has a six speed transmission and it provides an estimated fuel economy of 25 and 33 in cities and highway respectively. It zips from 0 to 60mph in just 7.4 seconds.