Ford dropped the hatchback version of the Escort in 1996 but included a hatchback body style in its U.S. lineup for the Focus, a car designed in Europe and introduced here for the 2000 model year. Ford will add the Focus ZX5 four-door hatchback for 2002. Wayne Cherry, vice president of design for General Motors, spent 26 years on GM's European design staff and is a staunch supporter of hatchbacks. GM has shown hatchback concept vehicles the last two years, such as the Pontiac REV and Cadillac Vizon, and Cherry says GM will offer hatchbacks in the U.S. in the future. By the time they're produced, we'll have a good, descriptive term for them.
Examples are on the way.
GM teamed with Toyota to develop the 2003 Pontiac Vibe and similar Toyota Matrix, four-door hatchbacks built on a Corolla car platform. Toyota takes a similar approach with the Matrix, though words may not be strong enough to overcome visual impact. It looks like it has room to store things. Having owned SUVs, both Greens said they have no desire to go back to a sedan and give up the cargo capacity they have now, a trend the auto industry recognizes. The traditional three-box sedan has gone away for the most part in Europe, except for the premium market.