The content of the article:
- The most popular hatches in Ukraine
The hatchback configuration is in constant demand in Ukraine, but it cannot be said that hatchbacks are the most popular cars. The conservatism of the Ukrainian driver is manifested in the fact that once getting used to sedans, it is difficult for motorists to switch to a new modification.
Today, sales are dominated by sedans, followed by SUVs and crossovers, and hatchbacks are in third place. What are the most popular models in the country? We offer the top 9 most popular city cars in Ukraine.
The most popular hatches in Ukraine
Volkswagen golf
For Europe, hatchback cars rank first in all ratings. For Ukraine, only three hatches were included in the top ten of all the most popular cars. And among them Volkswagen Golf is in the honorable seventh place.
But in the popularity rating among hatchbacks, this car ranks first. In Golf, the manufacturer has collected modern technology, advanced security systems, and all this at a relatively affordable price.
The Volkswagen Golf remains the vehicle that sets the quality standard for the entire class. Both in Europe and in Ukraine Golfs are valued for their practicality, absolute unpretentiousness in service and maximum reliability.
In Ukraine, you can buy a complete set of a front-wheel drive hatchback at a price of $ 21,000 to $ 41,000. Such a large gap in price allows you to choose a car exactly for a specific request with any package of options.
In 2016, an updated version of the seventh generation was presented. VW Golf was shown to the public in a new version of the body - now alloy wheels, LED optics are installed on the entire line, including the base.
In class "C" Golf became the first car to install a media system that is controlled by gestures (not touching), with a screen stylized as a tablet.
Driving is gradually shifting to automatic mode. The updated version includes the Traffic Jam Assist system. The driver can transfer control to the machine, which will maintain the speed at 60 km per hour.
The robot will monitor the position of the road, recognize signs and scan the front and rear space up to 200 meters.
Mazda 3
Stylish design, excellent acceleration performance and stable dynamics made the Mazda 3 the first hatchback competitor to the Volkswagen Golf. The cost of the cars differs slightly (the new Mazda is $ 1,500 more expensive), but the SkyActiv system allows the concept to take a leading place in terms of efficiency.
The hatchback appeared on the Ukrainian market only a few months ago. Car dealers are constantly accepting applications for sales, and the first three Mazda are already traveling on the roads of Ukraine.
But these cars were brought from Europe, in Ukraine the start of sales has not yet begun. It is planned to release the first configurations by early summer.
For the first time, the "C" class hatchback was demonstrated at the Los Angeles Auto Show in the fall of 2018. This is the fourth generation of the famous Series 3, but the public's interest is more caused not by conceptual changes to the interior, but by a new power filling. For the first time, a new Skyactiv-X engine was installed on the Mazda 3, which shows a record 15: 1 fuel compression ratio.
The external forms of the hatchback's body have not undergone fundamental changes, the traditional direction of "Kudo" is used - nothing superfluous and everything is modest and tasteful. Some experts find a lot of similarities with the Kai concept.
There have been controversies around the appearance of the new configuration for some time, but no one will object that the new Mazda is a sporty and modern hatchback.
Audi A3
The Audi A3 demonstrates the best quality standards in the hatchback class and remains the cheapest of the brand's equipment.
A distinctive feature of the Audi A3 is its incredible resemblance to premium models. The designers retained the radiator grille and the shape of the head optics, as in the sedan, as well as the same luxurious interior.
The restyling of the third-generation models was first shown to the public at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Since 2017, the equipment has been available to Ukrainian drivers.
The $ 40,000 Audi A3 is mostly bought by residents of large cities. The hatchback is available in six body colors. Ukrainians prefer three colors: red, black and white.
The complete set of the power unit is worthy of closer attention. Before the update, hatchbacks could be taken in six engine options.
Since 2017, there are two more engines in the lineup. It is a three-cylinder liter TFSI with 115 hp. with. and a two-liter twin-turbo with a Miller cycle TFSI engine with a capacity of 190 hp. Paired with a biturbo unit is a robotic "machine" in 7 steps.
Peugeot 308 Gti
Not a single Ukrainian rating is complete without representatives of the Peugeot company. In the hatchback class, the five-door equipment of the family Peugeot 308 is among the top five. This is a comfortable car with a comfortable interior, perfect for both trips to nature and for daily use.
Peugeot 308 is a worthy competitor to BMW and Audi, not inferior to venerable brands in the configuration of the power unit and security systems.
Ukrainian drivers have long known the excellent quality of French assembly, so if you compare the popularity in terms of sales, then in the secondary market, Peugeot hatchbacks are sold by 40% more.
The Peugeot 308 hatchback was built on the Citroen C4 Picasso platform, after the 2017 modernization, the equipment received a sporty character and a fully "charged" layout. And the GTi marking means that this is not just a production car, but a super hatchback.
The Peugeot 308 GTi is equipped with a 1.6-liter turbocharged diesel engine with a capacity of 270 hp. The pair is a six-speed manual transmission and the main element of the transmission is the Torsen limited-slip differential.
The car shows excellent dynamics when driving out of town; mud, sand, forest thickets are overcome with a bang.
Honda civic
In the European popularity rating, the Honda Civic ranks 6th among the most bought hatchbacks. In Ukraine, the concept did not fall below the fifth. And in 2019, the front-wheel-drive five-door hatchback is also in the top 10.
The complete set has long been a bestseller in the world. Ukrainian drivers choose this unique, safe and comfortable car primarily for an affordable price. The cost of a Honda Civic has never exceeded $ 20,000 in its most expensive performance.
The debut of the updated version of the tenth (!) Generation took place in 2016 in Paris. In the same year, the Japanese concern celebrated the anniversary of the Civic concept and presented two new modifications at once.
In the United States, they saw a sedan body, a hatchback was reserved for Europe. Honda has more than twenty of its representative offices in Ukraine, so the fanfare in Paris didn’t have time to die off, as the next day the sales of the new hatchback started in Kiev.
Restyling brought the complete set new decorative elements of the body, thanks to which the overall silhouette turned out to be more dynamic and stylish. In addition to external beauty, the modification received excellent aerodynamic qualities.
After restyling, the line of motors was completely modified. All naturally aspirated engines were replaced with smaller turbocharged engines.
Skoda Rapid Spaceback
If Octavia remains the most popular among sedans, Skoda Rapid Spaceback takes first place in the hatchback class.
A five-door B-class hatchback, depending on the configuration, can compete in two ratings at once, and take a corresponding position in both.
Among budget cars, Rapid is in ninth position, among the middle class - in sixth.
The Spaceback concept does not have a long history; the model debuted in 2017. But this does not prevent a beautiful and safe car from having a large army of fans. Ukrainian drivers appreciate the hatchback for its simplicity in service, excellent assembly and high dynamic performance.The high ground clearance allows the Rapid to be operated both in the city and in the countryside.
After the debut of the concept, for a long time there were debates about which class should be assigned to the Skoda Rapid Spaceback. The side windows behind the tailgate put the model in the station wagon class, but the manufacturer clearly indicated: the Spaceback is a hatchback.
Like the Rapid equipment, the Rapid Spaceback is built on the same A05 + platform and has many common positions in terms of technical characteristics. Cars are similar in interior, they have almost the same multimedia system and security system. The main difference is the power equipment.
Skoda Rapid Spaceback is equipped with a liter TSI petrol, which is paired with a five-speed "mechanics" or with a seven-speed "robot". There is also an option with a diesel engine. There is a choice of 1.4 TDI and 1.6 TDI, each with a combined fuel consumption of up to 4 liters.
SEAT Leon
SEAT Leon remains the best mid-price hatchback available on the Ukrainian market. The high-quality design and sports characteristics of the unpretentious "Spaniard" were appreciated by Ukrainian drivers back in 2013, when the last equipment entered the country's market.
The restyling was based on the restructuring of the body on the MQB modular platform from Volkswagen AG. As a result, after the update, the hatchback became 5 cm shorter than its predecessor and received similar body lines to the VW Golf.
The design of the front bumper has also changed significantly. Enlarged forms of head optics are equipped with LEDs, a chrome strip is installed at the bottom.
The power unit is equipped with five motor options. These are two diesel units with a volume of 1.6 and 2 liters and three gasoline engines with a volume of 1.2, 1.4 and 1.8 liters.
Depending on the engine power, Seat is equipped with various suspension options. For the "weakest" engine, a torsion bar is installed, for the sports version - a multi-link suspension.
Renault Megane
The release of the fourth generation Renault Megane made many manufacturers think. The famous brand introduced to the market a worthy competitor to BMW and Volkswagen in the hatchback class.
The new Megan is not inferior to the famous models, but beats everyone at its cost. This is one of the cheapest hatchbacks on the Ukrainian market in the middle class segment. The concept is distinguished by practicality, complete insulation of the cabin, safety and driving comfort.
The debut of the fourth generation took place in 2015 in Frankfurt. Restyling brought not only a change in the line of engines, but also cardinal changes in appearance. Megan's body received sharp lines, which gave the whole appearance of the car aggressiveness and strength.
All optics of head lighting are hidden in C-shaped blocks, the equipment has a non-standard radiator grill and enlarged air intakes.
In technical terms, the hatchback has become much lighter than its predecessor thanks to the assembly on the new CMF platform. The main feature of Megan is the presence of almost all active and passive safety systems. These are belts with fixing points up to 9, airbags and a floating steering column.
Bmw 1 series
The equipment of this iconic car in 2018 took first place in the European ranking of the most popular hatchbacks. The survey was conducted by the British edition "Auto Express", the concept of the Bavarian plant won first place among twenty other models.
BMW 1 Series is popular in Ukraine as well, but due to the price it is only in 9th place. Few of the average citizen can afford to buy a new hatchback starting at $ 35,000 in base trim.
But the BMW 1 Series is definitely worth the money it sells for. This is an efficient, safe and unpretentious car that will regularly serve married couples for more than one year.
The modification uses a start-stop system. Paired with a diesel engine, the hatchback shows the minimum consumption in the city - 3.6 liters of diesel fuel.
The first show of the updated version of the second generation took place at the Geneva Motor Show four years ago. And since 2015, the BMW 1 Series hatchback has remained on the wave of popularity.
The main element of the new design was that the hatch received new forms of the front bumper and began to resemble premium modifications. The grille has been changed, the head optics are equipped with only LED lights, the roof roll has become more stylish.
The BMW 1 Series has nine trim levels, with seven power pack options available after 2015. You can choose between gasoline and diesel engines, which are paired with both mechanical and robotic gearboxes.
Conclusion
These were all hatchbacks of the middle price segment, which are popular with Ukrainian drivers. If you include the budget class in the rating, then the list will be added by three more models: Renault Sandero Stepway 2017, Ford Focus 2018 and Renault Sandero 2017.
