What is liftback
Content
Recently in the automotive market there are more and more modifications of cars that get their names. Often this is a transliteration of English words. So, before the buyer understood that he wanted to buy a sedan, station wagon, van or truck.
Today, at a car dealership, the seller will offer to choose a hatchback, liftback or fastback. It is not surprising to get confused in this terminology and buy not what I wanted. Let's see what a liftback is and how it differs from a hatchback.
Liftback - a kind of car body. In it, there are external similarities with the type "sedan" and "hatchback". What is special about this type of body?
Car Features
This modification was created for the category of motorists who wanted to find both a stylish and practical car. Liftbacks are ideal for such buyers. Externally, they look like a representative car, but at the same time quite practical in everyday life.
The car can be front-, rear- and all-wheel drive. On the front, it is no different from a classic sedan car. These are mainly four-door models. The trunk in them acts as a classic sedan. There are two types of luggage covers:
- full door opening up;
- boot lid cover.
The practicality of this modification lies in the fact that a long and oversized load can be transported in the machine. At the same time, the car has a presentable appearance for business trips. Such cars are popular with family businessmen. The car is ideal for long trips.
In the domestic car industry, liftbacks are not uncommon. Here are some examples.
- IL-2125. The first Soviet 5-seat liftback, slightly resembling the universal models of its contemporaries. Then this type of body was given the name "Combi".
- Lada Grant. An attractive and inexpensive car with the appearance of a sedan and the versatility of a station wagon. In the cabin with the driver at the same time can be 5 people.
- ZAZ-Slavuta. A budget model that does not differ in outstanding technical characteristics. It is popular with middle-income motorists. Five-seater salon.
Examples of foreign cars in the back of a liftback:
- Skoda Superb;
- Skoda Octavia;
- Skoda Rapid.
Liftbacks have several varieties. One of them is fastbacks. Most often these are representatives of the premium class. The roof in them can be sloping or with a slight overhang to the trunk lid. Examples of such modifications:
- BMW 6 Grand Touring;
- BMW 4 Grand Coupe;
- Porsche Panamera;
- Tesla S Model.
What is the difference between a liftback and a hatchback?
Liftback can be called a transitional link between a standard sedan and a hatchback. Here are the main differences between these bodies.
| Liftback | Hatchback | |
| Roof | downhill | sloping or more even |
| trunk | protruding, separated from the passenger compartment by a partition, like sedans | combined with the interior, as in generalists |
| Luggage carrier | separate cover or full door fixed to the roof | door opening up |
| Rear overhang | smooth slope with luggage compartment protrusion | shortened, smoothly ends at the rear bumper (usually vertical, as in station wagons) |
| ФормР° РєСѓР · РѕРІР ° | two-volume (resembles a hatchback) and three-volume (resembles a sedan) | only two-volume |
Thanks to constructive solutions that increase the usability of the machine, such models are very popular among many motorists.
Often, car companies use this type of bodywork to refresh the lineup without changing the technical parameters of the vehicle. Such a marketing move sometimes saves the series during a decline in customer interest.
Among the advantages of a liftback, it is worth noting the safety of passengers at maximum load of the trunk. Hatchbacks need to install an additional fence in the form of a net so that luggage does not fly into the passenger compartment during an accident.
In terms of trunk volume, the liftback is clearly inferior to the hatchback, because in many models the space above the trunk shelf often remains unoccupied.
Many motorists consider liftbacks to be the best body option. Due to the presence of a rear door, it is easier (than in a sedan) to place dimensional luggage in them. However, in the post-Soviet territory, such modifications are often equated with hatchbacks.
Difference between liftback and sedan
If we consider cars with these types of bodies, then outwardly they may be similar. Both options will be three-volume (three body elements are clearly distinguished: hood, roof and trunk). But on the technical side, the liftback differs from the sedan in the trunk lid.
In fact, the liftback is the same station wagon or hatchback, only the trunk is highlighted in it, like a sedan. Outwardly, the car looks elegant, but at the same time it has the practicality of a station wagon. The reason is that the boot lid is attached to the roof, and it opens with the rear window, like a hatchback. This body type does not have a crossbar between the luggage compartment struts.
Naturally, this type of body has both advantages and disadvantages. For example, the advantages include the spaciousness of the trunk. The car can easily accommodate such an oversized load that does not fit in a classic sedan. Of the minuses - the rigidity of the body is slightly lower than that of the sedan, since there is no crossbar between the trunk racks. But this factor is not significant, since the difference is small.
Examples of liftbacks
Modern examples of liftbacks include:
- Audi S7 Sportback second generation. The model appeared in the spring of 2019 at an online presentation;
- Volkswagen Polo 2nd generation, which was presented to the world of car enthusiasts also remotely in early 2020;
- Polestar 2. The electric car in the back of the C-class liftback was first introduced at the beginning of 2019, and the first copy rolled off the assembly line in March 2020;
- Skoda Superb 3. Restrained and at the same time catchy mid-size car appeared in 2015;
- Opel Insignia Grand Sport 2nd generation business class model appeared in 2016;
- Skoda Octavia of the third generation and modification of RS 2013 and restyled edition of 2016.
More budget options include:
- Lada Granta 2014, as well as a restyled version of 2018;
- Chery QQ6 first appeared in 2006, but production ended in 2013;
- The well-known ZAZ-1103 "Slavuta" was produced in the period 1999-2011;
- Seat Toledo 4th generation was introduced in 2012;
- Toyota Prius of the second generation, which was produced between 2003-2009.
In addition, pay attention to the review of liftbacks in comparison with other common body types:
Advantages and disadvantages of the liftback body
The advantages and disadvantages of a liftback are the same as those of a hatchback. To take anything from the trunk, you need to fully open the passenger compartment. If it is winter, then all the heat from the car will disappear in a moment.
Another disadvantage of the liftback is that extraneous sounds coming from the trunk are not absorbed by anything, since there is no rigid partition between the trunk and the passenger compartment. True, some liftback models are equipped with a Twindoor type cover (double door). In this case, the driver can open part of the lid (only the metal part without glass), like a sedan, or the whole lyada, like a hatchback. An example of such models is the Skoda Superb.
In winter, such a car in winter, like a hatchback, warms up more slowly than a sedan. If there are many things in the luggage compartment, they, due to poor fastening, can injure passengers, especially if the car gets into an accident.
The pluses include the exterior of the sedan with the versatility of the hatchback. This type of body is ideal for the family driver who prefers sedans, but who are not satisfied with the small size of the trunk. But if you need to transport goods, then the liftback is inferior to the hatchback and station wagon.
Related videos
In conclusion, we offer a small overview of the new Lada Grants in four body types: sedan, station wagon, liftback and hatchback - their advantages and disadvantages.
Questions and answers:
What does a liftback machine mean? This is the name of the body type that is used in a particular model. In profile, such a car is three-volume (the hood, roof and trunk are clearly distinguished), but the trunk lid opens from the roof, and not from the jumper between the trunk racks.
What is the difference between a hatchback and a liftback? Visually, the liftback is similar to a sedan. The hatchback often has a two-volume shape (the roof ends smoothly or abruptly with the rear door, so the trunk does not stand out). Despite the differences in the shape of the tailgate, for both the hatchback and the liftback, it opens together with the rear window, like station wagons.
