Excluding the hot hatch segment, the hatchback body style is rarely associated with performance. And while the first hatchback came in 1936, eventually giving way to other derivatives like the liftback and station wagon/estate, certain cars seem to be hiding the fact, they are actually hatchbacks. These few are the worst offenders that hide in plain sight.
1 Kia Stinger
The Kia Stinger came out in 2017 and proved, once and for all, that Kia can make exciting cars whenever it wants to. Positioned between the compact and mid-size segment, the Stinger is classified as a fastback sedan, with the former meaning that the roofline finishes at the very end of the car. However, the hatchback tailgate speaks loudly about the car’s actual body style. From 2020, the engine options are a 2.5-liter turbo-four with 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet (422 Nm) and a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 with 368 horsepower and 376 pound-feet (510 Nm), both mated to an eight-speed automatic. The 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) takes as little as 4.5 seconds.
2 Porsche Panamera
The Porsche Panamera is an even more serious offender in that it denies being a hatchback altogether. While, design-wise, the first-generation Panamera was a function over form, later models became easier on the eyes. According to a Porsche blog, the Panamera is a sedan, not a hatchback. While the sleek, yet three-box design may suggest it at first glance, the hatchback tailgate uncovers the truth. Some may correct me by saying the Panamera is a liftback, and they may be right, but in the end, the only difference between a hatchback and a liftback is the slope angle, which is between 90 and 46 degrees for a hatchback and between five- and 45 degrees for a liftback. The Cross and Sport Turismo versions are station wagons. One thing is certain, in Turbo S Executive form, which gives you 700 horsepower and 642 pound-feet (870 Nm) from a PHEV setup, the Panamera is one fast hatchback.
3 BMW 3 and 5 Series Gran Turismo
Both the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo (F07) and 3 Series Gran Turismo (F34) are based on their respective sedan/station wagon models - the F30 3 Series and F10 5 Series. Both cars are lifted, compared to their conventional counterparts and are classified as grand tourers. The reality is that both models are hatchbacks, despite what the name says. They feature a sloped rear end, visibly around 45 degrees for the 3 Series GT and over 45, for the 5 Series GT. Both Gran Turismo models come with BMW’s arsenal of inline-four, inline-six, and in the case of the 5er GT, V-8 engines. No proper M versions are available for either of the two cars. Both models were discontinued due to low demand, despite both being great, high-riding, long-distance cruisers, based on sedan platforms.
4 Mercedes EQS
EVs are guilty of this too. While the flagship EV of the German luxury brand is the electric equivalent of the Mercedes S-Class (which is a sedan), it actually features a hatchback tailgate. While Mercedes has classified the EQS as a five-door liftback, unlike the S-Class, which is a sedan, the German EV still features a design, reminiscent of a sedan, despite the fastback rear end. Aside from the state-of-the-art tech and luxury, another aspect where the EQS matches its ICE-powered counterpart is the effortless performance. Highly-spec’d versions of the EQS have permanent all-wheel drive thanks to dual-electric motor setup with up to 560 kilowatts (761 horsepower) and 752 pound-feet (1,020 Nm). It also boasts a range of up to 364 miles (586 km) thanks to a 120-kWh battery.
5 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe
The 2014-2021 BMW 4 Series introduced a stylish, five-door version of the two-door model. Think of it as a sleeker, lower, and wider version of the 3 Series GT, from earlier. And although it came with frameless windows and was advertised as a coupe, it still has a hatchback tailgate. Granted, the angle o the roofline may suggest it’s more of a liftback, but that’s still a derivative of the hatchback, and definitely not a coupe, even if it is based on one. That said, the car has aged well, and the design is both good-looking and practical. Add to that, the plethora of BMW inline-four and, more importantly, potent inline-six engines with up to 326 horsepower and 332 pound-feet (450 Nm) and you have a luxury/sporty package. Sadly, the Gran Coupe never got a proper M-version.
6 Tesla Model S Plaid
Tesla Model S has been around for a while, but it is the Model S Plaid that really stirred things up, by proving near unbeatable in a straight line. The sleek, high-performance EV packs up to 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet (1,424 Nm), thanks to three electric motors (one in the front, two in the back). However, the Tesla Model S is advertised as a fastback sedan, and while the fastback part maybe true, the Model S features a hatchback tailgate, which reveals a large opening and a generous cargo area. With a sub-2-second 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time (with Cheetah stance), the Tesla Model S Plaid is the quickest hatchback (hot hatch?), in the world.
7 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe
The EQS is not the first time, Mercedes has “sinned” by classifying its models. While there is, indeed, a coupe version of the Mercedes AMG GT, the four-door version features a hatchback tailgate (just like the two-door AMG GT). Like most of the other German entries on the list, the AMG GT Four-door Coupe is more of a liftback, but we won’t go out of our way to measure whether or not the slope is over 45 degrees or not. The Mercedes AMG GT Four-door is fast in all configurations, but from 2021, a new version – AMG GT63 S Performance – increased performance even further. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 works as part of a Plug-in hybrid setup with a combined output of 843 horsepower and 1,033 pound-feet (1,400 Nm), which allows for a 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time of 2.8 seconds.
8 Audi A5 and A7 Sportback
By now, you are probably used to German vehicles with a crisis identity and Audi is no exception. Similar to the BMW 3 & 5 Series GT, and 4 Series Gran Coupe, their competitors from Audi also have hatchback versions that "hide" under different monikers. Both the Audi A5 and A7 Sportback are hatchbacks, having the signature tailgate, and incorporating the rear windshield. Interestingly enough, despite having a similar rear-end design, the smaller A5 Sportback is advertised as a fastback while the bigger A7 Sportback is advertised as a liftback, which as we previously discussed, is a more heavily sloped hatchback. Unlike their BMW counterparts, these two have proper performance versions in the form of the RS5 Sportback and RS7 Sportback with up to 450 and 600 horsepower, respectively.
9 Volkswagen Arteon
The Volkswagen Arteon replaced the Volkswagen Passat CC (later called simply CC), in 2016. While the CC was a four-door coupe, VW introduced the Arteon with an even sleeker, fastback-style rear end that featured a hatchback tailgate. That said, the car still retains Unlike its predecessor, the CC, Arteon features a rear quarter window that opens up what would have been a very thick C-pillar and a large blind spot. The Arteon may be quite similar to the A5 Sportback, but it features less exciting engine options. Still, the most powerful one shares a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine with the Golf R, which makes 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm). A seven-speed DSG and all-wheel drive help the Arteon sprint to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
10 Aston Martin Rapide
Aston Martin Rapide is the sexy, four-door fastback from the British luxury and performance brand. However, the sleek bodywork of the Rapide incorporates a very practical, hatchback tailgate, which technically makes the Aston one of the sexiest hatchbacks ever made. With a big, naturally-aspirated V-12 up front, it's also one of the quickest and best-sounding hatchbacks, except its latest interpretation, the Rapide E. That one has two electric motors at the rear (one per wheel), which combined produce 612 horsepower and 701 pound-feet (950 Nm), and propel the Rapide E to 60 mph (97 km/h) in under 4.0 seconds. While it is still a fastback, the Rapide also hides a more practical side, it does not like to reveal often.