Photo: Peugeot
A small 3-door hatchback was what every kid wanted when I was growing up. Of course, we didn't have smartphones or... the internet.
But I still remember having a poster of the Fiesta ST of two generation ago, along with a WRC car and the Citroen C2 VTS. You know, the one that had the big wing and the transparent shifter.
Slowly but surely, sales of 3-door models declined. I think it's due to leasing. People buy more expensive cars, and they expect them to do everything. Back in the day, you wouldn't even expect to have air conditioning, mind you.
Peugeot also has a long history of really cool 3-door hatchbacks. Who can forget the iconic 208 GTi or the 206 commercials? But according to a recent report from Dutch magazine Auto Week, the 208 3-door model will be discontinued within the next few weeks.
Peugeot's decision comes months before an all-new 208 hatch is expected to debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. This will leave them with fewer chassis types to develop, thus freeing up some funds for the upcoming electric and hybrid offensive.
Unless we're mistaken, that will leave only the 108 as a 3-door, excluding the RCZ coupe, of course. But we're not surprised at all. In fact, we're probably not going to publish the official confirmation, as pretty much every manufacturer has ditched the formula.
The Renault Clio did it when it came out in 2012. So did the VW Polo last year, or the SEAT Ibiza a year before that. Kia Rio 3-door - gone. Hyundai presented an i20 Coupe in 2015, but I've never actually seen one outside of a dealership.
The segment isn't completely dead. There's still the Ford Fiesta, soon to become available as an ST, the MINI hatch, and the Opel Corsa. Styling aside, a 5-door body presents many advantages, especially as most superminis can now comfortably seat four people.
Slowly but surely, sales of 3-door models declined. I think it's due to leasing. People buy more expensive cars, and they expect them to do everything. Back in the day, you wouldn't even expect to have air conditioning, mind you.
Peugeot also has a long history of really cool 3-door hatchbacks. Who can forget the iconic 208 GTi or the 206 commercials? But according to a recent report from Dutch magazine Auto Week, the 208 3-door model will be discontinued within the next few weeks.
Peugeot's decision comes months before an all-new 208 hatch is expected to debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. This will leave them with fewer chassis types to develop, thus freeing up some funds for the upcoming electric and hybrid offensive.
Unless we're mistaken, that will leave only the 108 as a 3-door, excluding the RCZ coupe, of course. But we're not surprised at all. In fact, we're probably not going to publish the official confirmation, as pretty much every manufacturer has ditched the formula.
The Renault Clio did it when it came out in 2012. So did the VW Polo last year, or the SEAT Ibiza a year before that. Kia Rio 3-door - gone. Hyundai presented an i20 Coupe in 2015, but I've never actually seen one outside of a dealership.
The segment isn't completely dead. There's still the Ford Fiesta, soon to become available as an ST, the MINI hatch, and the Opel Corsa. Styling aside, a 5-door body presents many advantages, especially as most superminis can now comfortably seat four people.
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