sportbacks

Sportback is a car body style that blends the practicality of a hatchback with the swept, coupe-like profile of a sedan. It is typically realized as a five-door configuration with a rear hatch and a sloping roofline that extends toward the back, creating a fastback or coupe-like silhouette while preserving rear-seat access and cargo space through the hatch.

Across manufacturers, sportbacks are marketed as a compromise between sportiness and everyday usability. The design usually features four passenger doors and a hatch lid, yielding a larger cargo opening than a traditional sedan. The lowered roofline and rising beltline give the car a more dynamic look, but can reduce rear headroom and cargo space compared with conventional five-door hatchbacks.

Origin and usage: The term originated in Europe and was popularized by Audi, which introduced the A5 Sportback in 2009 to describe a four-door, five-seat model with a coupe-like silhouette. The concept has since been applied to other models, including the larger A7 Sportback; some brands use the label to describe similar fastback-hatchback shapes, though definitions vary across markets.

Examples: Audi A5 Sportback and Audi A7 Sportback are the most prominent current examples. Other automakers occasionally market similar body styles under the sportback designation, while many rivals describe the body style using terms such as fastback, liftback, or simply hatchback with a sportier profile.

Overall, sportbacks aim to offer the best of both worlds: the practicality of a hatchback with a more dynamic, coupé-inspired appearance. They are most common in compact and premium segments, where design and performance cues are prioritized alongside everyday usability.