Hatching a Plan
Audi’s new A5 of 2007 marked an interesting move by the German brand, its latest range providing coupe and cabriolet fans with some extra choice. Importantly, it brought back to life the idea of a mid-size Audi coupe, a sector not revisted by the company since the days of the 80. Just as significant, however, was the third choice in the A5 line-up: the Sportback, a five-door hatchback of the sleek ‘liftback’ variety.
Between the Sportback and BMW’s 5 Series GT, German brands seemed proud of the new market segment they claimed to have created – the executive hatchback. Indeed, Audi’s press release spoke of new vehicle concepts, and setting new trends in vehicle design; clearly, the company was delighted with its new executive contender. In truth, however, the concept was nothing new, with other companies exploiting it first… in some cases, over 30 years earlier.
The 1975 Renault 20, the 1976 Rover SD1 and the 1978 Saab 900 all show that the concept was alive and kicking three decades before the A5’s launch, while cars like the Ford Granada Mk3, Citroën XM and Renault Vel Satis all ensured that the executive hatch continued into the 21st century. The latter model ceased production for the UK in 2005 – but in Europe, sales only stopped just a year before the A5 was launched. Not only did Audi have a short memory,
