Team-BHP - How stable are hatchbacks compared to saloon cars.. ??

Hey..

First of all guys i'm talking about the cars available in the Indian market. This is the first time i've ever ownd a hatchback and people often say not to push it n drive it like driving a sedan cuz they are usually shorter and a bit taller. Straight line stability is fine, but how would it be around corners?? Can it be as confidence inspiring like the other saloon cars?? Somehow u get that feeling that it's never gonna topple in a saloon. So what are ur ideas guys? Anyone who really pushes thair hot hatches around?

The swift is good around corners. For some reason the swift loves drifting. You can get her to drift ever so easily.

The 185/70-14 on the ZXi is easier to drift than the 165/80-14 which have more roll and mess grip.

Compared to a saloon It wont be as stable but then again depends on the saloon you are comparing it to.

The lancer/OHC are any day is more stable than the swift. The same cant be said about the NHC. The baleno has better handling as well.

The hyundai Verna is on the softer side and bounces.

Any car will topple over if you go beyond it's limits and lose control. Whether a lancer, skoda or swift.

Besides indian roads are not the best place to even test the limits of the cars. So you really dont have to worry about toppling unless you go beyond the limits.

Hi Karthik247,

Its hard to answer a general question as to whether sedans are more stable or hatchbacks as it differs from car to car.

It would basically depend on the track and wheelbase of your car, in relation to the center of gravity (CG) of the car. Other things play a smaller role as well, like suspension, tyres, tyre pressure etc.

cya
R

a similar thread exists actually..

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...power-etc.html

One gets a general feeling that the sedans are more stable than the hatchbacks. I too have a similar gut feeling :p

I think the length, width of the car, lower center of gravity with proper weight distribution and aerodynamics are the key factors for the stability/handling of any car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by muni (Post 376818)

I think the length, width of the car, lower center of gravity with proper weight distribution and aerodynamics are the key factors for the stability/handling of any car.

I agree. A sedan's stability cannot be matched with a hatch plus you have several parameters to consider before getting the actual result. By thumb rule, all sedans are more stable than hatchbacks due to the reasons mentioned above

Lets take a practical example, where technical specs are similar:
Hatchback: TATA Indica
Sedan: TATA Indigo
People who have driven both Indica & Indigo can comment the comparison (though Indigo is more priced and hence better comfort, I guess we are discussing drivability).

Toyota Yaris is available in both hatchback & sedan with same specs & same refinement. Honda City comes as Jazz/Fit (hatchback) and Fit-Aria/City (sedan) - both with same specs. Any experience driving these?

Quote:

Originally Posted by netarchie (Post 376911)

I drive a ford fusion , more of a hatch back type and i can comfortably say it handles much better than a sedan/saloon.

Which all sedans are u comparing it with ??

As Rehaan pointed out, a lot depends on the sedan and the hatchback being compared and the specifics of the cars involved. In general, the sedan is heavier and wider and so should be more stable to toppling, other things being equal.

Would the long boot of the sedan come into play and cause oversteer more easily as compared to a hatchback? (i.e., rear wheel slide, especially if the boot is fully loaded and the rear tyres are relatively worn out). Plus I wonder if the heavier sedans would be more prone to understeer as well when cornering at speed. My hunch is that a well-designed modern sedan will not easily understeer/oversteer, but if it does get into that situation, it would be more difficult to control the car as compared to the lighter hatchback. That said, I have never driven a sedan, so I will leave it to others to correct any errors in my impressions.

Karthik, Among the hatchbacks we have in our market, Swift rules on stability and handling aspects of a car! No wonder it won "car of the year" twice or thrice!!!

I have pushed my car (Swift-ZXi) to a 'decent-extreme' limit during the "Rumble in the Jungle" teambhp meet!! It was thru curvy well paved roads, ghats, jungles etc etc!!!! My confidence was improving everytime I pushed it hard thru turns!!! Somebody got irritated too seeing my drive!!:p It was drifting so sweetly and confidently thru the turns!!! Never felt any alarming situations at any point of time during that drive!! Even took a sharp turn at high speed in jungle!!! u remember it jk?!!!;)
This is definitely better than what Shah Rukh Khan shown us with a 'zip drive.' Never came across a better handling hatch till date!!

But as somebody said... there is a clear limit to which it can be pushed hard that way!! So as you said, first get used to the car properly and then try all those things when you are confident and comfortable!!

cheers!!