Inside Line

North America will see a continued increase in the production of versatile hatchbacks and wagons. During the next five years (2003-2008), hatchback and wagon production in North America will increase by more than 150 percent, from 0.7 million to over 1.9 million units in part from an increase in overall vehicle production and to some extent at the expense of coupe and sedan production, which will see a decline of almost 10 percent by 2007.

Does this mean we are going to see the return of vehicles like the classic ‘70’s Vista Cruiser wagon or Gremlin hatchback? One can only hope not. Today’s hatchbacks and wagons are not just economy haulers. They have more content, functionality and style and tomorrow’s vehicles will bring even more as replacement and all-new models arrive. So, what does this mean? Well, it means there will be more opportunities with these vehicles. Some of the potential opportunities may come from an increase in the number of doors and the components required to build those doors, larger roof areas that would allow the fitment of larger, more expensive sunroofs and more room for mounting rear entertainment systems along with a whole host of other possibilities on both the interior and exterior.