Hot Hatchbacks: Party in the Front, Business in the Back The “hot hatch” concept — sporty but practical, with plenty of horsepower — is being swallowed by (what else?) S.U.V.s. The Mazda CX-30 Turbo, a recent entrant to the fading “hot hatch” segment.Credit...Mazda April 15, 2021, 6:00 a.m. ET For the longest time, the defining features of a true “hot hatchback” didn’t necessarily include the hatch. A hot hatch, then, was measured by its fun factor: agility, responsiveness and engine power that punched way above its weight. There was more to like. Economy at the dealership, economy at the gas pump. Practicality, with four doors typical and a trunk that held more than a golf bag if you folded down the rear seats. Overachieving rubber on oversize wheels with oversize brakes. Outrageously bright, show-off color palettes (Magma Orange, anyone? Ginster Yellow?) that perfectly decorated a compact car that rarely extended past 170 inches. Hot hatches were Hot Wheels for grown-ups.