Hatchbacks DO sell in the U.S. now. There is a different auto buying market here now than there was 5-10 years ago when it was easier to sell yesterday's newspaper than a hatchback.
And Saab hatchbacks have always sold...at least among the Saab faithful.

 

Cool Cool. I respect your opinion.

 

BMW did go after sales with the 1 series and they are NOT bringing it to AMerica, where it would be frowned upon.

 

I like hatchbacks. I'd have considered the A3 had it been out when I was shopping, and had it come with the 3.2L engine. But it wasn't and it doesn't (yet) so meh.

I agree with mmarshall on heated seats too - they just make my butt uncomfortably warm no matter how cold it is, though my wife likes them. I do like cooled seats, though.

 

THe A3 is nice and I think its selling good. THe price is not bad either, 25-30k in a buyers market.

 

I'm not sure it would be frowned upon, Mike....for a couple of reasons. First, it is perhaps the first decent design that You-Know-Who has ever come up with...although the new 3 is not as repulsive as the 5 and 7. Second, the days of hatchback-phobia in the U.S. seem to be coming to an end...witness the sales of the Mini Cooper ( which would be the 1's corporate brother) , the ever-popular Subaru hatchbacks, Scion hatchbacks, and the new A3. Third, the active-lifestyle of many of today's younger people leads them toward a vehicle economical yet roomy enough to carry things.

I think, after the debacle the bigger Chris Bangle cars have been, that the relatively decent 1-series ought to get a chance here...a subject I plan to talk to the BMW people about at the upcoming D.C Auto Show

 

I think some of us can appreciate it (its even growing on me some) but I think when people think BMW in America, they think $$$$ and a 130 would really hurt that.

Sigh, I kinda dig the 1 Here is the new 130 with the M kit

 

Not to mention GTi's - that seems to me like one of the hatches (along with the Subaru's) that turned things around for hatches in general. Nice simple design and boy were they popular when I live in the Bay Area. And ya, the A3 is a fun car - a little too fat for me and the 2.0t engine just doesn't set a fire under my butt, but I can see why it's doing well.

 

Hmmm, we may need to start a hot hatch thread

 

The civic looks like a prius just a tad bit.

-romeo

 

The1 series is a fantastic vehicle! Hatches are great practical vehicles, RWD hatches are that much better, RWD hatches with big power and slick looks/ handling are... well, just about perfect I guess. Up here in Canada it is quite feasible that we may get this car, they are just talking about which drivetrains to make available. Sadly the big torquey high hp diesel version looks like it will be left for Europe only. The CSX is a goofy car, but so was the EL and yeah, I do see a disturbingly large number of EL's on the road. The best part is that these generations of Civics (well I guess all Civics) don't like the salt and are rusty - just try to find an '02 or older without rotted rear 1/4's right behind the rear tire above the plastic bumper cover.

 

Back to the OP - Acura selling Civics in Canada as 'luxury cars' should should give Hyundai lots of encouragement they too can be a luxury player.

Canadians in general don't like to be seen as 'flashy' so the "hey I'm not a lowly Civic which shows I have some money but oh I'm not showing off, really" CSX will do well just as the EL has.

Maybe also because of the foul Winters from Alberta East Canadians don't like to spend much on cars because they turn into a pile of salt and iron filings in a few years.

 

This will be sold as a coupe and sedan?

 

If the trend follows with the current EL, the CSX will be sold only in a sedan version.

The EL is the Civic "Si" (I think the Si in the states is one lower model. The top model civic in Canada is the SiR)

 

Ok, just to clear this up a little.

Current Canadian Acura EL is based on US Civic EX, which is Civic SI in Canada. The US Civic SI is SIR in Canada.

The CSX will be based on US EX or Canadian SI.