Why is the Model 3 not a Hatchback?

[Smitty79]

Do any of you, who have been around for a while, know why Tesla didn't build the Model 3 as a hatchback? I have a 2019 Model 3 and the trunk vs a hatchback is far and away the most important reason I wish I'd waited for the the Model Y. Less space isn't a big deal. Smaller hole to put things through is huge.

If the car was meant to be a low budget Model S, and the S was not a hatchback, I could understand it.

 

[Tam]

Do any of you, who have been around for a while, know why Tesla didn't build the Model 3 as a hatchback? I have a 2019 Model 3 and the trunk vs a hatchback is far and away the most important reason I wish I'd waited for the the Model Y. Less space isn't a big deal. Smaller hole to put things through is huge.

If the car was meant to be a low budget Model S, and the S was not a hatchback, I could understand it.

My guess is it's cheaper to skip the hatchback so if customers would like to pay more for a hatchback, they can choose Model Y, S, or X.

 

[rwiegand]

Last I looked, whatever they choose to call it, it is a hatchback. There's no permanent division between the back seat and "trunk".

 

[Smitty79]

Last I looked, whatever they choose to call it, it is a hatchback. There's no permanent division between the back seat and "trunk".

It's not a hatch back because the rear window doesn't move when you open the trunk.

 

[LBM4]

The Model 2 is "supposed" to fill this void.

 

[LoudMusic]

My guess is cost. I think they were trying to hit the $35,000 USD target. Making it a hatchback likely would have pushed it another $500 to $1000.

 

[Massive Attack]

So that back window would be bigger? Man, it's tiny on the Model Y!

After driving mostly crossover SUVs for the last 10 years, I was not prepared for the constraints of the Model 3 trunk opening. A couple times I bought something in a store, only was not able to fit it the trunk. Had to drive home and get the ICE CRV. It was funny because mentally in the store I'm going, "oh my trunk is huge, surely this box will fit," only to find it would not make it through the opening.

 

[Accentcreate]

I still don’t understand why Tesla don’t build a station wagon version of the Model 3. For people, like me, who carry boards, bikes, skis etc on their roof racks a wagon is so much better than a Model Y because the roof is lower and easier to reach to secure your items on the racks. A Model 3 wagon would also look a lot sleeker and more elegant than the pregnant guppy look of the Y.
A render that appeared in Electrek a few years back, below, shows what it could look like.

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