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Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 09 Dec 2010 12:46 am
by Alex Laidlaw
Hi guys

I'm wondering what the differences are between a mk3 saloon and hatchback.

I'm interested in knowing whether the propshaft is the same length and whether the front bumper, lights and bonnet are the same?

Alex

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 09 Dec 2010 08:47 am
by Chris_C
All those the same, as is the rear bumper. Just the brackets that are different.

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 09 Dec 2010 12:21 pm
by Speedy88
I think its about an inch longer too, but this might just be the bumper.

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 09 Dec 2010 05:05 pm
by Chris_C
Fakes rear bumper came of a saloon ;) They are the same.

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 09 Dec 2010 06:12 pm
by trabitom99
Some accessories are different: tow bar, rear bodykit bits, louvre, rear aerial ...

Cheers

Tom

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 12:52 am
by Speedy88
Chris_C wrote:Fakes rear bumper came of a saloon ;) They are the same.
No I meant the body - I'm sure it pokes out an inch more than the hatchback? By this I mean the bootlip on a saloon would poke out more.

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 01:28 pm
by Ride_on
The Saloon body is a few inches longer (4.5cm to be exact), thats why the rear bumper brackets are longer (the rear leaf spring mounts + mounting holes for the brackets are in the same place as the hatch).

Even the rear doors are the same, differences are in the visible body parts behind the rear doors.

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 10 Dec 2010 01:39 pm
by trabitom99
What I never understood was why Volvo gave the saloon a slightly smaller boot than the hatch. What's the point of making a saloon if it has a smaller boot than the 3/5dr variant? Beside the classic good looks of course ;-)

Tom

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 03:56 pm
by Ride_on
trabitom99 wrote:What I never understood was why Volvo gave the saloon a slightly smaller boot than the hatch. What's the point of making a saloon if it has a smaller boot than the 3/5dr variant? Beside the classic good looks of course ;-)

Tom
What do you mean smaller? Of course its smaller it doesn't have the height the hatchback has, hatchbacks are so much more practical. To equal the hatch back you'd have to have another 2ft of boot out the back of the car or make it into a van/estate.

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 04:35 pm
by trabitom99
1980s saloons tended to have more boot space than the hatchback versions. Booted Novas, Belmonts, the VW Jetta (huuuuge boot), at a guess the Ford Orion too ... Seemed strange to me that Volvo would make one which was less practical than the hatch and smaller too ...

Tom

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 07:47 pm
by Hell Driver
When they introduced the saloon I remember wondering why they had done it, I suppose they were wanting to make sales to the people who were used to other saloons and didn't like the hatchback style. It would have made sense to make an estate too, but I suppose the costs of putting into production the new rear design we not going to be made up for in sales?

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 11 Dec 2010 07:57 pm
by trabitom99
Your're right, in the 80s a hatch was still a novel, unusual thing for some buyers. It was considered "brave" at the time for Ford to launch the 85 on Granada / Scorpio in hatch-only guise, the Saab 9000 springs to mind too ...

The 300 estate didn't make it past the prototype stage unfortunately:
Image

Tom

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 07:17 pm
by Chris_C
The main problem I'd imagine with an estate is it would compete with every other car Volvo were selling at the time. The small hatch was an area that they didn't have prior to the 300 (nor ever since really... the 400 just doesn't count ;))

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 11:25 pm
by V6 Man
Saloons also appeal to those that like a fully secure area to keep things in that are not accessible from anywhere other than the bootlid. They also have the benefit of being quieter than hatchbacks with less road and wind noise.

Re: Differences between a Mk3 saloon and hatchback?

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 02:18 am
by Alex Laidlaw
Thanks for the replies.

I now have a rather rusty saloon and a 1.7 engine sitting on my garage floor... need to start a thread ;)