5 Best small hatchbacks you can buy in the Philippines

If you’re in the market for a new small hatchback in the Philippines, we highly suggest you give these five great vehicles a closer look. These small people carriers offer a lot of value for money, with the cheapest variant coming in at P557,000. These vehicles are great cars for beginners as they offer cheap maintenance and fuel efficiency. 

The small hatchbacks on the list are based on our review grading system. These are all score from one to five with five being the highest mark. 

First on the list is the Honda Brio, scoring a 4.0/5.0 on our review. It features a downsized 1.2-liter engine producing 89 hp and 110 Nm of torque. Despite the engine’s small size, it’s still a peppy little hatchback. The car scored high for its design, ergonomics, and quality. While it doesn't have support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, it does have Bluetooth as standard for the RS and V variants. It allows for hands-free connectivity despite the lack of phone mirroring. The lower-end S variant, however, loses out on the touchscreen and steering wheel-mounted controls but retains Bluetooth connectivity. The Brio RS also scored high in terms of design with a score of 4.5/5. The Brio during our testing was also able to get 14.1 km/L for city driving and 20.3 km/L for highway driving.

The Suzuki Celerio, despite being one of the older vehicles on the list, still packs a great value for money proposition. The vehicle features a seven-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity and an offline navigation system. Like the rest of the cars on the list, it also has a 12-volt socket and a USB port to charge your gadgets. The Celerio scored 4.5/5 in our review for its value for money proposition. It also scored high when it comes to ride comfort, with a score of 4.0/5. It had average scores, however, in design and safety technology, scoring 3.5/5 in both categories. During our testing, the Celerio was able to get 11.1 km/L in city driving conditions, while on the highway it was able to clock in an impressive 24 km/L cruising at 90km/h.

The Chevrolet Spark might be on the expensive end of the scale but it has the features that justify the price. It's one of only two vehicles on the list to support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also has the biggest engine in the group with a 1.4-liter producing 97 hp and 128 Nm of torque. For safety, it features three-point seatbelts all around for the five seats available and it comes with ISOFIX child anchors. It also comes with traction control, electronic stability control and hill-start assist. The little Chevy hatchback was able to score high in terms of performance, ride comfort, and safety and technology, with each category getting a score of 4.0/5. Where the Spark lacks is in design and value for money categories, scoring 3.5/5 for both. During our testing, the Spark was able to get 10.1 km/L in the city and 14.7 km/L during highway testing.

This little hatchback features a 1.2-liter engine that produces 78 hp and 100 Nm of torque which is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission or a CVT to meet your fuel efficiency needs. The Mitsubishi Mirage features a good balance between exterior dimensions and interior space for five adults and their luggage. It has an infotainment system with Bluetooth which is a plus as the head unit is a bit bare and does not feature a touchscreen. The Mirage was able to score high in value for money and in our safety and technology categories. In other categories it scored 3.5/5 for design, performance and ride comfort. The Mirage during our review period was able to garner 12 km/L in city driving conditions with a maximum speed of 40 km/h. For its highway fuel economy figures it was able to get 23 km/L.

Toyota’s offering into the small hatchback segment is the Wigo. This little hatch is powered by a 1.0-liter engine that produces 66 hp and 89 Nm of torque. The top-spec variant of the Wigo features a navigation-ready infotainment system that has provisions for Aux and USB. For safety, the vehicle comes with airbags for the driver and passenger. Interior space is enough for four adults but any more and it might be a tight fit. Trunk space is ample as it can fit up to five regular-sized backpacks. While the Wigo might not be feature-packed, its price point is hard not to notice if you’re after a car that gets you from point A to point B reliably. The Wigo scored high in our value for money and design categories, scoring a 4.0/5 in both. Where the Wigo had an average score was in performance, safety, and technology, and ride comfort, with each category getting a score of 3.5/5. Despite its small engine, the little hatch was able to get an average of 22 km/L during highway runs at speeds of 90 km/h.