Hatchbacks with the most cargo space in the Philippines

Hatchbacks are some of the friendliest to drive, however, it’s no SUV in terms of storage space, that’s for sure. Compact dimensions and a small frame means that small city cars don’t have the most interior space, nor do they have the most cargo space. Compact and subcompact cars as well, but they’re still no SUV or crossover in terms of their cargo volume. With such small cars, you can’t have it all, but there are some models that have exceeded our expectations. 

This list is based on the vehicles that are available in the Philippines and will be updated as new cars are launched or bigger crossovers with bigger cargo space are identified. 

When you think of small hatchbacks, small city cars should come to mind. While this segment is the smallest, they are the most affordable of the bunch and they are the easiest to drive in the city. Small dimensions should not take away from practicality, however, and the small hatch with the biggest cargo space is the Honda Brio. In terms of practicality, the Brio has 258 liters of space with all the seats up, but that space, however, grows to the size of 710 liters when all the seats are folded down, which is a substantial amount for the class. 

The all-new Suzuki Celerio also deserves mention here, as it's upgraded platform and body has resulted in a 60-liter cargo space increase. It now features 295 liters worth of cargo space, which is significantly more than the Honda Brio with the seats up. All that in a small hatchback? Forget about it.

This segment offers the best versatility in terms of size and compact dimensions for city driving. For out of town trips, however, where luggage space is important, the Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback is the most voluminous in terms of cargo space. With the rear seats up, you can expect 487 liters of space. This figure more than doubles when you fold the rear seats down and get 1,330 liters of space, though you will have to be a little more creative with your packing as there is a loading lip that you might find a little cumbersome to deal with. Vertical space, however, makes up for that quite nicely. 

For a lot of people in the Philippines, a compact vehicle is already one of the more premium options that you can get in the market, and if you want looks and the practicality to go with your compact hatchback, then the Mazda3 is the car to get with up to 570 liters worth of cargo space and about 1000 liters with the rear seats folded down. Dubbed a Sportback, not a hatchback, by Mazda themselves, the 3 is a lovely sight to behold and a wonderful car to drive. It’s not without its cons, however, since it does have a high loading lip and a rather small floor area. The consolation is that it has a good amount of vertical space which allows you to carry taller items. Plus, did we mention that it looks drop-dead gorgeous?