Hatchbacks with the most cargo space in the Philippines

Hatchbacks offer a delightful driving experience, known for their user-friendly nature on the road. Their compact dimensions and nimble frames make them ideal for navigating city streets with ease. However, when it comes to storage space, they don't quite match up to the expansive interiors of SUVs. The inherent trade-off in small city cars lies in their limited interior and cargo space, a characteristic shared by compact and subcompact models.

While these vehicles may not rival SUVs in cargo volume, some hatchback models manage to defy expectations, proving that you can still find impressive utility in these smaller packages. Not to mention, hatchbacks can serve as a solid middleground for someone looking for a car that's both fun and engaging to drive, while being pravtical for the family. In the world of compact and subcompact cars, compromises are inevitable, but certain models stand out by offering a surprising blend of performance and practicality.

This list is based on the vehicles that are available in the Philippines and will be updated as new cars are launched or bigger hatchbacks 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 starting at P708,000? Quite a good deal indeed. 

With that being said, the Celerio's smaller brother, the S-Presso is also worth noting here. Thanks to its super affordable price tag starting at just P620,000, you get decent storage space with 239 liters at the back, plus sporty crossover styling that makes it look like a baby SUV. 

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. 

Other players in the subcompact hatchback game include the Suzuki Swift, with its smaller cargo space accommodating 242 liters. Nevertheless, it's a sporty alternative in the hatchback game, featuring hot-hatch styling and an accessible price tag starting at P989,000. Of course, there's the Mazda 2, which is the most expensive model from the mainstream Japanese manufacturers. With a price tag of P1,250,000, it's the most high-tech and arguably the most sporty, but also gets the smallest cargo space with just 220 liters to offer. 

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?