Hatchbacks and boot space – which one offers the most?
Some small cars can hardly handle a bachelor’s groceries. However, you certainly do have options.
Packing the car for a holiday trip can be a challenge if you own a smaller passenger car, such as a hatchback.
Unlike sedans, SUVs or bakkies with their capacious loading spaces, hatchback design means a smaller boot space. Planning how to get all the luggage and goods into these tighter boot spaces can sometimes resemble a military campaign.
Yet, despite their size, some hatchbacks come with boot spaces that are fairly well sized and practical.
The handsome Volkswagen Polo with its 350-litre boot space is a case in point, while its more affordable sibling, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo, has a luggage volume of 280 litres. For those without kids who are able to fold down the rear seats and utilise that added space, the Vivo’s loading capacity increases to 952 litres.
These two spacious and quality German hatchbacks (both with average selling prices under R300 000 on the used car market) occupy first and third position as the cars dealers get the most enquiries for, according to AutoTrader.
But they are not the only value-for-money hatchbacks under R300 000 with respectable boot spaces.
Take the Toyota Starlet, a 2021 model offering a spacious 345-litre boot. That’s more than the current-generation Starlet model with its 314-litre volume. Rival Kia Rio boasts a spacious 325-litre cargo compartment, however, be aware that come 2024, the Rio will no longer be available locally. Popular A Japanese hatchback, the Suzuki Swift, offers a deep and practical 268-litre boot, expandable to 579-litres with the seats folded down.
Premium hatchbacks the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class come with higher price tags – and bigger boots.
Averaging a price of R515 149, according to AutoTrader data, a 2017 Mercedes-Benz A-Class model offers a larger, more family- and recreation-friendly luggage compartment sized at 370 litres, while premium hatch rival the BMW 1 series boasts 360 litres of boot space for its R351 191 average-priced 2016 model. That’s 20 litres less than the model introduced in 2020.
But when it comes to class-leading boot volumes, the Honda Civic rules the roost. An older 2012 model with an average price of R265 253 offers a hefty 401 litres of luggage space, while a 2018 model boasts an even larger 414-litre boot.
Packing the boot in any vehicle requires preparation and thought – more so in a hatchback, where packing lightly and creatively is key.
Source: Nikki Chennells
