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11 Feb 2024
Written by Wheels magazine
Boot space is not measured in dimensions, but rather volume. In most cases, particularly in regions favouring the metric system, it's in litres.
Of course, this is no help if you need to fit a 2.0-metre-long Ikea flatpack or a couple of chairs, since volume does not directly translate to length, height and width.
And, since most car boots have space taken up by wheel arches, it can be hard to know how well something will fit into the boot of your car.
In wagon form this European car has one of the largest boot volumes in the category with a 640L capacity when the seats are up. Fold the rear seats down and that volume expands to an amazing 1700L in the base 110TSI Style wagon, good value in a car that’s $43,990 drive-away.
The station wagon version of the Mazda 6 offers 506L of volume in the boot – significantly larger, naturally, than the sedan version.
Among the medium sized sedans available in Australia, the popular Accord e:HEV RS, priced at about $64,900 drive-away, boasts an impressive 570L boot.
In Australia the enduringly popular Toyota Camry is available with a petrol engine or four hybrid options. While the combustion engine options sports a 493L boot and a full-size alloy spare tyre, the hybrid options come with a spacious 524L of boot space and a ‘space saver’ spare tyre.
The sedan variant of the Kia Cerato checks in at 502L of boot space, not bad at all for a small car. Its hatchback sibling offers 428L but both vehicles allow for 60/40-split folding rear seats to expand storage. For extra space, the Cerato hatch also provides underfloor storage in the boot, a cargo net and parcel shelf.
Available as both a sedan and hatchback, the i30 delivers impressive storage space in the small car category. The i30 sedan offers 474L cargo capacity and the hatchback provides 395L of space. Both can be configured with 60/40-split folding rear seats. With the seats folded down the hatchback’s storage expands to a voluminous 1301L.
Two variants are available in Australia - Superb Sportline 4x4 Wagon and the Superb Sportline 4x4 Sedan. Naturally the wagon boasts a larger boot, allowing for 660L of storage with the seats in place, and 1950L with the seats down, while the sedan’s respective figures are 625L and 1760L with the seats down.
Mercedes-Benz offers one E-Class variant in Australia, with a maximum of 540L of boot space.
The seven-seat Nissan Patrol can be configured in various ways to increase boot space when moving or long road trips are required. With all seats up across the three rows it provides 467L of space in the back, expanded to 1413L with the third row folded down. Put more seats down in the middle and storage expands to a huge 2623L… and that includes a full-size alloy spare wheel in the back.
Another seven-seater that can be configured to accommodate larger loads when not being used as a people-mover. Standard boot space of 311L behind the third row can easily be expanded to 1119L when that final row is folded down to offer a stable, flat load space and under-floor storage. With the middle row also folded down, the MU-X is basically a van and able to carry 2138L.
Boot space with the three rows of seats in place is a modest 230L but once in five-seater mode, with the 50:50 third-row backrests folded flat, that expands to a decent 810L. Fold both back rows of seats down and you have a more van-like 1641L of space to play with.
The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is a five-seat SUV with a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Its petrol engine provides a fuel economy range from 7L/100km to 7.8L/100km, depending on the variant. Depending on configuration, the space in the rear expands from 626L of standard boot space up to 1676L of storage with seats folded down.
The Chinese-manufactured Haval H6 Hybrid Ultra, priced at $45,990 drive-away, is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to an electric motor that produces 130kW and 300Nm. Boot space is a very decent 600L, expanding to 1485L with the back seats folded down.
The Honda CR-V, with pricing starting at $44,500 for petrol variants rising to $59,900 drive-away for the hybrid option, is offered in various seat and boot configurations. But the popular five-seat option is the most generous when it comes to boot space, at 589L.
Among smaller SUVs available in Australia the Kia Seltos is one of the best for boot space with 468L. The Seltos runs either a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and CVT, or 1.6-litre turbo four with an automatic transmission, and starts at $29,780 before on-road costs.
A five-seater available in either petrol or hybrid models (the e-POWER Ti), the popular Nissan QASHQAI offers fuel economy from 5.2L/100km to 6.1L/100km depending on the model badge.
The Nissan Qashqai variants start at 418L of boot space, depending on configuration, but can be expanded up to 1524L of storage.
Available in Australia as both a hybrid or petrol vehicle, the five-seat Toyota Corolla Cross small SUV offers fuel economy between 4.3L/100km to 6L/100km, depending on the model badge. Storage space in the boot also depends on the model - the GX and GXL non-hybrid versions provide 436L of storage, while the Atmos non-hybrid is 425L. The GX and GXL front-wheel drive hybrid versions sport 425L, while the GXL and Atmos all-wheel drives have 390-litre and 380-litre luggage capacity respectively.
Images supplied by Wheels magazine. This article was written by an independent author of Wheels Media. Full disclaimer