4 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 four great vehicles a closer look. These small people carriers offer a lot of value for money, with the cheapest variant coming in at P620,000. 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 scored 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. Updated in 2023, the Brio now has the convenience of Android Auto and Apple Carplay. Also added in the update is the addition of the touchscreen infotainment system for the entry-level S variant. In our 2019 review, 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. Since the facelift introduced additional features while retaining the driving characteristics we loved about the Brio, it still holds up even today. 

Next on the list is the Suzuki S-Presso scoring a 3.8/5.0 on our review. This five-door hatchback is powered by a 1.0-liter naturally aspirated K10B engine, an engine in the same family as the K10C in the Celerio. Power is transmitted to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission or a five-speed Automatic Gear Shift (AGS) transmission. Suzuki’s hatchback scored high for its design, fuel economy, and exceptional value for money. Priced below the P800,000 mark, the S-Presso is one of the few cars out there that has an accessible price with an adequate amount of features. Oh and if you’re wondering how good the S-Presso is at sipping fuel, our 2023 review showed that the S-Presso consumes around about 17 km/l in moderate traffic conditions and 13 km/l in heavy traffic. Combined city and highway figures were around 14 km/L, but we found out that if you actively try and save fuel, you can get figures up to 20 km/l in the S-Presso.

Next on the list with a 3.8/5.0 score is the Mirage. 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. Though the Mirage Hatchback is getting on a bit with age, it’s still undeniable that it’s a solid choice in the hatchback segment.

The Suzuki Celerio is the fourth choice on our list with a 3.2/5.0 score. Now in its third generation, the Celerio has got a fresh new face and a five-speed automated gear shift transmission. Under the hood, the Celerio is powered by Suzuki’s K10C three-cylinder 1.0-liter engine. The DOHC engine produces 66 hp and 89 Nm of torque. In 2023, the Celerio was updated to have Android Auto and Apple Carplay as part of its standard equipment, answering the prayers of potential buyers of the Celerio. In our review, we praised the Celerio for its space and the addition of an auto-start stop function giving the already frugal Celerio a boost in fuel efficiency.

During city driving under moderate traffic conditions with an average speed of around 40 km/h, we achieved an impressive fuel economy of 18 km/L. Even during busy weekday rush hours, the Celerio maintained double-digit fuel efficiency, achieving 12.9 km/L. On the highway, the Celerio continued to impress, delivering a remarkable fuel economy of 26 km/L while cruising at a steady speed of 90 km/h. So, in the realm of fuel efficiency the Celerio is excellent, as for everything else, check out the review for the full deep dive.