Advice

Boot sizes of Australia’s favourite SUVs

Not all SUVs are created equal when it comes to the cargo department

22 May 2024, 05:00 am

David Bonnici

Jordan Hickey

Shana Zlotin

Gallery125

How are boot spaces measured?

Boot space, unfortunately, is not measured in by length and width; it’s either litres, or the cubic-foot measurement equivalent of a litre.

This does not help if you need to fit a 2.0-metre-long Ikea flatpack or a couple of chairs, and also does not take into account a narrower space, wheel arches eating into the cargo area, or how high one can stack one’s stuff.

So when car-hunting, be aware of what you will be carrying and have a tape measure handy to ensure the boot accommodates your needs.

Light SUVs

Renault Captur

536 litres

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Renault Captur

The Captur has one of the biggest boots in its class and is able to fit up to 536 litres. This is mostly achieved by the forward-sliding rear seats that can increase load length by 110mm (at the expense of legroom). With the 60:40 split seats folded down, it can hold up to 1275 litres including objects up to 1.57m long.

Volkswagen T-Cross

455 litres

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Volkswagen T-Cross

The second row of seats in the T-Cross can slide 140mm fore and aft which can vary boot space between 385-455 litres. Folding the rear seats flat expands cargo-carrying capacity to 1281 litres. They also fold individually in a 60:40 split which adds flexibility for combining rear passengers with long loads.

Nissan Juke

422 litres

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Nissan Juke

The Juke features deep boot space that holds up to 422 litres, which is 158 litres more than the Mazda CX-3. Folding the rear seats down increases capacity to 1305 litres and if you need to carry more there is a handy 1250kg braked towing capacity.

Toyota Yaris Cross

314/390 litres

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Toyota Yaris Cross

The front-wheel-drive Yaris Cross versions come with a very handy 390-litre boot while opting for all-wheel-drive traction brings just 314 litres. The front drivers gain the extra space via a 60:40-split false floor that provides more depth. All versions feature a 40/20/40-split rear seat with each individual section able to be folded flat to increase the rear luggage space up to 1097 litres.

Hyundai Venue

355 litres

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Hyundai Venue

With the second-row seats upright, the Venue’s cargo bay holds 355-litres with cover in place, which is just 6.0-litres less than its bigger Kona sibling. Boot capacity is helped by the two-stage floor that can be lowered. The parcel shelf can be tucked away neatly behind the rear seats with ease to accommodate taller items. With the rear seats down it can carry up 903 litres of stuff.

Kia Stonic

332/352 litres

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Kia Stonic

The Stonic's cargo area is 28 litres bigger than the Rio hatchback on which it's based. Putting both 60:40 split/fold seats expands capacity to 1155 litres. The boot space itself has a deep floor due to only having to fit a space-saver spare wheel underneath.

Mazda CX-3

264 litres

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Mazda CX-3

The CX-3 certainly lives up to its compact SUV tag when it comes to storage space. An excellent car with a dynamic drivetrain, its boot space has come off -best to the second row of seats. It may be roomy for the human occupants, but its cargo volume is just 264 litres (231 for the G20 Akari). The seats do split-fold to open the area up to 1174 litres, but if you need to carry two kids or a dog with a worth of weekend’s luggage, you may need to invest in roof racks.

Other light SUVs

See all boot images in the gallery

Small SUVs

Haval Jolion

430 litres

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Haval Jolion

The Jolion is significantly larger than the H2 it replaces, starting from the boot, which offers an impressive 430 litres of capacity on petrol models with the seats in place and 1133 litres with the rear seats folded.

Nissan Qashqai

429 litres

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The recently refreshed Qashqai features a storage compartment under the boot floor for bits and bobs to bring cargo storage to near class-leading size. The tailgate opens quite high too, making it even easier to use. Fold the rear seats down brings up to 1524 litres.

Toyota Corolla Cross

425 litres

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Measuring 4460mm in length and 1825mm in width, the Corolla Cross is one of the larger small SUVs available. The Corolla Cross starts with a cargo capacity of 425 litres, but this is reduced when all-wheel drive (AWD) and amenities like additional speakers are added.

If you're considering other hybrid options, boot space is lower ranging between 380 litres and 425 litres depending on the grade.

Hyundai Kona

407 litres

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Its Kona's boot space is just 12 litres shy of the i30 hatchback’s volume, which doesn’t sound bad on paper yet the shallowness and shortness of the crossover’s boot make it trickier to fit a pram or suitcases compared with the i30.

With the rear seatbacks down the cargo-carrying capacity extends to 1241 litres. The Kona Electric has an additional 27L cargo area in the front as well for a total cargo area of 434L.

Mitsubishi ASX

393 litres

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Mitsubishi ASX

The ASX's exterior shape hides a big, boxy boot with a large opening for access. The boot does have some awkward bulges near the wheel arches that eat into the physical boot space ever so slightly; if you need a certain width in the cargo area, take a tape measure to the showroom. With the second-row seats down the capacity varies between the manual and automatic versions at 1193 and 1143 litres respectively, but each will accommodate an object up to 1.47m long.

MG ZS

359 litres

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MG ZS

The MG ZS's boot space is shallow and narrow but manages to hold a handy 359 litres, which expands up to 1166 litres with the rear seats folded down. The ZS EV has the same sized boot as the petrol versions as does the more powerful ZST.

Mazda CX-30

317 litres

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Opening the CX-30's tailgate reveals a 317-litre boot space that’s a little tight for a small SUV, however extra storage under the boot floor extends capacity to 430 litres. The rear seats can split 60:40 to help you carry up to 1406 litres.

Honda HR-V

304 litres

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Honda HR-V boot

The new HR-V offers 304 litres with the rear seats in place, 956 liters with the rear seats folded and luggage loaded to the window line, and a total of 1274 litres when loading to the roofline with the rear seats stowed.

Other small SUVs

Jeep Compass - 438L
Kia Seltos - 433L
Mercedes-Benz GLA - 421L
Lexus UX - 419L (UX300e 413L)
Volkswagen T-Roc - 445L (R-Line 392L)
Toyota C-HR - 388L
Suzuki Vitara - 375L
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross - 405L (Eclipse Cross PHEV 359L)
Subaru Crosstrek - 291L

See all boot images in the gallery

Medium SUVs

Volkswagen Tiguan

615 litres

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Volkswagen Tiguan

With the seats up in the standard position, the Tiguan's boot space is a cavernous 615 litres. This translates to 850mm between the seatback and boot lip, 1000mm between the wheel arches and 460mm between the boot floor and parcel blind. Folding the second down brings up to 1655 litres.

Nissan X-Trail

585 litres

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The X-Trail always has been popular for its pure practicality, and the back end does not disappoint. There is capacious and stackable storage at 585 litres with just the five seats, while seven-seaters get a 465-litre boot. Fold all flat, and the space is close to 2000 litres. Storage drawers under the floor are handy for messy or fiddly gear, and a sweet ‘Divide ’n’ Hide’ stackable storage system for the five-seaters lets you partition the boot for multiple items.

Toyota RAV4

580 litres

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Toyota RAV4

Toyota has always been big on the storage solutions, and the big-selling RAV4 is no exception with the cargo area up by 33 litres from the previous model to 580 litres or 542 litres with the optional full-sized spare tyre in the entry-level GX version. Folding the rear seats will let you haul up to 1690 litres of cargo.

Ford Escape

556 litres

Archive Whichcar 2021 04 16 1 Escape ST 30 1

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Ford Escape

The Escape has a big 556-litre boot and you can carry up 1478 litres with the 60:40 split rear seatbacks lowered using quick-release levers. There’s a 12-volt socket in the boot to run a car fridge or other appliances and you’ll find a space-saver spare wheel under the floor.

Kia Sportage

543 litres

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Kia Sportage

The new-generation Sportage is bigger than the previous model, which is reflected in its boot space that's up almost 100 litres from 446 to 543. Folding the rear seats down brings up to 1829 litres of space.

Hyundai Tucson

539 litres

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Hyundai Tucson

The Tucson's boot holds 539 litres with a full-sized spare wheel under the boot floor, so it compares well with the Toyota RAV4, which holds 542 litres with the optional full-sized spare. Folding the Tucson’s rear 60:40-split seatbacks down brings up to 1860 litres.

Subaru Forester

498 litres

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Subaru Forester

With the rear seats in place, the Forester's boot accommodates 498 litres of stuff and expands to 1768 litres with the 40:60-split seats folded. The load opening measures 1258mm wide between the tail-lights and the widest point of the luggage area is up to 1300mm – enough to fit a golf bag sideways.

Mitsubishi Outlander

478 litres

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Mitsubishi Outlander

The Mitsubishi Outlander is another medium SUV that manages to fit seven seats in the back of some variants, though, unlike the X-Trail, it has a pretty tight 478-litre boot to begin with, which means there are just 163 litres to play with all three rows in use. With the second-row seats folded capacity increases up to 1461 litres. The entry-level ES with five seats has a 485-litre boot.

Mazda CX-5

438 litres

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Like most Mazdas, the CX-5 is below par compared to its main rivals when it comes to boot space. With the seats up, the boot is narrow but it does have a trifold second row, so families with two car seats can still stow all the skis. With no one in the second row, you can carry up to 1340 litres.

Other medium SUVs

Haval H6 - 600L
Mercedes-Benz GLC - 620L
Honda CR-V - 589L
Mercedes-Benz GLB - 565L
BMW X3 - 550L
Genesis GV70 - 542L
Audi Q5 - 520L
Lexus NX - 520L
Renault Koleos - 493L
MG HS - 463L

See all boot images in the gallery

Large SUVs

Isuzu MU-X

1119 litres

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Isuzu MU-X

The seven-seat MU-X has a handy 311 litres of boot space behind the third row that expands to a whopping 1119 litres as a five-seater, with a nice flat load space and under-floor storage. Folding down the middle row brings a van-like 2138 litres.

Ford Everest

898 litres

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Folding down the Everest's third-row seats allows you to store 898 litres and up to 1823 litres in van mode.

Mazda CX-9

810 litres

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Mazda CX-9

The luggage space behind the CX-9's third row is 230 litres, which is slightly less than you get in a Mazda2 hatchback. In five-seater mode, however, with the 50:50 third-row backrests folded flat, there’s a substantial 810 litres, which really is a family-sized cargo hold. And in van mode, with both the third and (60:40) second rows folded away, you get a decent 1641 litres of space.

Hyundai Palisade

704 litres

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Hyundai Palisade

Like the Isuzu MU-X, the Hyundai Palisade has a decent 311 litres of space behind the third row seats. With five seats in play, it holds 704 litres with a full-sized spare wheel under the floor, which extends to 1297 litres with the second row down.

Toyota LandCruiser Prado

620 litres

Archive Whichcar 2019 04 22 Misc 2019 Toyota Prado Kakadu Interior Boot

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Toyota LandCruiser Prado

The Prado has all the hallmark advantages of a Toyota 4x4 – ability, reliability, affordable running costs, storage absolutely everywhere – without the enormous exterior dimensions (or price tag) of the full-blown Landcruiser 200 Series. However, its boot size, while substantial, is considerably less than the Mazda CX-9, which would surprise some. With three rows up there is just 120-litres of space, and with the third and second rows down it will carry up to 1833 litres.

Kia Sorento

608 litres

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The Sorento holds 608 litres with the third row of seats folded down. With the third row in use, available cargo space is just 179 litres. .

Folding the second-row seats extends carrying capacity to a capacious 1996 litres.

Hyundai Santa Fe

571 litres

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The minimum cargo space in the outoing Santa Fe with all three rows up is 130 litres. That expands to 571 litres when the third row is folded flat. Fold the second row down and Hyundai says it will hold 1649 litres worth of cargo.

Subaru Outback

522 litres

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Subaru Outback

One of the few five-seat large SUVS, the Outback's 60:40 split seats fold down to increase boot space from 522 litres to up to 1267 litres – this can be done easily when standing at the tailgate using quick-release latches. The boot is deep and wide but a little shallow if using the pull-out cover. There are pop-out hooks to secure your load, a 12-volt socket to plug in a car fridge or other appliances and a bright LED light.