Top 5 hatchbacks of the decade - Philippines

Moving into 2020 made us realised that we didn’t just enter a new year but, in fact, a brand-new decade. We left behind a great decade of incredible cars. Thinking about it made us a bit nostalgic and so we thought why not make a list of top 5 hatchbacks of the decade. And here are the names that we came up with.

Honda Brio

Honda Brio entered the Philippines back in 2014 and established itself in the local hatchback market pretty quickly. It was mostly known for its cute looks and spacious cabin. However, due to an increasing number of new rivals entering the market, the Brio took a backseat. Honda Philippines realised this a bit late but when it did, it made sure that the Brio gets back with a bang! So in 2019, an all-new Honda Brio was launched.

Available in a total of 4 variants, the new 2019 Honda Brio price starts at Php 598,000 and goes all the way up to Php 735,000 for its range-topping RS variant. Honda completely revamped the looks of the Brio. It no longer possesses cute looks rather is more like a sporty hatchback. Powering it is the same 1.4-litre petrol engine that churns out 89 bhp and 110 Nm of torque. Honda also increased the cabin space making the new Brio that much more comfortable. The 2019 Brio made to our list because it proved itself, once again, by making a phenomenal comeback.

Mitsubishi Mirage

You might seldom hear of Mitsubishi Mirage but it has been loyal to the Philippines market for many years now. Considered to be one of the best value-for-money hatchbacks available in the country right now, the Mirage comes in a total of 2 variants which are very similar to each other in many aspects. You can say that the main difference between the two is the transmission - manual vs automatic.

The Mitsubishi Mirage price starts at Php 699,000 and, we would say that it has got quite a handful of good features, like LED headlamps, chrome grille, body-coloured door handles, 300 watts Rockford Fosgate audio system with Link Display Audio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, etc. Mitsubishi has already launched the updated 2020 Mirage in our neighbouring country Thailand. It is loaded with new features and appears to be even a more desirable buy. We are looking forward to having the 2020 Mirage here in the Philippines sometime soon. And if you are wondering, then why did we include the current model in our list, it was because of the car's loyalty which also helped it to book a spot in our ‘Top 5 upcoming hatchbacks to look for in 2020’ list.

Suzuki Swift

Perhaps, one of the most popular names in the world of hatchbacks, the Suzuki Swift has been around in the Philippines for many years now and ‘swiftly’ created a space for itself. It might not be the most affordable or value-for-money car in the market but it sure is one of the best-looking ones. In its latest avatar, it brings more European taste to the table, and we are not complaining about it.

The Swift is available in 3 variants - GL MT, GL CVT, and GLX CVT - that come at a starting price of Php 755,000. All of them are powered by the same 1.2-litre petrol engine whose max power output is 84 PS and torque output is 113 Nm. For the transmission, there’s a 5-speed manual or a CVT. On the inside, the Swift offers a decent amount of space but it provides a good driving experience. There’s also a touchscreen infotainment system with which is both Android Auto as well as Apple CarPlay compatible. Suzuki revealed a Swift Sport Extreme concept at the Thai Motor Show and a Swift Sport Katana Edition is going to make an appearance at Tokyo Auto Salon.

Toyota Yaris

Toyota Yaris is quite a popular name not just here in the Philippines but in many other countries as well and there are many good reasons for that. In our country, the Yaris comes in 3 variants that start at a price of Php 890,000 and goes up to Php 1.06 million. Thanks to its various prominent exterior features, like large headlamps and taillights, the Yaris is instantly noticeable on the streets.

Listed in the Toyota Yaris specs sheet is a 1.5-litre engine that makes 107 PS of power and 140 Nm of torque. All these features aside, the one thing that we really like about the Yaris is the fact that it comes with 7 airbags as standard and that makes a world of difference in the car’s safety rating. Toyota has a 2020 Yaris coming soon which is expected to have some drastic changes in terms of styling, interior, and performance. It will be based on the new Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform and the first compact car to do so. Let’s see when do we get it here in the Philippines.

Kia Picanto

The Picanto is Kia’s best-selling hatchback in the Philippines. It first made its appearance in the local market in 2008 and has been quite popular ever since. The Kia Picanto is famous for its sporty and youthful looks. It has a pair of large headlamps, stylish alloy wheels, and a unique-looking rear end. There’s even a more good-looking GT variant of the car which adds a bit of more styling.

Picanto also has a large boot capacity of 270-litres which is more than that of its immediate rival Hyundai i10’s 252-litres. The interior space is also quite decent. We also like Kia car’s thoughtful interior design. There’s a large 7-in touchscreen infotainment system that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and also comes with inbuilt satellite navigation. There are two engine options available with the Picanto - 1.0-litre with 67 bhp / 95 Nm and 1.2-litre with 84 bhp / 122 Nm. The Kia Picanto price starts at Php 590,000 and goes up to Php 745,000.

These were the top 5 hatchbacks of the decade and we were glad to have them here in the Philippines. Which was your favourite hatchback from the last decade? Do let us know in the comments below.

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