Check out our round-up of the best cars for maximising interior space
Check out our round-up of the best cars for maximising interior space
Got nowhere to put your skis? Can’t squeeze in that grand piano? And where will you put your Eiffel Tower made of matchsticks?
Worry no more. In-car storage has changed a lot since the days when the glovebox was your only option. Now, cars offer a cornucopia of cubbies, compartments and cupholders. We take a look at some of the best storage solutions on two wheels.
The Kia Cee'd cements its reputation as a good all-rounder by providing drivers with thoughtful storage solutions. Those Kia boffins have thought of everything. There’s an air-conditioned glove compartment for your emergency Dairy Milk. Door bins that actually hold a large bottle of water. Cupholders to the front and cupholders in the folding central back seat. It’s also got a cubbyhole between the front seats with a lid and a secret sunglasses compartment concealed in the roof lining to hide your diamonds in. (Or your sunglasses). Ex-CEE'D-ingly smart.
The Grand Scenic isn’t so much a car as a three-bedroom flat. This seven-seater behemoth has been designed to give as much flexible space as possible, including a sliding centre console that holds 13 litres of stuff and moves forward to reveal generous underfloor storage. The glovebox doesn’t just sit there, either – it slides out like your own personal filing cabinet. Add the 765 litres of boot space with the rear seats folded down, and all you have to do is move your bed in there.
The Crossland X is designed to take the strain of family life, with super elevated seating and generous headroom that could accommodate Marge Simpson’s barnet. There are also cup holders galore and a handy cubby between the two front seats with a sliding lid. For £300 extra, you can create even more space with Vauxhall’s Versatility Pack, which includes flexible seating configuration and a ski hatch, which you can use for your annual jaunt to the glistening slopes of Verbier, or (more likely) for B&Q flatpack shelves.
ŠKODA is so sure of itself it has called its storage option packs ‘Simply Clever.’ And they’re not wrong, either. There’s a rubberised cupholder that hugs your drink bottle and allows you to open the lid with one hand, storage pockets in the sides of the front seats, an ice scraper secreted in the petrol cap door, an umbrella holder in the rear door, an adjustable parcel shelf that drops down to segment the boot for smaller or delicate items… it’s enough to bring a tear of joy to an organised person’s eye.
Interior of the Volkswagen Touran R-Line
The Volkswagen Touran has up to 47 storage compartments and pockets; that’s a lot of places to put your old pieces of chewing gum. On long car journeys you can amuse yourself by trying to find them all. The four dashboard bins and slots – including a media box – are easy to spot, as is the huge glovebox and the massive lined door bins. Bonus points for the drawers below the driver and passenger seats and if you can find the drop-down roof console, you get a lolly (which you can then hide in one of the many storage compartments, never to be seen again).
Citroën is known for its unexpected design flourishes, and the Aircross boasts plenty of helpful storage solutions. They take care of the big stuff, like giving you 60:40 split-folding seats that fold down completely to reveal a vast 1,289-litre vacuum. Then they hit you with some almost touchingly considerate extras, like a boot floor you can move up and down, and a handy slot in the boot to hold the parcel shelf when you’re overloaded with stuff. It’s almost as if they KNOW us.
Need even more space? Check out these family cars with big boots.
