Sloping rear seats: why your boot fits fewer dog crates than you think
If your rear seat backs lean into the boot, the space at crate-top height can be 10 cm or more shorter than at the floor. A square crate that fits on the floor can hit the seats before the tailgate closes.
We measured a 2024 BYD Atto 3, a compact electric SUV. Along the floor the boot is about 68–70 cm deep. Higher up, where the seat backs lean in, it's about 58–60 cm. Width (95 cm) and opening height (80 cm) are generous, so depth is what decides.
On floor depth alone, a Gunner G1 Small (62.3 cm deep) and a Thule Allax XS (66 cm at its shortest setting) both look like they fit.
Once the slope is counted, a square-topped 62–66 cm box won't clear 58–60 cm at the top.
Thule's own fit assistant still confirms the Allax XS for this car. Thule says every Allax size has rounded edges, which tuck under sloping seats.
A slanted-back crate such as the Streetwize Medium (54 cm deep at the floor, 40 cm at the top) clears easily.
What to do
Measure the depth at the floor.
Measure it again at roughly the height of the crates you're considering (most car crates are 50–70 cm tall), and note that height.
Enter both in the fit checker. It works out the space at each crate's top edge, assuming a straight slope between your two measurements.
For crates marked "Check top", the maker hasn't published the depth at the top. Rounded or slanted crates often still fit, so check the maker's own fit guide for your exact car.
Thule fit result checked on thule.com/en-ie on 2 Nov 2026. Crate sizes are from the makers' and retailers' listings linked on each crate page.