Best 7-seater SUVs 2025

High quality seven-seater SUVs from rated and reviewed dealers

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grey skoda kodiaq driving
Last updated March 19, 2025 by Mario Christou

10 best seven-seater SUVs: lots of space for large families

Gone are the days of MPVs and estate cars being the go-to for ferrying people about, as designers have become smarter with interior layouts and SUVs have grown in size. SUVs make prime choices for seven-seater cars; long wheelbases and tall rooflines providing ample head and leg room combined with lofty seating positions and road presence.

You’ll usually have to choose between a spacious third row of seats or decent boot space, but some seven-seater SUVs manage to have plenty of both passenger and luggage space - though it’s rare.

The SUV you choose should be largely dependent on who you tend to ferry around and where you travel - though your brand preference and budget will influence your decision too. If you’re regularly doing airport runs or road-trip holidays with six others, you’ll be after a mix of passenger and boot space.

For peace of mind when carrying groups of young passengers, you’ll want to look out for an SUV with ISOFIX child seat mounting points. A lot of SUVs offer two or three ISOFIX points, though the best offer five or even six for child seats in all three rows.

SUVs aren’t all about rugged off-road ability anymore, so you’re not forced to have a clattery diesel engine or a thirsty V8 petrol engine in order to have a car with decent ground clearance. There are loads of plug-in hybrid options on sale, and some electric SUVs have usable range for proper road trips.

If you’re keen on spending time at the petrol station, or you love a meaty exhaust note, there are plenty of big engine seven-seater SUVs available with a mix of supercar-baiting performance and genuine practicality.

Our expert reviews team has spent time testing every seven-seat SUV on sale, to present you with the ten best you can buy today.

Hyundai Santa Fe
2025
Car of the Year Award

1. Hyundai Santa Fe

SPRING SALE
10/10
Hyundai Santa Fe review

What's good

  • Vast, spacious interior
  • Looks ace
  • Surprisingly economical

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives have bigger boots
  • No diesel or full-electric versions
  • Not very exciting to drive
Best for: all round capability

Hyundai’s big, brash and boxy SUV is such a good all-rounder that it was the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year. The Hyundai Santa Fe might have had the turnaround of the century in the way it’s gone from a green-laning favourite to a refined family car.

The Santa Fe’s generous proportions and square corners mean there’s space for seven in its gargantuan cabin, though rear seat passengers don’t have quite as much elbow room as those in the middle row.

That’s to be expected though, and middle row passengers really do have a lot of headroom and leg room thanks to a tall roofline and a flat floor. The middle bench slides and reclines too, so you can adjust legroom for your passengers depending on who you’re carrying.

All passengers get loads of storage space, with a frankly obscene 17 cupholders spread across all three rows of the Santa Fe’s interior in addition to big door bins and two gloveboxes.

Even with the rear seats up the boot is a usable size, big enough for four carry-on suitcases or a modest shopping trip. With the third row stowed away there’s a 628 litre boot capacity. While some alternatives have larger boots, a digital rear-view mirror means you really can stack luggage up to the Santa Fe’s roof without restricting rear visibility.

The Santa Fe’s chunky dashboard looks slick, thanks in part to the curved dual-screen display and adjoining centre console. Most of the surfaces and switchgear are nice to the touch, though some harder to reach plastics are scratchier than the alternatives.

Comfort is another one of the Santa Fe’s calling cards, with its suspension doing a good job of smoothing out broken, bumpy roads. It may be a big beast, but the Santa Fe’s square corners make it easy to place in town - and wind noise is shockingly well suppressed on a motorway run.

All-in-all the Santa Fe is an excellent seven-seater, and while tall third-row passengers could feel a little cramped on long drives, it covers a lot of bases very well indeed.

What's good

  • Vast, spacious interior
  • Looks ace
  • Surprisingly economical

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives have bigger boots
  • No diesel or full-electric versions
  • Not very exciting to drive
Land Rover Defender 110

2. Land Rover Defender

SPRING SALE
9/10
Land Rover Defender 110 review

What's good

  • Practical interior with seven seats
  • Wide range of excellent engines
  • Comfortable on-road and capable off it

What’s not so good

  • High running costs
  • Tight third row
  • Question marks over reliability
Best for: off-road ability

Where some SUVs are totally road-biased, the Land Rover Defender hasn’t lost a shred of its off-road ability over the years. Just like its agricultural forebear, the Defender is available in a range of body styles - from the stubby but super cool 90 to the outrageous 8-seater 130.

The Defender 110 finds the middle ground, seating seven people without having the impractically large ‘junk-in-the-trunk’ rear overhang of its 130 sibling. The third-row bench is most suited for children, as it’s a tight squeeze for adults.

Getting into the third row is a bit challenging as the middle row doesn’t fold forwards, so elderly and larger individuals will struggle. The interior itself is stylish and minimalistic, though alternatives are posher inside and the infotainment system is a pain to use.

Where the Defender excels is in its charm and desirability, with buckets of road presence and the ability to travel in comfort no matter the road. It soaks up lumps and bumps with no fuss, and the seating position is so high that it’s easier to manoeuvre the Defender around town than its size would suggest.

Standard-fit 360-degree cameras help with parking and on narrow roads, and it’s a comfortable drive on the motorway too. Less boxy alternatives do a better job of isolating wind noise, but supportive seats and predictable steering make for a relaxing driving experience.

Twisty roads don’t unsettle the sure-footed Defender either, but off-road is where it shines the brightest, being able to take whatever you throw at it. Mud, snow, sand, hills and streams - the Defender takes it all in its stride.

Engine options range from a 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid to a ridiculously fun - and obnoxious- 5.0-litre V8 at the top of the range, with a range of six-cylinder petrol and diesels in between.

The Land Rover Defender’s mix of on-and-off road ability, rugged looks, comfortable interior and somewhat usable seven seats make it an excellent choice as a posh way to ferry lots of people about.

What's good

  • Practical interior with seven seats
  • Wide range of excellent engines
  • Comfortable on-road and capable off it

What’s not so good

  • High running costs
  • Tight third row
  • Question marks over reliability
Kia EV9
2025
Outstanding EV Award

3. Kia EV9

SPRING SALE
9/10
Kia EV9 review
Battery range up to 349 miles

What's good

  • Spacious interior
  • Super-fast charging
  • Electric seven-seater

What’s not so good

  • Not particularly quiet at high speeds
  • Baffling climate screen position
  • Badge snobbery a factor at this price
Best for: silent road trips

Another winner of a Carwow Car of the Year award, the Kia EV9 is our ‘Outstanding EV’ of 2025. The electric seven-seater SUV is a rare beast, and in this case it’s a gigantic beast too - with proportions closer to that of an executive limousine than most of its SUV alternatives.

It’s a handsome thing, and if its size wasn’t enough for the EV9 to stand out on the road then its styling is the cherry on top of a very large cake. It looks like something a sci-fi villain would drive, with sharp angles and bluff front and rear ends.

The EV9 has a luxurious feel from behind the wheel, with light steering and soft touch materials in the areas you’re most likely to touch on a day-to-day basis. Harder plastics can be found lower down in the cabin, but plenty of standard kit, good build quality and an expensive-looking triple screen setup on the dashboard make up for it.

The suspension can be a little crashy on sharper bumps and dips, with big potholes resonating through the cabin with a dull thud, but the EV9 is far from uncomfortable. All three rows are spacious, and with a near 350 mile range in some models the Kia EV9 is a solid choice for well-planned road trips.

What's good

  • Spacious interior
  • Super-fast charging
  • Electric seven-seater

What’s not so good

  • Not particularly quiet at high speeds
  • Baffling climate screen position
  • Badge snobbery a factor at this price

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BMW X7

4. BMW X7

SPRING SALE
9/10
BMW X7 review

What's good

  • High-quality interior
  • Genuine space for seven
  • Great to drive

What’s not so good

  • Those looks
  • Sheer size in town
  • More expensive than alternatives
It should come as no surprise that BMW’s range-topping SUV is one of the most spacious and luxurious on this list.

The XXL BMW is an uber-luxurious way to haul six passengers around, with a pair of seats in the boot taking a pair of full-sized adults on long drives in comfort. The front of the cabin has even more room, with loads of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel. The middle and rear rows can even be adjusted and folded away electrically.

The link between the X7 and its 7 Series cousin is clear to see at first glance, with an interior posh enough to rival a Range Rover. A curved dual-screen display sits atop the leather-trimmed dashboard, and all of the physical buttons and switches are lovely to the touch.

Even with the rear seats in use, the X7 has the same boot capacity as a lot of small hatchbacks - so group shopping trips are a real possibility. With the seats folded you have a massive 750 litres of boot space.

The 7 Series link is even clearer on the exterior of the X7, with divisive styling as a result of its big kidney grilles and split headlights. What isn’t divisive is the way the X7 drives, taking corners with much more poise than a vehicle of this size has any right to.

It’s genuinely fun to drive when attacking corners, and yet the X7 wafts along on the motorway and in town as if it were laying its own fresh tarmac - and rightly so considering its price.

What's good

  • High-quality interior
  • Genuine space for seven
  • Great to drive

What’s not so good

  • Those looks
  • Sheer size in town
  • More expensive than alternatives
Range Rover

5. Range Rover

SPRING SALE
9/10
Range Rover review

What's good

  • Extremely manouvrable with four-wheel steering
  • Superbly refined and comfortable
  • Looks fantastic

What’s not so good

  • Some cheap plastics inside
  • Feels wide through town and tighter roads
  • A big step to get into the cabin
Best for: badge prestige

The duality of the Range Rover is quite frankly astounding, with a level of luxury and on-road manners that seem at odds with its off-road ability. Having a seven-seater option is just another feather in the full-fat Range Rover’s accomplished cap, and in long-wheelbase form it’s really very practical too.

As far as interiors go, the Range Rover’s is one of the best in the business with lashings of leather and multiple options for wood trims. The ‘floating’ infotainment screen looks elegant, but it’s not the slickest system to use.

The third row of seats are adult-friendly, though they aren’t nearly as plush as the BMW X7 and with the seats up the boot is about 100 litres down on space. They’re easy to access though, and you can peer over middle row occupants.

You’re limited to petrol and diesel-only models as a seven seater, as the third row lives where the batteries would on a plug-in hybrid Range Rover. The petrol and diesel engines are plenty good enough to make up for it though, and the V8 petrol models have a particularly sporty exhaust note.

On the move, the Range Rover is incredibly comfy no matter where you point it. Motorways are a cosseting experience, and bad roads are taken in the Range Rover’s stride. Four-wheel steering and 360-degree camera help around town, and a myriad of off-road tech means the Range Rover carries on when the going gets tough, wet, snowy, muddy or mountainous.

What's good

  • Extremely manouvrable with four-wheel steering
  • Superbly refined and comfortable
  • Looks fantastic

What’s not so good

  • Some cheap plastics inside
  • Feels wide through town and tighter roads
  • A big step to get into the cabin
Peugeot 5008
2025
Family Values Award
Highly Commended

6. Peugeot 5008

SPRING SALE
9/10
Peugeot 5008 review

What's good

  • Roomy for five with useful third row
  • Standout cabin design and build
  • Comfortable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Touchscreens can be fiddly
  • Hybrid engine a bit noisy
  • No diesel engine option
Best for: clever, affordable space

As an affordable seven-seater with quirky styling, the Peugeot 5008 certainly stands out. Peugeot is on a roll with its avant-garde designs, and the 5008 is a prime example of bold French flair.

Slender headlights on the top corners of the front end and a wide grille between its ‘lion claw’ motif running lights are particularly striking, while a clever use of two-tone on the roof makes the 5008’s roofline look lower than it is.

The interior is a highlight in the 5008, with fabric-covered angles everywhere you look. A pair of displays sit on top of the heavily skewed dashboard, and the whole lot curves to face the driver. The small steering wheel is a love-or-hate Peugeot design feature as it can get in the way of the driver’s display at times.

There’s a lot of room in the 5008’s cabin, though third row passengers will find their seating a little tight. It’s best thought of as a five-seater with a pair of extra seats, much like the Mercedes GLB, though unlike the GLB you can remove the third row entirely for a cavernous 2150-litre boot.

Soft suspension and light steering mean the 5008 is well suited to city driving, as does the excellent front visibility. The tiny steering wheel is easy to whip around too, making quick direction changes a breeze.

Getting up to motorway speeds is a noisy affair, though the 5008 is quiet at a cruise. Twisty roads aren’t much fun, as the soft suspension and light steering mean the 5008 never feels as grippy as alternatives such as the Skoda Kodiaq.

What's good

  • Roomy for five with useful third row
  • Standout cabin design and build
  • Comfortable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Touchscreens can be fiddly
  • Hybrid engine a bit noisy
  • No diesel engine option
Skoda Kodiaq
2025
Adventurer's Choice Award
Highly Commended

7. Skoda Kodiaq

SPRING SALE
8/10
Skoda Kodiaq review

What's good

  • Clever, spacious interior
  • Huge boot
  • Still available as a diesel

What’s not so good

  • Plug-in hybrid not available with seven seats
  • Some expensive optional extras
  • Alternatives are more fun to drive
Best for: flying under the radar

The Skoda Kodiaq is the largest SUV that the Czech manufacturer produces, and it’s a fantastic example of how to maximise a car’s interior space. It’s smaller than alternatives on this list, but front and middle row passengers have plenty of space and the boot is enormous.

The third row of seats isn’t really spacious enough for adults to do comfortable long-distance journeys in and they’re tricky to access, but children will find the space more comfortable and the middle row of seats slide and recline for more legroom in the back.

The Kodiaq’s interior is chock-full of useful storage space and charging solutions, with clever touches such as felt-lined door pockets stopping things from rattling around.

As far as design goes the Kodiaq can’t hold a candle to posher seven-seater alternatives from BMW or Volvo, but the big Skoda has a well laid out dashboard that’s easy to use and made from high quality materials.

Boot space with the rear seats folded away is an enormous 845 litres, and even with the seats up you get almost as much boot space as you do in a typical family hatchback.

Unfortunately the seven-seat Kodiaq isn’t available as a plug-in hybrid as the seats live where the battery would on the PHEV, but the petrol and diesel models are good enough without electric assistance.

What's good

  • Clever, spacious interior
  • Huge boot
  • Still available as a diesel

What’s not so good

  • Plug-in hybrid not available with seven seats
  • Some expensive optional extras
  • Alternatives are more fun to drive
Audi Q7

8. Audi Q7

SPRING SALE
8/10
Audi Q7 review
Battery range up to 34 miles

What's good

  • Very practical
  • Six ISOFIX points
  • Hugely comfortable over bumps

What’s not so good

  • Fiddly touchscreens
  • Weak plug-in hybrid offering
  • Slightly mean safety equipment on basic cars
Best for: dependable quality

The Audi Q7 is a stalwart in big SUV circles, and it’s maintained a reputation as a classy choice of seven-seater since it was introduced. The recipe is the same as it’s always been, with a sleek design, posh interior and Audi’s venerable Quattro four-wheel drive.

Though the current Q7 has been around for years, it still looks fairly fresh thanks to continued design updates. The interior is up to date too, with a slick gloss black finish across the dashboard and a climate control touchscreen beneath it. It can be a little fiddly to use, but the material quality in the Q7’s cabin is first-rate.

Interior storage is great too, with large door pockets and a pair of cupholders for every row of seats. The front seats are supremely comfortable with heaps of adjustability in every direction you can think of, especially in S-Line models. The middle row is just as comfortable with plenty of room for three adults.

The third row of seats isn’t quite as comfortable and they’re a bit of a faff to get to, but they’re more than adequate for short trips or carrying children - especially considering ISOFIX mounting points are standard on all six passenger seats.

On the move the Q7 isn’t a sporty car to drive, but it’s sure footed on country roads and very comfortable both on the motorway and in town. Excellent visibility and 360-degree cameras help on tighter roads or when parking, especially when paired with the optional four-wheel steering.

What's good

  • Very practical
  • Six ISOFIX points
  • Hugely comfortable over bumps

What’s not so good

  • Fiddly touchscreens
  • Weak plug-in hybrid offering
  • Slightly mean safety equipment on basic cars
Volvo XC90

9. Volvo XC90

7/10
Volvo XC90 review
Battery range up to 28 miles

What's good

  • Spacious second row
  • Big boot even in seven-seat mode
  • Packed full of safety tech

What’s not so good

  • Infotainment feeling dated now
  • Bit of wind noise at motorway speeds
  • Suspension could be more comfortable
Best for: stylish interiors

The Volvo XC90 is much like the Audi Q7 in that it’s a stylish, sleek and dependable choice of seven-seater SUV. Where the Audi is all sharp Germanic lines, the XC90 is designed with softer Scandinavian curves.

The interior may not be as cutting-edge as the XC90’s alternatives, but it’s still supremely comfortable with an airy feel - especially when specced in a light colour. The build quality is superb, and the design is easy on the eye.

There’s loads of room for front and middle row passengers, and while adults can fit in the third row it's a bit of a pain getting in and there isn’t as much headroom or legroom as in its German alternatives. A lack of ISOFIX points in the third row is surprising for such a safety-oriented brand, too.

The XC90 is a little stiff around town, as you can feel broken road surfaces and potholes more than you should. Motorways are where the big Volvo feels most comfortable, and at speed the suspension does a better job of soaking up dips in the road. It’s well insulated from wind and road noise too.

Twisty roads are surprisingly fun as a result of its taut suspension, though it’s still no BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne. It’s hard to go wrong with the XC90 as a stylish and relaxing all rounder.

What's good

  • Spacious second row
  • Big boot even in seven-seat mode
  • Packed full of safety tech

What’s not so good

  • Infotainment feeling dated now
  • Bit of wind noise at motorway speeds
  • Suspension could be more comfortable
Mercedes-Benz GLB

10. Mercedes-Benz GLB

7/10
Mercedes-Benz GLB review

What's good

  • Boxy styling looks superb
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Plush cabin and great infotainment

What’s not so good

  • Entry-level cars lack kit
  • Engine choice isn't huge
  • Alternatives have bigger boots
Best for: compact seven-seater

With its softened down, mini G-Class shape, the compact Mercedes GLB strikes an interesting balance between being rugged and chic. Its upright and boxy shape means Mercedes has managed to fit seven seats in its relatively short interior.

The rearmost seats are incredibly tight though, with the third row only really suited to children or emergency situations. Front seat occupants will find the space comfortable, with a pair of screens perched above a stylish wraparound dashboard and plenty of adjustability to the seats and steering wheel.

Rear space and storage is good with large cubbies in all four doors, though the rear centre console is only big enough for small items. The interior feels high quality, and the silver accents across the dashboard and doors really do lift the cabin ambience.

With the third row up there’s only really enough boot space for a couple of bags, and 540 litres of space with the rear seats folded is down on alternatives like the Skoda Kodiaq.

The GLB’s boxy shape does contribute to some wind noise at motorway speeds, but engine noise is kept to a minimum. Town driving is a piece of cake compared to most other seven-seat SUVs thanks to the GLB's combination of compact size, good visibility and high driving position.

What's good

  • Boxy styling looks superb
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Plush cabin and great infotainment

What’s not so good

  • Entry-level cars lack kit
  • Engine choice isn't huge
  • Alternatives have bigger boots

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How to choose the right seven-seat SUV for you

What do you need it for?

If you’re regularly ferrying seven people about, then third row space should be a priority for you as there are few seven-seater SUVs which are genuinely comfortable in the back on long drives. If you only need the extra seats occasionally then there are smaller and easier to drive SUVs with a pair of small seats in the boot which are best for children or adults on short journeys.

What’s your budget?

There are a multitude of seven-seater SUVs available at a range of budgets, and it’s not just the poshest ones which have the most space in the back. Not all SUVs come as a seven-seater as standard though, so you might have to pay for an option to get access to third row seating.

7-seater SUVs FAQs

If you think the Dacia Jogger counts as an SUV – and we do – it offers seven roomy seats, with two rear ISOFIX points as standard, for not very much money. It’s about all the car you could ever really need (apart from a relatively low NCAP safety rating). If the Jogger isn’t SUV enough, you’ll need to spend more than twice as much more for the Peugeot 5008, with the SEAT Tarraco a close second.

If you looking for the largest exterior dimensions, the new long-wheelbase seven-seat Range Rover, with a total exterior length of 5,252mm, just beats the Mercedes GLS. If you’re looking for the most interior space, then the BMW X7 has a massive 954mm of rear legroom.

The Peugeot 5008 the winner in this category, Fold down the third row and you have 780 litres of boot volume to play with: fold down all the seats, and remove the third row entirely, and you have a bott capacity of 2,150 litres, although you won’t have a flat load floor. The Skoda Kodiaq offers more space, with a maximum 835 litres on offer, but not in the seven-seat variant.

The huge rise in SUV sales over the last two decades has largely killed off the seven-seat MPV market. A few models reamian, such as the Volkswagen Touran, and the Ford S-Max and Galaxy, although Volkswagen also now has the impressive new Multivan. Beyond that, you’re looking at van-based seven-seaters such as the Peugeot Traveller or the Citroen Berlingo. And if you’re looking for space, these are the cars you should be buying: they’re usually roomier than an SUV and tend to have better fuel economy and emissions, too.