Best 7-seaters of 2025 in the UK
There are plenty of cars to choose from if you’ve got lots of passengers to haul around, but the best seven-seaters are far from the boring, van-based models of old. Some are genuinely desirable, not just for their practicality but for their poshness - such as Land Rover Defender.
Others, like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Peugeot 5008, aren’t as posh but make for excellent all-rounders; spacious and with eye-catching designs that’ll turn heads as you offload six children at the school gates.
Our expert reviews team has thoroughly tested every seven-seater, living with them as their own cars. After extensive road trips, school runs, loading them up with luggage and threading them through city streets, here are the ten best seven-seater cars on sale:
Key features: Value for money is the Chery Tiggo 8’s trump card. You get seven seats, loads of equipment and a posh interior, with materials on the dashboard that rival any European alternative. Even the 15.6-inch infotainment system is clear and relatively easy to use. The boot is pretty big in five-seat mode but we found that drops considerably with all seven seats in place, becoming barely big enough for a few shopping bags.
Who is it for? Families who want to get as much value as possible – this is a big car with the option of plug-in hybrid power for the same price as some manufacturers’ hatchbacks.
Why is it number 1? The Chery Tiggo 8 is so good we named it 2026 Carwow Car of the Year. It nails all the basics you could want from your family car.
Key features: The Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a big electric SUV with space for seven and a massive boot. Its electric range is pretty good for such a big EV at up to 385 miles. In the real world, we saw over 300 miles, which is still good. You can also utilise ultra-fast public charging speeds to help make long road trips viable.
Who is it for? It’s good for anyone who wants an electric seven-seater with genuinely head-turning looks – the design won’t be for everyone, but it’s certainly impactful.
Why is it number 2? We love how practical it is and how comfortable it is, but there’s no denying it’s quite expensive – the Peugeot E-5008 is cheaper. However, it’s so good on a long journey we named it the best Comfortable Cruiser in the 2026 Carwow Car of the Year awards.
Key features: The Peugeot 5008 is the seven-seat cousin to the good-looking Peugeot 3008, and we’ve found that even the third row of seats is roomy enough for adults - though they may not be too happy on a long trip. Fold down the third row and there’s more space than you get in a Hyundai Santa Fe or Skoda Kodiaq. You also get a superbly posh-feeling interior - we love the big seamless bank of screens, they look great and operate well.
Who is it for? It’s for people who want a seven-seater with a posh image, but don’t want to pay posh car prices.
Why is it number 3? When you see how nice the cabin is, how big and practical the interior is and how good the 5008 is to drive, it’s hard to believe it doesn’t cost more.
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Key features: The Land Rover Defender is a true icon of an off-roader, but it also makes a lot of sense as a family car. You get seven seats in the 110, or up to eight in the longer 130, and the interior is fantastic - upmarket, yet it feels hardwearing enough to cope with both family life and hardcore mud-plugging. We’ve driven the Defender off-road, and it’s pretty much peerless, but it’s comfy on the motorway too.
Who is it for? It’s for families who want a rugged SUV that’s posh enough to fit in down the golf club while keeping the countryside aesthetic. It’s also for people who want to head off the beaten track… and keep going.
Why is it number 4? It’s number four because while it’s immensely capable, it’s more expensive than some alternatives and most people don’t need that much ability. Running costs are a bit hefty too, and the Defender’s reliability reputation isn’t the best.
Key features: All versions of the Hyundai Santa Fe come with seven seats as standard, so you don’t need to pay extra as in some cars. We’ve found practicality to be excellent, with more interior storage than you know what to do with, and enough space for a weekly shop even with all seven seats in place. There’s even a choice of self-charging or tax-friendly plug-in hybrid engines.
Who is it for? It’s for people who want a really big, really practical car with head-turning styling and impressively fuel-efficient hybrid engines.
Why is it number 5? The Hyundai Santa Fe is so good it was named Carwow Car of the Year 2025. It does everything you need a family car to do and looks good doing it.
Key features: The EV9 is expensive by Kia standards, but it’s absolutely massive, the interior is well put together and it drives like a much more expensive car. It’s so spacious inside we were able to carry our tallest mates without hearing a complaint about being cramped. It’ll do over 300 miles to a charge in the real world and has super-fast charging.
Who is it for? People who don’t care about the badge on the bonnet and just want a big, practical all-electric seven-seater that looks cool.
Why is it number 6? Because while it’s very similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 9, it doesn’t go quite as far on a charge and the Hyundai feels a little more upmarket for the price.
7. Dacia Jogger
Dacia Jogger reviewKey features: The Dacia Jogger is a weird combination of hatchback, estate car, MPV and SUV, but get past the slightly odd looks and you’ll find a seriously practical car. Even our testers over six feet tall could get comfortable in the back seats, and it’s impressively cheap to run, especially if you opt for the super-efficient hybrid engine.
Who is it for? The Jogger is for someone who wants maximum space and doesn’t care too much about style. With a price tag of less than £20,000, it’s also the ideal car for people who don’t have a lot to spend.
Why is it number 7? It’s number 7 because while it’s a very cheap car, some areas of the interior like the door cards are a bit nasty-feeling - and though it’s reasonably safe in a crash, its lack of added safety tech means it has a very low Euro NCAP score of just one star.
Key features: The Range Rover is what you get when you cross a Land Rover Defender with a luxury limousine. It’s incredibly capable off-road - you’ll really need to be going some to find somewhere in the UK you can get it stuck - yet on the inside it feels every bit as comfortable and imperious as a Mercedes S-Class.
Who is it for? It’s for people who need to carry lots of passengers, all in luxurious comfort. The second row is the place to be, really, but seats six and seven are impressively roomy too.
Why is it number 8? The Range Rover is just about the perfect car - but with a price tag of around £100,000, it’s difficult to recommend unless you have very deep pockets.
Key features: The BMW X7 isn’t a very elegant car - its styling is eye-catching, but not in a good way. However, it’s almost as luxurious as a Range Rover but costs a lot less. We could fit adults comfortably in all three rows of seats, and the big screens and soft leather makes the interior feel very luxurious.
Who is it for? The X7 is great if you want your big SUV to drive like a much smaller car. We found it was even capable of putting a smile on our face on a twisting country road.
Why is it number 9? While it feels smaller than its size on a twisting road, you can’t cheat physics in town - it’s huge and hard to park, and we wish there was a plug-in hybrid engine option to bring company car costs down.
Key features: Despite its boxy shape, the VW Multivan is actually based on the same underpinnings as the VW Golf - which means it’s great to drive in town and can be had as an excellent plug-in hybrid. We’ve done hundreds of miles fully-laden in a Multivan and found that even adults won’t complain about the space or comfort on offer, and the sliding side doors make it so much more practical in tight car parks.
Who is it for? If you regularly use all the seats in your car, rather than just having the extras ‘in case’, then you’ll love that the Multivan has just as much head- and legroom for the third row passengers as it does for the first and second.
Why is it number 10? It’s still a van in spirit, and the Multivan just isn’t as cool as the SUVs on this list. It’s also more expensive than similarly practical, boxy vehicles, such as the Citroen Spacetourer.
Factors to consider when buying a seven-seater car
SUV or van-based?
Seven-seater SUVs are the more desirable options - generally speaking - and if you need a car with a bit of off-road ability or ground clearance, it’s a no-brainer. They tend to be tighter inside than van-based or -shaped cars, so if utmost interior space is your priority, the Volkswagen Multivan is worth considering - while the ID Buzz offers the best of both worlds.
Petrol, diesel or electric?
If you take frequent long-distance road trips, you’re more likely to want a petrol- or diesel-powered car, as they’re more efficient at high speed and don’t require long motorway stops. That being said, EV technology is coming along, and the Kia EV9 and Peugeot 5008 offer generous mileage to a charge.
Spenny or sensible?
The BMW X7 and Range Rover are two of the poshest seven-seater cars on sale, oozing road presence and looking at-home parked next to a supercar. They’re very pricey though, and while they’re arguably worth the cost, there are far more affordable options which are just as adept at ferrying around six passengers - such as the Dacia Jogger.
Have you considered getting GAP insurance for your new 7-seater car?
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