Better still, the facelift has seen uplifts in material quality and technology, giving the car real premium appeal. And when you don’t need to carry extra people, the Hyundai’s boot is an impressive 571-litres, swelling to 1,649-litres with all the seats folded flat. That means third row seats that are not only easy to access, they’re also genuinely adult-sized. The third-row seats can be furnished with air conditioning vents at extra cost, and although they don’t have Isofix booster seat anchorages, they’re big enough for smaller adults or children to use in reasonable comfort, and access to them is pretty good.ĭespite the addition of a large lithium ion battery pack and electric motors, the space in the Santa Fe’s seven-seater interior has remained unchanged. The car's second-row seats all slide fore and aft individually, with the middle second-row seat optionally converting into an integrated booster seat. Although the PHEV has the most convincing blend of performance, refinement and economy, the B5 mild-hybrid diesel makes for a very respectable compromise, while both the mild-hybrid petrol options are quite a lot less economical in real-world use. Volvo offers petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. Volvo’s recent impressive record on exterior design still makes the car stand out on the road, and the interior looks and feels roomy and light. Even the T8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version gets all seven, unlike in its PHEV opponents from BMW, Mercedes and Land Rover. Better still, a recent increase in battery size means it can travel over 40 miles on a charge and qualifies for 8% BiK tax for business users. The XC90 has seven seats as standard regardless of which engine and trim level you choose. Although most of its direct rivals are newer, none has matched its combination of seven-seat versatility, handsome desirability and upmarket cabin ambience. And the best of them remains the Volvo XC90. Raising your budget and buying a bigger car doesn’t guarantee you a more usable seven-seat option in this class, but even so, few will be surprised to see that our top three options are all big SUVs. One or two new cars still include rearward-facing child seats in the boot as an option (the Tesla Model S still does, for example the Mercedes E-Class Estate doesn’t any longer) but we’re not counting those as quite the same kettle of fish. All cars here offer up to seven forward-facing seats, although not necessarily as standard. Here, then, are the best seven-seaters outside of the MPV class, according to Autocar, and the reasons we like ’em.
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