Best seven-seater cars 2024

If you’ve got a big family you might be worried about the prospect of having to buy a car that’s boring, no fun to drive, uncomfortable, not big enough, or all of the above. Don't be. There are plenty of great seven-seat cars available which deliver in all these areas. While some cars offer three proper rows of seats to transport seven adults with ease, others will comfortably seat five with two smaller occasional seats folded away in the boot. These give flexibility over a five-seater but are best suited to small children rather than long-legged teenagers or adults. Additionally, some cars offer six-seat configurations either maximising on comfort or squeezing in an extra seat for emergencies.
So, if you're looking for large practical car, here’s our pick of the best seven-seaters.

The Land Rover Discovery is a car that can do it all. It’ll transport seven people in comfort and luxury, double as a removal van, get you further into the wilderness than pretty much any rival, and it won’t look out of place somewhere fancy. Each of the seven seats is an individual chair that’s set higher than the one in front, so everyone gets a good view out. The rearmost five seats can be folded electrically using either the touchscreen system, a cluster of switches in the boot, or a smartphone app. And they go completely flat. A six-foot adult can sit happily in any seat, and access is easy. Even if you're carrying seven, there’s loads of storage around for odds and ends, and you can get up to nine USB ports, depending on your trim level.
Read the review or explore the Land Rover Discovery range on Auto Trader

Peugeot knows how to make a stylish car, injecting French chic into all its models. The 5008 is no exception, offering versatility and bringing a certain je ne sais quoi to your driveway. With bags of space for all the family and flexible seating configurations, the 5008 took home Best Seven-Seater in our New Car Awards last year. There’s currently a mild hybrid or diesel option available and we look forward to the all-new electric E-5008 coming soon.
Read the review or explore the Peugeot 5008 range on Auto Trader

The Skoda Kodiaq has just been updated and remains a great value large SUV with space for seven, loads of equipment, and a plush interior. Families will be well catered for by its roomy and practical cabin, and handy little features to make journeys easier, but drivers will not be disappointed either, with tidy handling and a strong engine line-up which now includes a plug-in hybrid option.
Kodiaqs come with the option of either five or seven seats. For most buyers, the appeal of a car that gives you the choice between having a huge boot and seven seats for the rare occasions the whole family need to travel together will be invaluable. Children will be absolutely fine for space in the back row, but it will be a squeeze for adults. There’s plenty of leg and headroom for those in the middle seats though, and these slide and recline to ensure total passenger comfort. On top of this, there are some nice touches including a powered tailgate, umbrellas in each of the front doors, and a removable LED torch in the boot. Read the review or explore the Skoda Kodiaq range on Auto Trader

While many seven-seaters come with a hefty price tag, the Dacia Jogger provides a huge amount of space for a relatively small amount of money. It all sounds rather too good to be true, so you might wonder what’s the catch? We lived with one on long term test to find out and concluded it really is fantastically good value for money. After six months our only gripe was the rear seats don’t fold completely flat, but we forgave it entirely given its no-nonsense approach and low running costs.
Read the review or explore the Dacia Jogger range on Auto Trader

Not so long ago if you wanted an electric car but had a large family, your only option was to buy a Tesla. However, times have changed and while the choice still isn’t endless, Kia’s EV9 shows how far things have come. Capable of carrying seven adults in total comfort, the EV9 is absolutely massive. It’s packed with luxuries such as heated seats, heated steering wheel, digital displays and both rear rows of seat fold completely flat at the touch of a button. You have the choice of either a more powerful four-wheel drive model or a two-wheel drive version providing more range, both offer smooth electric motoring and acres of space to transport your whole clan. For maximum luxury there’s a six-seat configuration with two swivelling ‘captain’s chairs’ in the middle row.
Read the review or explore the Kia EV9 range on Auto Trader

The XC90 is a go-to for anyone looking for space, practicality and above all else safety. Capably of transporting up to seven people in comfort and style, Volvo’s XC90 continues to set the standard for premium family SUVs. Earlier this year Volvo produced its last ever diesel so the XC90 is now only available as either a mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid. Alternatively, if you are ready to go fully electric Volvo has recently launched the EX90 offering you a luxury, sustainability focused, Swedish living room on wheels.
Read the review or explore the Volvo XC90 range on Auto Trader

While historically the X-Trail was rather boxy and utilitarian by design, the latest generation marks a total glow-up and it now looks as at home on the city streets as it does on a country lane. Available with either five or seven seats you can have a mild hybrid X-Trail, or you can go for the same e-Power hybrid system used in the Qashqai. This offers smooth driving in the style of an electric car without the need to plug-in and there’s even a four-wheel drive option too.
Read the review or explore the Nissan X-Trail range on Auto Trader

Another all-electric seven-seater for our list. We like the premium package on offer from the EQB blending practicality, comfort, and technology in a distinctive Mercedes fashion. While it’s more compact than the Kia EV9, it still offers the flexibility of seating seven when it’s your turn to do the school run carpool. The front-wheel drive EQB 250+ model has an official range of over 300 miles which should be plenty for day-to-day driving, plus it comes with 64 ambient lighting colour combination options and a slick infotainment system. It's a real winner in our eyes.
Read the review or explore the Mercedes-Benz EQB range on Auto Trader

Going big (literally) on German luxury is the BMW X7 with its positively gigantic proportions. Luckily it comes with plenty of parking assistance as standard to help you navigate tight carparks. The X7 is a real case of more is more. Everything is electronic including the second and third row of seats and it can even be specified with heated and cooled cup holders! Then there’s the engine options which are all big and powerful helping to thunder the bulk of the X7 down the road. While many may choose a Range Rover, the BMW X7 offers a viable alternative for those who don’t want to follow the crowd.
Read the review or explore the BMW X7 range on Auto Trader

In an age where SUVs are becoming more and more popular, some may wonder if there’s a future for (arguably) less stylish MPVs. But we say there is, and right now it looks like Citroen’s Berlingo XL. It may be van-like, but it’s also huge inside, which means for practicality it should be at the top of your list. The XL is the stretched, seven-seat version of the Berlingo, with tons of space for passengers in the second and third rows. The seats are all the same size as each other, and they all move and fold independently for maximum flexibility. Even the front passenger seat will fold flat if you need it to. It’s a great people mover, whether you need to transport children or adults and there’s now an all-electric e-Berlingo option too.
Read the review or explore the Citroen Berlingo range on Auto Trader

Finally, we’ve got a couple of bonus options for you starting with the new Land Rover Defender which can be configured with a ‘jump seat’ like the ones you’d find on a plane. This rather tiny seat fits between the front passenger and the driver, making things rather cosy when in use. However, it folds down to become an armrest with cupholders when you don’t need it and could come in very handy if you occasionally need to transport six people. Alternatively, you could go for a Defender 130 with three rows of seats and room for up to eight.
Meanwhile, although you can no longer get a new Tesla Model X, there were a few six-seaters previously sold in the UK and you can find a pre-loved one on Auto Trader. Tesla also made a seven-seat Model S with two small rear-facing seats in the boot. These were definitely only suitable for children who will love the harness-style seatbelts and they are sure to come in handy for the school carpool.