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Discover some of the best large SUVs and people movers
16 Feb 2025
Written by Wheels magazine
When one child comes along, the two-door or two-seater typically gets the flick as impractical. Two kids? Well, that’s manageable in most cars with a decent second row. When the third comes along, it’s usually time to explore even larger automotive alternatives. Expand the tribe to four or more kids, and the options are a bit more limited – now you’re in the realm of large SUVS and ‘people movers’.
The key is to start at the back of the car and move forward.
The boot will most often be the deciding factor; particularly with four munchkins. The amount of stuff needed for even a basic family outing is tremendous – more so if their ages span several years. Throw scooters in with double prams and you will need every millimetre you can get.
Most – if not all – modern seven-seaters have two individual seats in the third row (rather than a bench seat), which means the split-fold can be utilised for a passenger on one side, and some extra boot space on the other.
However, care must be taken to secure any items in and around the boot if a passenger is to be sharing the space with the luggage. This is where tie-downs and hook points come in very handy – be sure to look for them.
Access in and out of that third row is also very important, and not just for the person using it.
An older child may be able to clamber in unassisted – provided they aren’t so big as to be travelling with their knees near their ears given the footwell restrictions of third-row seating.
But many families will find the two hands needed for the folding mechanisms of the second row of seats can be too hard to manage if babes are still in arms.
With boosters recommended until the child is seven years of age, or 145cm in height, it’s highly likely that both the second and third rows will be full of them. This eliminates the ability of smart seats to fold at all.
And beware – even some of the large SUVs have only space for the smallest of children in the nominal third row.
Here’s our look at some of the best options for large families.
Pluses: Spacious interior in which even adults can fit into the third row; anchor points for child seats in the third row; hybrid powertrain; three model grades priced from $55,500 to $75,500 plus on-road costs.
Minuses: Boxy design.
Drivetrain: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol HEV.
Fuel consumption: 5.6 litres per 100km in mixed driving; 6.2L/100km in city driving; 5.3L/100km in extra-urban (highway and high-speed country).
Storage space: 628L to second row; 1949L to first row (all seats down).
Pluses: Seats seven or even eight people depending on configuration, and carries a 5-star ANCAP safety rating; from
$66,800.
Minuses: Limited towing capability; fuel consumption may vary from stated claims.
Drivetrain: 3.8-litre petrol, 2.2-litre diesel, eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.3L/100km to 10.7L/100km, depending on the model.
Storage space (with all seats up): Rear space with all seats in please is 311L but can expand to 1297L of storage with seats folded down.
Pluses: Seven-seater priced at entry-level; $54,950 for an all-wheel drive; four trims available - Pure, Touring, GT and Azami; a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, and Mazda's five-year premium roadside assist is also part of the deal.
Minuses: The CX-80 has yet to be ANCAP tested as yet.
Drivetrain: A 3.3-litre straight-six mild hybrid petrol engine; diesel and plug-in hybrid options.
Fuel consumption: The mild-hybrid engine manages a combined fuel economy figure of 8.4litres per 100km.
Storage space: With all three rows of seats in place, the CX-80 offers 258L of space to the seat tops. With the third row of seats down, the VDA figure is 566L, expanding to 1971L with all rows down.
Pluses: Dependable and spacious seven-seater priced at $50,680 before on-roads for petrol V6 and front-wheel drive, or $53,680 before on-roads with the turbo-diesel and all-wheel drive; ISOFIX and top-tether anchor points in the third row for child seats.
Minuses: No air bag in the third row of seats.
Drivetrain: 3.5-litre petrol and 2.2-litre turbo diesel options, or 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol HEV and PHEV, eight-speed automatic (petrol) eight-speed dual-clutch auto (diesel) or six-speed auto (HEV and PHEV).
Fuel consumption: 6.1-9.7L/100km petrol and diesel, 5.3-5.8L/100km hybrid, 1.6L/100km PHEV.
Storage space: 187L up to 1996L of storage, with seats folded down.
Pluses: Australia’s top-selling eight-seat people mover has been upgraded, with five front-wheel drive model grades on offer – S, Sport, Sport+, GT Line Lite and GT Line – ranging in price from $50,150 up to $76,210 for the GT Line hybrid (excluding on-road costs); seven-year warranty and capped-price service plan; eight airbags, including side curtain airbags across all three seat rows.
Minuses: Longish waiting list in Australia for the new models.
Drivetrain: Petrol V6 (216kW/355Nm) or four-cylinder turbo-diesel (148kW/440Nm) engines; new an all-new plugless GT hybrid comprising a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine a 1kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor outputting a total of 180kW/366Nm.
Fuel consumption: Diesel - 6.5L/100km on the official combined cycle; petrol - 9.6L/100km; hybrid - 5.8L/100km.
Storage space: 627L to third row; 2827L to second row.
Pluses: The eight-seat Staria is available in two- and all-wheel drive, and both petrol and diesel powertrains; some models features electric sliding doors; priced between $49,500 (Hyundai STARIA 3.5L People Mover FWD) and $67,500 (Hyundai STARIA Highlander 2.2L Diesel People Mover 4WD); 5-star ANCAP safety rating.
Minuses: Anchors for child seats are difficult to reach; no ISOFIX in third row.
Drivetrain: Petrol - 3.5-litre V6 engine; diesel - all-wheel drive 2.2-litre engine.
Fuel consumption: 8.2-10.5L/100KM
Storage space: Boot space of 831L expandable up to 1303L depending on configuration.
Pluses: Three variants – Mode ($53,990), Executive ($63,990) and Luxe ($72,990); each trim level features a seven-seat configuration with second-row captain’s chairs; electric sliding adjustment along with heating and cooling capabilities, a recliner feature, and a massage function in Executive and Luxe models; 5-star ANCAP safety rating; seven-year warranty from first registration; five years roadside assistance.
Minuses: Boot space not as clever as competitors; no eight-seat option.
Drivetrain: 2.0L Turbo Direct Fuel Injection front-wheel drive with eight-speed Automatic transmission.
Fuel consumption: 9.3L/100km
Storage space: 466L and allow up to 2017L of storage.
Images supplied by Wheels magazine. This article was written by an independent author of Wheels Media. Full disclaimer