Having seven seats in your car can be surprisingly useful.
From suddenly ending up driving your neighbour's kids home, to shoving your friends in the back to save money car‑sharing, having a third row is a handy thing.
In our SUV‑mad world, there are a surprising number of seven‑seater options to choose from, across all price ranges.
But owning a car with a third row doesn't have to cost the earth - there are some seven‑seaters that offer big‑family practicality for less than £40k.
So we've rounded up some top seven‑seater picks for all budgets and buyers, from straight‑up luxury, to stylishly premium, to comfortable and affordable. And there's even a budget option that's perfectly suitable for occasional people carrying.
Here are ten cars with seven seats to consider.
LUXURY
The Land Rover Defender 110 can be bought as a luxury seven‑seater and offers serious off‑road capability
Price: from £62,915 + £2,020 family pack
The Defender is a best‑selling model for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), and the 110 with seven seats unlocks this luxurious yet utilitarian‑inspired SUV for larger families.
Available with a third row (for £2,020), the Defender 110 offers an interior that's both plush and durable: Windsor leather combined with wash‑down mats, sturdy grab handles, an 11.4‑inch touchscreen, and heated and cooled seats.
Its 4x4 credentials are impressive, too.
Boot space: 231 litres with the third row in place; up to 2,277 litres with all rear seats folded.
The Volvo XC90 offers Swedish style and seven‑seat practicality to luxury buyers
Price: from £66,270
Having driven the new XC90 a number of times, we're big fans of Volvo's seven‑seat SUV because it does understated luxury exceptionally well.
The interior is serene, cosy and luxurious all in one - you don't want to get out. In all trims, front and second‑row passengers get heated seats, while higher trims add ventilated front seats with a massage function, which is a nice touch for the price.
The free‑standing 11.2‑inch central touchscreen also has Google built in.
We found the XC90 surprisingly quick too, thanks to its 2.0‑litre mild‑hybrid powertrain, with up to 455hp and a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds.
Boot space: 302 litres with the third row in place; 1,856 litres with all rear seats folded.
The BMW X7 is the most expensive seven‑seater on our list. For its high price, it promises driving thrills and futuristic tech
Price: from £93,280
This seven‑seater is positioned as the driver's large SUV, combining bold design and practicality with power and impressive dynamics.
BMW says it's for 'drivers who don't compromise'. Opt for the M Performance version and you get 530hp, 750Nm of torque and a 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds, along with a top speed of 155mph.
The interior is the most futuristic and tech‑focused here, with the BMW Curved Display (a 14.9‑inch infotainment screen and 12.3‑inch driver display) taking centre stage.
The next generation may even get BMW's Theatre Screen for rear passengers: an 8K, 31.3‑inch display that folds down from the ceiling.
Boot space: 326 litres with the third row in place; 2,120 litres with all rear seats folded.
PREMIUM
The Jaecoo 8 offers seven seats and a huge combined electric and petrol range of more than 700 miles
Price: £45,500
We've just driven the Jaecoo 8 at its launch, and it's the latest SUV from best‑selling Chinese newcomer Jaecoo.
The brand aims to undercut more expensive European seven‑seat SUVs by offering a high‑premium package at a more approachable price point.
The 8 is available as a seven-seater in 'Luxury' trim, which includes dual 12.3‑inch screens, a head‑up display, a 14‑speaker Sony sound system with headrest speakers, intelligent voice command, heated and ventilated front massage seats, and ambient lighting.
The big selling point, though, is its Super Hybrid System, which allows the plug‑in hybrid to cover up to 83 miles on electric power alone and more than 700 miles on a combined charge and tank - massively reducing running costs.
It's quite capable off‑road too.
Boot space: 110 litres with the third row in place; 2,021 litres with all rear seats folded.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a versatile seven‑seater that's also sustainably made
Price: from £49,090
South Korean brand Hyundai knows how to make stylish, tech‑laden practical cars that are reliable and don't cost the earth, and the Santa Fe ticks all those boxes for large families.
Alongside its cool, boxy exterior design, the SUV spoils passengers with a curved panoramic display (12.3‑inch infotainment screen and 12.3‑inch digital driver cluster), fully reclining front seats, heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a Bose sound system (depending on trim).
This seven‑seater also leads the way on sustainability, using eco‑friendly materials throughout, including recycled plastics, recycled blended filaments and eco‑friendly leatherette.
Boot space: around 400 litres with the third row in place; 1,949 litres with all rear seats folded.
The Kia Sorento is a best‑selling SUV that comfortably seats seven without costing the earth
Price: from £43,725
From one South Korean brand to another.
The Sorento is Kia's best‑selling model and offers excellent versatility and comfort for large families.
Available as a diesel, hybrid or plug‑in hybrid, the Sorento caters for all and delivers class‑leading practicality.
It's subtly stylish - not flashy, but tasteful and refined - and even the entry trim gives you everything you really need.
The 12.3‑inch touchscreen retains physical buttons; there are USB ports for all three rows; 12 speakers dotted around the cabin. From the sliding middle row to the lack of a boot lip, ease of use has clearly been well thought through.
Boot space: 179 litres with the third row in place; 2,011 litres with all rear seats folded.
AFFORDABLE
The new Peugeot 5008 has French flair and doesn't cost too much for a practical seven-seater
Price: from £39,095
We say 'affordable' with a pinch of salt, but as the Peugeot 5008 starts under the £40k mark - our affordability threshold for this round‑up - it earns its place here.
Peugeot has really upped its game recently, and the new 5008 showcases this step up in both design and perceived quality.
The sleek, aerodynamic exterior makes it an appealing large SUV for your driveway, while the cabin feels sustainable, airy and slightly Scandi‑cool, with a touch of French flair.
With Peugeot's new 21‑inch curved Panoramic i‑Cockpit, the screen draws comparisons with the BMW X7. Elsewhere, the cabin feels distinctly modern, with soft‑touch materials, unusual shapes, cool colours, smart grey cloth, very comfortable seats, and even massage functions on higher trims.
The middle‑row seats slide, recline and tilt individually,making the 5008 one of the easiest seven‑seaters to access.
Boot space:348 litres with the third row in place;2,232 litres with all rear seats folded.
The MPV seven‑seater: the Ford Tourneo Connect can have all its rear seats removed for maximum practicality
Price: from £35,330
Sometimes a seven‑seater doesn't need to be sexy - it just needs to do the job. The Ford Tourneo Connect does exactly that.
It's the only MPV on this list and Ford's sole seven‑seat offering.
The plug‑in hybrid provides up to 73 miles of electric‑only range, alongside a comfortable yet practical interior featuring a panoramic roof, ergonomic seats, a 10‑inch central touchscreen and a 10.25‑inch digital driver display.
It’s incredibly versatile: all rear seats can fold, tumble forward or be removed entirely—ideal for transporting bikes or bulky items. Even the front passenger seat folds flat for longer loads.
At around £35k, it’s also one of the most affordable seven‑seaters here.
Boot space:514 litres with the third row in place;up to 5,475 litres with all rear seats folded (depending on version).
The Nissan X‑Trail is an affordable seven‑seater that's comfortable and looks properly rugged
Price: from £36,275
The X‑Trail is a rugged, handsome SUV that brings a bit of country‑ready character to the affordable end of the seven‑seat market.
Inside, there’s a soft‑touch, padded dashboard with wood trim accents, physical buttons, and a crisp 12.3‑inch infotainment screen. The water‑resistant upholstery makes it especially practical for families with kids - or muddy dogs.
The rear seats slide and fold to make access to the third row easier.
It might not be the most obvious seven‑seater choice, but it offers a strong all‑round package for the money.
Boot space:120 litres with the third row in place;1,424 litres with all rear seats folded.
BUDGET
With seven seats for less than £19,000 the Dacia Jogger is incredible value. But it does have its limitations
Price: from £18,995
In 2026, £19,000 doesn't go very far in a car dealership. In fact, it won't even get you the bog‑standard Vauxhall Corsa (£19,740). But, incredibly, it can stretch to an estate car with seven seats.
The Dacia Jogger, which starts from £18,995, is mind‑boggling value.
It is underpinned by the same platform that provides the architecture for the Sandero, but is significantly elongated. At 4.5 metres, the Jogger is over half a metre longer than its supermini sibling to allow for a third row.
However,the rearmost two seats—which fold out of the boot floor—are very cramped with minimal legroom,so they're really only suitable for children. As such,would class it as an occasional seven-seater,ideal for infrequent instances when you need to cram in a couple of additional passengers.
While it's far from plush,for less than £19k it does offer all the basics. The entry-level Essential trim comes with manual air conditioning,rear parking sensors;cruise control;a 'Media Control' smartphone docking station that turns your device into the infotainment screen.
Power is delivered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 108bhp. It’s adequate but far from fast.
Its Achilles' heel though,is its one-star crash test rating.Euro NCAP downgraded its score to one star because the automatic emergency braking system only activates when it detects other vehicles—not pedestrians or cyclists.But the Jogger has a full suite of airbags and safety equipment to keep occupants protected so you shouldn't let the one-star score put you off entirely.
Boot space:160 litres with the third row in place;2,085 litres with all rear seats folded.