What Car Q&A - What seven-seater 4x4?

Q: I'm looking for a seven-seater with fold-flat seats (I’m tired of lugging the chairs in and out of my Alhambra) and with four-wheel drive, preferably not permanently engaged as it’s only for use when towing a caravan, especially on wet fields! I would also prefer a diesel.
Pete Johnson

A: The Hyundai Santa Fe is the most obvious alternative. It now comes with the option of seven seats and costs between £20,995 and £25,240. A 2.2-litre turbodiesel provides 151bhp while the permanently on four-wheel drive only sends power to the rear wheels when the front slip. You can lock power distribution on a 50:50 basis for when you're towing your caravan too.

The Mitsubishi Shogun and Nissan Patrol might fit the bill too, but they may be far too off-road orientated for you wet field needs. Same goes for the Nissan Pathfinder, which is based around the Navara pick-up.

After that, things start to get a lot more costly because you're entering the realm of the Volvo XC90 (from £31,680), Audi Q7 (£37,285) and forthcoming Mercedes GL which is very big and likely to be every bit as expensive.