Audi is a brand that sets the standard for interior quality, and this, combined with its vast and ever-growing model line-up, has helped it become one of the ‘big three’ German prestige car makers, along with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The A3 hatchback, A4 executive saloon and Q7 SUV have all won their classes at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards in recent years, while the TT coupé is the most decorated car in the history of the ceremony.

At least some of Audi's success over the past 30 years can be attributed to the growth in sales of vehicles with four-wheel drive; the company arguably led the way in bringing 4x4 technology into the mainstream, with its Quattro coupé in the early 1980s.

Today, most Audis are available with at least the option of four-wheel drive, while the list of SUVs from the brand includes the Q2, Q3, Q5 and Q7.

AUDI

Key to the appeal of the&nbsp;Audi Q7&nbsp;is its versatility. It can seat up to seven people in lavish comfort and yet has the driving manners of something much smaller and lighter. It’s a great tow car, too, and can even manage a bit of off-roading.

Indeed, the five-metre-long Audi Q7 has been one of the very <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/luxury-suvs/n17036">best luxury SUVs</a>&nbsp;since its launch a few years ago. That's despite it competing against some fine alternatives, including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x5/4x4/review/n38">BMW X5</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x7/4x4/review/n19102">BMW X7</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery/4x4/review/n17342">Land Rover Discovery</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/defender/4x4/review/n21198">Land Rover Defender</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc90/4x4/review/n99">Volvo XC90</a>.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/audi">Audi</a> has given all of the regular petrol and diesel versions&nbsp;mild-hybrid assistance, allowing the engine to switch itself off when decelerating to save fuel. However, if you're more interested in barnstorming acceleration than thrifty fuel economy,&nbsp;there's also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/sports-suvs/n20200">sports SUV</a> version with an astonishing 500bhp petrol engine – you can read about that in our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/review/n17281">Audi SQ7</a> review.

In fact, just about the only thing the Q7 can't do is run on electricity. Audi has never offered a fully electric version of its biggest SUV, and while there used to be a plug-in hybrid version (called the 55 TFSIe) it was dropped from the line-up a while back.

Over the next few pages, we’ll explain why the Audi Q7 <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seater</a> is such a fantastic&nbsp;all-rounder, as well as running you through its few weaknesses. Plus, we’ll tell you which engines and trims make the most sense&nbsp;and which option packs you might want to consider.

Once you've decided which luxury SUV is right for you, head over to our free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car?&nbsp;New Car Deals</a>&nbsp;service to find out how much you could save on the brochure price&nbsp;without any haggling. You'll find great deals on&nbsp;many makes and models, including some tempting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/luxury-suv">new luxury SUV deals</a>.

A brilliant luxury SUV, majoring on comfort and&nbsp;interior quality

Audi Q7

7-seater

The BMW X7&nbsp;is kind of a big deal. So big, in fact,&nbsp;it lets you arrive at an event&nbsp;in a vehicle that seems larger than the venue – and you can take six other people&nbsp;along for the ride.

You see, the X7 is the biggest car BMW makes, and it traverses two car classes – <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seaters</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/luxury-suvs/n17036">luxury SUVs</a>. As well as offering seemingly endless interior space, it aims to pamper its driver and passengers as attentively&nbsp;as&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/7-series/saloon/review/n127">BMW 7 Series</a> luxury limo.

But is the BMW X7 really good enough to tempt you away from its talented premium-badged&nbsp;rivals, including&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/review/n87">Audi Q7</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/gls/4x4/review/n139">Mercedes GLS</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/range-rover/4x4/review/n17353">Range Rover</a>?

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Well, we've tested it, and in this review&nbsp;we’ll run you through how well the BMW X7 stacks up for practicality, comfort and refinement,&nbsp;as well as how much it costs to buy and run. Read on to find out all you need to know...

Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.

The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, which costs more than £100,000.

BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has six in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6.

All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

The X7 is&nbsp;an immensely practical seven-seater&nbsp;with a luxurious interior and plush ride

BMW X7

The Dacia Jogger is the cheapest new seven-seater in the UK, so if you have a big family and a not-so-big budget, this MPV is&nbsp;very much worth a look.

To put the Jogger's price&nbsp;into perspective, the entry-level car costs about&nbsp;half the starting price of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/2-series/hatchback/review/n78">BMW 2 Series Active Tourer</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/b-class/hatchback/review/n18344">Mercedes B-Class</a> and the VW Touran. The next cheapest seven-seat MPV available is the van-based <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/tourneo-connect/estate/review/n17334">Ford Tourneo Connect</a> – and that will still cost you around £10,000 more.

And while the Jogger comes with a petrol or hybrid petrol engine, the Citroën e-Berlingo, the Peugeot e-Rifter and (as its new name suggests) the Vauxhall Combo Life Electric are all electric now.

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For families on a budget needing more than 150 miles of real-world range, the Jogger may be the only new option. But is the Jogger cheap at the expense of all else or great value for money?

That’s what we’re going to find out in this Dacia Jogger review, as we tell you how we rate it against the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">best seven-seaters</a>. Read on to learn more...

<a href="https://www.dacia.co.uk/vehicles/jogger.html">Learn more about&nbsp;the&nbsp;Jogger from Dacia</a>

If you want a new car but would rather not spend much, Dacia is a great place to start your search.

This budget brand builds Britain’s cheapest new cars, the Sandero hatchback. And don’t think cheap automatically means corners have been cut, because the Sandero has been commended at the annual What Car? Car of the Year awards on numerous occasions.

Other Dacia models include the&nbsp;higher-riding Sandero Stepway, seven-seat Jogger, and rugged Duster SUV. And while these cost slightly more than the Sandero, they’re still priced aggressively enough that they’re really only competing directly with used cars.

Dacia manages this by borrowing mechanicals and technology from its owner, Renault, to minimise development costs.

DACIA

JOGGER

The Jogger is the UK's cheapest new seven-seater, and it's&nbsp;practical and&nbsp;well equipped

Dacia Jogger

The Ssangyong Rexton&nbsp;– now officially called the KGM Rexton – is not one of those city-friendly 4x4 imitators&nbsp;that, while lacking proper off-road capability or a rugged chassis, have ended up in the super-popular SUV class anyway.

In fact, if you're the sort to mock those big beasts that, despite their looks, couldn't pull much more than a shopping trolley, the Rexton is right up your country lane.&nbsp;All models get four-wheel drive, a 3500kg towing capacity and have exterior dimensions larger than many London bedsits.

The icing on the cake is that you can pick one up&nbsp;for around the same price as a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan-allspace/estate/review/n17379">VW Tiguan Allspace</a>&nbsp;family SUV,&nbsp;which is not bad for a car that's bigger than the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/glc/estate/review/n17345">&nbsp;Mercedes GLC</a>.

The Rexton is based on the highly accomplished (and extremely good value)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">SsangYong Musso</a> pick-up truck, which is a vehicle that's so capable&nbsp;it can carry a loaded pallet in its bed and tow a trailer at the same time without so much as breaking a sweat.

That means the comparatively luxurious seven-seater surroundings of the Rexton should have no trouble transporting your terrible tribe to the supermarket – even if that involves traversing some terrain you’d usually need a rugged <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/land-cruiser/4x4/review/n17251">Toyota Land Cruiser</a> to get across.

It all sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, if you want to know whether this seven-seater&nbsp;4x4&nbsp;really deserves to&nbsp;be on your shopping list, read the next few pages of this comprehensive review, where we'll tell you what it's like to drive, how much it will cost to buy and run, and much more.

Estate

Ssangyong has made giant strides in recent years, after it was taken over by a new owner and given a injection of investment to help its bid to become a credible car maker.

The result so far is a range of cars dominated by SUVs (as well as a single pick-up), most of which are below the class average standard but all of which have merits, including the amount of space and practicality they offer for the money.

The highlight in the range is currently the Korando, a Nissan Qashqai rival that offers all the space of that car but for a price closer to the much smaller Nissan Juke’s. It is very roomy and has decent engines, but it’s let down a bit by interior quality, high running costs and poor resale values.

SSANGYONG

REXTON

The Rexton is only worth considering if you need a muscular tow car that seats seven

KGM Rexton (Ssangyong Rexton)

Natural selection affects SUVs, not just animals, and seven-seaters that drink diesel are starting to look like dinosaurs. So the Kia Sorento – like a species with a strong survival instinct – has evolved.

Instead of simply slinging a petrol engine under the Sorento’s bonnet, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/kia">Kia</a> has used its expertise in the field of electrification to give the model ‘self-charging’ hybrid (<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/hybrid-cars/n17013">HEV</a>) and plug-in hybrid (<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/plug-in-hybrid-cars/n22743">PHEV</a>) options. You can still get a diesel version for now, and every version gets four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox as standard.

Kia has set its sights on premium rivals including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery-sport/4x4/review/n17358">Land Rover Discovery Sport</a> with the Sorento, so it has been filled to the brim with standard equipment, but is that enough to compete against the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">best&nbsp;seven-seat SUVs</a>?

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Is the Kia Sorento practical enough to get your money over the cheaper <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kodiaq/estate/review/n17362">Skoda Kodiaq</a> and luxurious enough to tempt you away from the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/glb/estate/review/n20538">Mercedes GLB</a>? Read on to find out...

Buyers seeking value for money should have Kia towards the top of their shopping list.

Although once a niche brand in the UK, today Kia outsells many more established brands, helped by its market-leading seven-year warranty and a strong reputation for reliability; in fact, Kia regularly finishes towards the top of our reliability surveys.

There are plenty of models to choose from, too, ranging from the small Picanto city car to the Ceed family hatchback and the Sorento large SUV. The Picanto was the first Kia to win its class at the What Car? Car of the Year awards.

SORENTO

The Sorento is not the cheapest seven-seat SUV but it is very practical and&nbsp;a great all-rounder

Kia Sorento

Reinventing an icon like the Land Rover Defender isn’t easy, and it's something Land Rover thought long and hard about before reviving the Defender name.

To try to keep existing Defender fans happy while attracting new SUV buyers, the British brand&nbsp;decided to leave no room for criticism. So&nbsp;this latest model is more practical, more refined and more capable off road than its illustrious predecessor.

The Defender is available in three body styles. There's the three-door&nbsp;Defender 90, the longer, five-door Defender 110 – which is available as a five, six or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seater</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;and the even longer&nbsp;Defender 130, which comes with up to eight seats.

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The Defender 90 is up against other&nbsp;premium family SUV models, including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q5/4x4/review/n41">Audi Q5</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/review/n42">BMW X3</a>. In 110 and 130 form, it's&nbsp;competing with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/review/n87">Audi Q7</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x7/4x4/review/n19102">BMW X5</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x7/4x4/review/n19102">BMW X7</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc90/4x4/review/n99">Volvo XC90</a>. Buyers in search of serious off-road prowess might also be considering the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jeep/wrangler/4x4/review/n196">Jeep Wrangler</a> or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/g-class/4x4/review/n180">Mercedes G-Class</a>.

Read on to find out how we rate&nbsp;the Land Rover Defender, and whether it can hold its own against all those rivals...

Land Rover is synonymous with SUVs, and especially with the Defender – the rugged runabout that has seen service in war zones across the world, but also as part of the Queen’s personal garage.

If off-road prowess is one of Land Rover’s core values, though, the other is luxury. Indeed, the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar are among the best luxury SUVs you can buy.

The Discovery, meanwhile, is a practical rival for the Audi Q7 and BMW X5, while the stylish Evoque (which is available as a three-door convertible as well as a traditional SUV) goes head to head with Audi’s Q3 and BMW’s X1.

In the coming years, we’ll see a new road-biased ‘Road Rover’ as well as an all-new Defender.

LAND ROVER

DEFENDER

The Land Rover Defender&nbsp;is practical, comfortable and unstoppable off road

Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Discovery&nbsp;is&nbsp;the Swiss Army knife of the car world. It can do pretty much&nbsp;any job you ask of it – from ferrying around seven people to pulling a caravan out of a muddy field.

Looking for an upmarket chariot to impress the neighbours? The Discovery can&nbsp;do that too.&nbsp;It'll even take you to places a mountain goat would think twice about visiting.

In the British 4x4 brand's line-up, the Discovery sits above the smaller <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery-sport/4x4/review/n17358">Land Rover Discovery Sport</a>&nbsp;and the more rugged&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/defender/4x4/review/n21198">Land Rover Defender</a> but below the bigger <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/range-rover/4x4/review/n17353">Range Rover</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/range-rover-sport/4x4/review/n74">Range Rover Sport</a>.

The Discovery aka 'the Disco' has plenty going for it, but so do other premium brand&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seat SUVs</a>&nbsp;– including the main rivals, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/review/n87">Audi Q7</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x7/4x4/review/n19102">BMW X7</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/gle/4x4/review/n145">Mercedes GLE</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc90/4x4/review/n99">Volvo XC90</a>.

It has them beaten for off-roading ability, but given that&nbsp;the most discovering many Disco owners&nbsp;do involves searching for a parking space, other factors are likely to be more important to most buyers. Let's find out how the Land Rover Discovery squares up to the competition...

DISCOVERY

The Land Rover Discovery seven-seat SUV is hugely capable on and off road

Land Rover Discovery

When it comes to SUVs, we’re spoilt for choice. There are small ones, big ones, rugged ones, fast ones, hybrids and even fully electric ones. So, where does that leave the Mercedes GLB?

Well, it’s actually one of few <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seaters</a> that you can buy with a premium badge – at least one that isn't the size of an aircraft carrier.

Underneath, it’s closely related to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/b-class/hatchback/review/n18344">Mercedes B-Class</a> MPV. However, don’t let the ‘B’ in its name make you think that it’s small, because like its chief rival –&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery-sport/4x4/review/n17358">Land Rover Discovery Sport</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;it’s aimed at those who regularly carry lots of people or luggage.

We say "chief rival"&nbsp;because you could also be looking at the similarly priced <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q5/4x4/review/n41">Audi Q5</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/review/n42">BMW X3</a>&nbsp;(although those are five-seaters only). If you can live without the premium badge but absolutely must have seven seats, there are other alternatives, including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/santa-fe/4x4/review/n68">Hyundai Santa Fe</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/review/n17369">Peugeot 5008</a>.

So, should the Mercedes GLB be at the top of your wish list, and how does it stack up against its key rivals? Read on to find out...

Mercedes’ line-up is vast – ranging from the A-Class family hatchback through to staple saloons such as the C-Class and E-Class, and onwards towards multiple SUVs, luxury saloons and even sports cars. Coupés and convertibles are thrown into the mix as well.

As one of the ‘big three’ German brands, Mercedes most often finds itself competing with Audi and BMW but more recently has found itself fending off Jaguar and Volvo, too.

Mercedes models are known for comfort. One example of this is the E-Class, because while the Audi A6 has a plusher interior and the BMW 5 Series handles better, the E-Class is probably the most comfortable for a long motorway journey.

MERCEDES-BENZ

The GLB is a more practical seven-seater than premium-badged rivals

Mercedes GLB

Some new cars look very similar to their predecessors&nbsp;– but not the latest&nbsp;Hyundai Santa Fe. This&nbsp;fifth-generation&nbsp;model is, like the model it replaced,&nbsp;a seven-seat SUV. But&nbsp;apart from the badge on the nose, it appears to bear&nbsp;pretty much no resemblance – inside or out – to the fourth-generation car.

Is that a problem? Well, the fourth-gen Santa Fe was an&nbsp;exceptional SUV that was comfortable and hugely practical, so it would be a shame if <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/hyundai">Hyundai</a> had thrown away a winning formula to gamble on a completely different approach.

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Surprisingly, though, the&nbsp;angular new bodywork and more upmarket interior sit on the&nbsp;same underpinnings that the old car used. And that means both conventional hybrid and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-plug-in-hybrid-cars/n22743">plug-in hybrid</a> versions are available.

But what’s the new Hyundai Santa Fe&nbsp;like to drive and live with, and how does it compare with other <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seaters</a> you might be considering? Read on to find out...

Also, bear in mind that sales haven't started yet, so the&nbsp;prices shown via our free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/hyundai/santa-fe/4x4/deals">New Car Deals</a> service and in&nbsp;our At A Glance section relate&nbsp;to the previous&nbsp;model, which currently remains on sale.

Hyundai has transformed itself from a maker of oddball hatchbacks that sold in small numbers in the UK, to a major rival to the likes of Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

The Korean firm’s Ioniq Hybrid is particularly impressive, having beaten the trend-setting Toyota Prius when we tested the cars back to back.

Meanwhile, at the extremes of the Hyundai range you find the tiny i10 city car – a four-time What Car? award winner – and the stylish yet family-friendly Santa Fe SUV.

As a bonus, all of these cars come with the reassurance of a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, whereas most of Hyundai’s rivals offer only three years and 60,000 miles of cover.

HYUNDAI

SANTA FE

Seven-seat SUV is very smart and practical&nbsp;with a great interior

New Hyundai Santa Fe

Mahatma Gandhi talked a lot of sense, and one thing he said was: "If you're gonna be a bear, be a grizzly.” It’s a principle the Skoda Kodiaq follows&nbsp;too.

You see, it takes its name from the Kodiak bear – one of the largest brown bears and one that’s related to the grizzly. Which is apt, because the Kodiaq is a jolly large SUV. It's also&nbsp;available with seven seats.

Is it the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">best seven-seat&nbsp;SUV</a>&nbsp;choice? Well, they’ve certainly sold plenty of them: 850,000 at the last count. That was all the first-generation Kodiaq, mind, and this is the second iteration. Apparently, it’s bigger, more efficient, more luxurious, more sustainable and more… Well, you get the idea. Skoda reckons it has more of everything.

There are lots of big&nbsp;SUVs out there, though. Fancy-pants ones with premium badges, like the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/review/n87">Audi Q7</a>, BMW X5, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery-sport/4x4/review/n17358">Land Rover Discover Sport</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/glb/estate/review/n20538">Mercedes GLB</a>. But with Skoda’s aggressive pricing strategy, the Kodiaq’s starting price is a lot less grizzly than those cars. It even undercuts the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sorento/4x4/review/n18">Kia Sorento</a> and is a similar price to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/review/n17369">Peugeot 5008</a>.

So, how does the Skoda Kodiaq fare against it rivals? Read on to find out...

One of the greatest success stories in the car world of recent decades is Skoda’s rise to become a hugely credible mainstream maker of good-value, good-sense cars.

Central to that success has been its place within the VW Group, alongside the Volkswagen brand itself, plus the likes of Seat and Audi. That has given it access to exactly the same underpinnings for its cars as the other brands, and it has complemented this by adding its own developments, from the way the cars drive and ride through to the features they have and the pricing.

The result is a range that extends from a city car to a large executive saloon, with family and large seven-seat SUVs too. There’s a wide variety of petrol and diesel engines, all of which are competitive for the class.

As a result, Skoda has a range of cars that is almost entirely class-leading or among the class leaders, and it has enjoyed long-time success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

SKODA

KODIAQ

The 2024 Kodiaq is a very good&nbsp;seven-seat SUV –&nbsp;as well as one of the most affordable

New Skoda Kodiaq

SUV means ‘sports utility vehicle’, and the Nissan X-Trail&nbsp;is a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/large-suvs/n17006">large SUV</a> that looks geared up for a lifestyle featuring&nbsp;beaches, surfboards and cars loaded up with trekking equipment or mountain bikes.

To add to its appeal, the X-Trail can also be had with up to seven seats, making it an attractive&nbsp;alternative to an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/mpvs-and-people-carriers/n17001">MPV</a>. In other words,&nbsp;it's aimed&nbsp;at biggish families who want to go adventuring together.

In fact, unlike plenty of SUVs, it really is&nbsp;ready for an adventure if you go for the right version, because <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/nissan">Nissan</a> sells it with what it calls E-4orce. That version has an electric motor on both the front and rear axles to give&nbsp;you four-wheel drive for extra traction.

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Oh, yes, the electric motor(s). All versions of the X-Trail have some form of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/hybrid-cars/n17013">hybrid</a> electrification, from the entry-level mild-hybrid to the part-electric e-Power. We say ‘part-electric’ because the wheels of the E-Power are driven solely by electric motors, but the battery gets charged up by a turbocharged petrol engine.

Sounds promising, doesn’t it? Even so, the Nissan X-Trail has an army of versatile rival large SUVs and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seaters</a>&nbsp;to contend with. It will have to tame the likes of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/santa-fe/4x4/review/n68">Hyundai Santa Fe,</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mazda/cx-60/estate/review/n24505">Mazda CX-60</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sorento/4x4/review/n18">Kia Sorento</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/review/n17369">Peugeot 5008</a> if it’s going to come out on top.

So, should you buy an X-Trail? That's what we'll tell you over the next few pages of this review. We'll cover performance and handling, practicality, interior quality, efficiency and more. We'll also tell you which version offers the best value.

Once you've chosen your next new car, make sure you get it for the best price by searching our free What Car? <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Deals pages</a>. You'll find loads of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/large-suv">new large SUV deals</a>.

Nissan turned up early to the SUV party, with its Qashqai paving the way for the countless models we see today. The Qashqai continues to sell in big numbers in the UK, too, and was also our overall Car of the Year in 2014.

Don’t think Nissan is just about SUVs, though. As well as the Qashqai, the smaller Juke and the larger X-Trail, the Japanese brand has the Micra hatchback, GT-R sports car and Navara pick-up truck.

Nissan was also one of the first big car makers to launch a fully electric car, with its latest Leaf being one of the best on the market.

Despite being based in Japan, Nissan has long committed to building cars in the UK, making several of its best-selling models at a huge factory in Sunderland.

NISSAN

X-TRAIL

SUV with up to seven seats is a comfortable and&nbsp;quiet cruiser, but plenty of rivals&nbsp;are better to drive with even more space

Nissan X-Trail

There are plenty of desirable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seat SUVs</a>&nbsp;to choose from if you have a far-reaching budget, but the Peugeot 5008&nbsp;proves that you don't necessarily need deep pockets to bag yourself a really good one.

The 5008 is&nbsp;roughly half the price of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/luxury-suvs/n17036">luxury SUVs</a> with seven seats and a posh badge you can buy – the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/review/n87">Audi Q7</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc90/4x4/review/n99">Volvo XC90</a>&nbsp;for example – yet offers many of the same virtues. You get a high-up driving position, a smart interior and lots of safety equipment.

It's not&nbsp;as imposing as those premium brand cars because its footprint is smaller, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, you'll appreciate it when it comes to finding a parking space – and it's still more than big enough to haul around seven adults in relative comfort.

<iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LEFzlNaYTpE" width="560"></iframe>

The 5008 is essentially a roomier version of the excellent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/3008/estate/review/n17363">Peugeot 3008</a>&nbsp;so it's from good stock. The biggest difference is that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/peugeot">Peugeot</a>&nbsp;offers the smaller 3008&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/family-suvs/n17116">family SUV</a>&nbsp;as a plug-in hybrid (<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/plug-in-hybrid-cars/n22743">PHEV</a>), while the 5008 is currently available with a diesel or a ‘self-charging’ petrol hybrid.

So, you know already that the model has its good points, but that still leaves some&nbsp;key questions. What's the performance like?&nbsp;Which trim&nbsp;is best, and is the interior smart? And how well does it square up against similarly priced rivals, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/santa-fe/4x4/review/n68">Hyundai Santa Fe</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sorento/4x4/review/n18">Kia Sorento</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/x-trail/4x4/review/n51">Nissan X-Trail</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/tarraco/estate/review/n17865">Seat Tarraco</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kodiaq/estate/review/n17362">Skoda Kodiaq</a>?

Read on and we'll tell you all you need to know about the Peugeot 5008, including the engine, the trim and the optional extras we recommend.

If you do decide to take the plunge on a new SUV or car, you can find big savings without any awkward haggling by searching our free What Car? <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Deals pages</a>. There are plenty of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/large-suv">new large SUV deals</a>.

Peugeot has its strongest model line-up for some years, with some of its cars now rated by our testers as being among the very best available.

Highlights focus around the firm’s newest SUVs, the 3008 and 5008. The 5008 was named Large SUV of the Year at the 2018 What Car? Awards, thanks to its appealing blend of space, interior quality and low running costs.

That bodes well for future launches, too, because many of the learnings from these cars will be passed on as new versions of existing cars are launched – something that could take many years, because the Peugeot range is so big, ranging from an entry-level supermini with the 108 to an executive saloon with the 508, up into the SUV range and also vans.

Buyers should evaluate some of the lower-rated cars in the range more carefully, though. Some are now quite old, and are subsequently left behind in terms of quality when compared with the opposition, making them below-average buys, in our estimation.

PEUGEOT

5008

Stylish, practical and good to drive –&nbsp;one of the best seven-seat SUVs

Peugeot 5008

Allowing the internet to name things sounds like a bad idea – remember Boaty McBoatface?&nbsp;–&nbsp;but in the case of the Seat Tarraco it's worked out pretty well.

This <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seat SUV</a> was called the Tarraco after 150,000 members of the public suggested the word (it's what the Spanish city of Tarragona used to be called).

Anyway, enough about the name and how it came to be – what's the&nbsp;Tarraco actually like? Well, as the flagship <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/seat">Seat</a> model, sitting&nbsp;above the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ateca/estate/review/n111">Seat Ateca</a>, it's pretty big.

If you were to rip away the bodywork, you’d find roughly the same underpinnings as a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan-allspace/estate/review/n17379">VW Tiguan Allspace</a>&nbsp;has. As with that car, all versions of the Tarraco have seven seats.

So, why might you choose the Seat Tarraco over the Tiguan Allspace, its other close relative, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kodiaq/estate/review/n17362">Skoda Kodiaq</a>&nbsp;– or indeed other good seven-seaters such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sorento/4x4/review/n18">Kia Sorento</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/review/n17369">Peugeot 5008</a>? That’s what we’ll be looking at in this review.

Today, the resurgent Seat brand is selling better cars than at any time in its history.

In large part, that’s because it is one of the brands owned by the VW Group. Underneath, all of the cars it sells are strongly related to similar models sold by Volkswagen itself, or the likes of Skoda and even Audi. If you are buying a Leon, for example, the hardware will be similar to that of the Golf, Octavia and A3.

But while Seat makes the most of this tie-up to offer everything from city, small and family cars, including estates, through to a full range of SUVs, it also adds in its own slice of character, both with its distinctive styling approach and because its engineers generally tune the cars to deliver sportier handling.

While all of its cars are decent, it is the SUVs that stand out. The Arona and Ateca are among the class leaders and have enjoyed triumphs at the What Car? Awards.

SEAT

TARRACO

Seven-seater is quite sporty, well equipped and has a good safety rating, but some rivals are more spacious at the back

Seat Tarraco

Regardless of what you might hear, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace proves that size matters – or at least it does for&nbsp;buyers of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seaters</a>.

So while the five-seat Tiguan can already be considered a resounding success for the car maker, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> is looking to exploit its popularity by adding an extra two seats and even more room to create the Allspace.&nbsp;

In total, 215mm has been added between the front and rear wheels of the standard model&nbsp;to accommodate seven seats, while adding some extra boot space when the third row is folded. The bigger model also has a slightly different front-end design and roof rails as standard to set it apart from the common or garden five-seater.

The Allspace has a similar range of petrol and diesel engines to the standard <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan/estate/review/n17357">VW Tiguan</a>, but without some of the lower-powered entry-level variants.

You get a choice of three high-spec trims –&nbsp;Life, Elegance and R-Line. They all come with plenty of kit, but this does mean the Allspace looks expensive compared with seven-seater rivals including&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/review/n17369">Peugeot 5008</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kodiaq/estate/review/n17362">Skoda Kodiaq</a>.

How well does the VW Tiguan Allspace stack up against the standard Tiguan and those rivals, then, and can it justify the extra expense? Read on over the next few pages of this review to find out what we think of its performance, reliability, interior quality, boot space and more, as well as which engine and trim combination we recommend.&nbsp;

Then, when you’ve decided which make and model of car is the right one for you, we can help you find it for the best price&nbsp;if you search our free&nbsp;What Car? <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Deals service</a>.

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

TIGUAN ALLSPACE

Has all the positive traits of the five-seat Tiguan but adds a bigger boot and two extra seats. It’s expensive, though

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

While the popularity of big, brawny SUVs continues to grow, the Volkswagen Touran sits quietly in the background as a well-established hero, offering maximum family practicality in a relatively small footprint.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">seven-seater</a> people carrier has scooped up an impressive number of What Car? MPV of the Year awards over the years, and there are plenty of reasons why.

Where the Touran really shines is in how it doesn’t feel that different to drive from the previous-generation<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/review/n17371"> Volkswagen Golf</a> it’s based on. It also has more compact dimensions than full-sized<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/mpvs-and-people-carriers/n17001"> MPVs</a> such as the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/galaxy/mpv/review/n142"> Ford Galaxy</a> and the bulkier, more expensive<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan-allspace/estate/review/n17379"> Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace</a> SUV. That's something you’ll appreciate when you're trying to squeeze it into a tight parking space.

And crucially, for such a relatively small MPV, it's a genuine seven-seater. So, don’t think of this as some sort of van with windows – it’s more like a spacious and incredibly flexible hatchback, with handy sixth and seventh seats that pop out of the boot floor when you need them.

The engine range has been reduced over the years to one option, but there’s still a wide range of trim levels to choose from from the entry-level SE to the sportier flagship R-Line.

So, is the Volkswagen Touran a better choice than similarly priced rivals, which include the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/grand-c4-spacetourer/mpv/review/n17341"> Citroën Grand C4 Spacetourer</a> and<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/s-max/mpv/review/n81"> Ford S-Max</a>? Read on over the next few pages of this review to find out. We'll assess its performance in all the important areas, and tell you which trim levels make the most sense.

When you've decided which car is for you, don't forget to visit our free<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals"> What Car? New Car Deals pages</a>.

TOURAN

The VW Touran is roomy, practical, well built and good to drive.

Volkswagen Touran

It might be fair to assume that if you’re reading this Volvo XC90 review, it’s probably because you have lots of offspring and need a big car with plenty of seats to cart them all around in.

After all, it was the spacious&nbsp;SUV&nbsp;proportions and seven usable seats that made the original&nbsp;XC90&nbsp;– launched in the early Noughties&nbsp;– such a rip-roaring success.

This latest, second-generation model is&nbsp;even bigger, but is it still the SUV to go for if&nbsp;you have a reasonably&nbsp;big budget and need a seven-seater?

Well, there are some spectacularly good rivals to consider, most notably&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/review/">Audi Q7</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/defender/4x4/review/n21198">Land Rover Defender</a>. There's also&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery/4x4/review/n17342">Land Rover Discovery</a> and the&nbsp;even bigger (and even more expensive) <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x7/4x4/review/n19102">BMW X7</a>.

So, why not keep on reading and we’ll tell you all there is to know about the Volvo XC90, how it rates against the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/7-seat-cars/n2344">best seven-seaters</a>&nbsp;and which version makes the most sense.

Volvo is now a true rival to the likes of Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, offering an alternative take on premium executive cars to a rapidly growing fanbase.

After a string of strong launches – notably with the Mk2 XC90 and XC60 SUVs – it struck gold in early 2018 when it launched its smallest SUV, the XC40. When our testers compared the car with its rivals, they concluded that it was the best launch of the previous 12 months, earning it our coveted overall Car of the Year Award.

The good news is that, like many car makers, Volvo now uses the same structure underneath most of its cars – so if they get it right on one model, it usually bodes well for the rest. That’s the case here, with Volvo’s subsequent saloon and estate launches complementing the SUVs and making for a generally extremely appealing line-up.

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7-seater reviews

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