Top 5 Best New 7 Seater Cars 2018
Published Date: 3rd Apr 2018
Sometimes 5 seats are not enough, if you need a 7 seater to accommodate your family demands, there are plenty of options available to suit your budget and requirements from practical MPVs to eye-catching large SUVs, here are our top 5 recommended 7 seater new cars for 2018 or you can read about our latest 2019 7 seater new car recommendations:
Citroen C4 Grand Picasso
If you’re looking for a spacious 7 seater MPV with lots of practicality then look no further that the Grand Picasso. The 2018 model sports a familiar unique and eye-catching exterior look whilst inside there are quite a few tweaks. The 2018 model sports the familiar centre ‘cockpit’ style dash but with some impressive new features. The dials are replaced with a customisable LCD screen and there are dashes of chrome trim in a ‘two tone’ design. The Grand Picasso is pretty spacious, the second row seats offer plenty of leg room for adults and the third row whilst not as ‘tight’ on space as some rivals are ideally suites and meant for children, there are also several seating arrangements available which is a big plus.
The Grand Picasso strengths lie in its practicality, inside the vehicle you get lots of helpful and clever little storage ideas and the diesel engine range is particularly practical with several frugal options available. Our particular favourite is the BlueHDi 120 which can take you from 0-62mph in around 11.5 seconds with a fuel economy around the 70mpg and emission s of just 106 g/km, if you want more grunt you could look at the BlueHDi 150 which can pull you from 0-62mph in under 10 seconds but is significant jump in costs (£3000-£4000 more).
Unless you really looking to push the boat out and splash out on the extra tech and luxury we think the entry-level ‘Feel’ model offers enough equipment for most including front and rear parking sensors and the 7 inch touch screen with Sat Nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth handsfree/media streaming, a USB and AUX sockets plus screen mirroring.
Recommendation: The Feel model with one of the BlueHDi engines
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Vauxhall Zafira Tourer
The Zafira Tourer (formerly the Zafira) is a relative veteran of the MPV class. Vauxhall have made an effort with the latest model to upgrade the feel and quality of the interior with a soft touch finish to the dash and door panels and there are dashes of chrome trim to add to the feeling and look of a quality finish. When you consider the Zafira Tourer gazumps most of its rivals on price then you’re looking at a very attractive 7 seater family car for the money.
Inside the Zafira you’ll find the second row seats adequate for adults whilst the third row is best suited to small children and can be a mighty tight squeeze for adults especially on anything but a short journey.
We think you might want to skip the entry-level model and plump for the Tech Line Nav model which offers the addition of Sat Nav, Climate Control and other goodies over the entry trim-level. The 1.6 CDTi ecoTEC engine offers CO2 emissions of 119 g/km and around 68mpg.
Recommendation: Tech Line Nav Model with 1.6 CDTi ecoTEC engine.
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Peugeot 5008
Winner of Whats Cars 2018 award for best large SUV the Peugeot 5008 is both stylish and practical.
Inside the 5008 you’ll get a premium feel and build quality that will only be matched or surpassed by vehicles in the ‘premium badge’ range. The dash complimented with dashes of chrome or wood and upholstery are of an upmarket feel and shout at quality. Lighting is also a plus when driving at night along with the infotainment system on all models with DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and screen mirroring.
Cabin space is adequate but not quite as generous as some of its direct rivals in the large SUV class such as the Skoda Kodiaq and Nissan X-Trail, still the second row should offer enough leg room for a large adult whilst the third row is best suited to children. Whilst the 5008 falls short on cabin space against rivals, it offers a very generous boot and trumps both the X-Trail and Kodiaq partly down to the how deep the boot is.
We recommend skipping the entry-level model and to go for the Allure model that offers the addition of Sat Nav and rear parking sensor amongst other benefits. We recommend the BlueHDi (130) diesel engine which offer decent performance, CO2 emission of just 109g/km and fuel economy of around 67mpg. Peugeot also offer some sportier options in the shape of the GT and GT Line models.
Recommendation: Allure model with the BlueHdi (130) engine
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Skoda Kodiaq
The Kodiaq is a double first for Skoda, its’ their first seven seater and large SUV vehicle. As far as large SUVs go the Kodiaq offers a cheaper, viable alternative to some of the main-stays in the large SUV class like the Nissan X-Trail. Despite its price tag Skoda have done a great job with the Kodiaq and inside the cabin you get a feel for a vehicle that is punching above its weight. With some nice soft touch dashboard features with inserts and a leather steering wheel and all seven seater models get an impressive 8 inch infotainment system.
The Kodiaq is pretty generous on cabin space with 2nd row seats more than adequate for fairly large adults, whilst the third row is ideally suited to children. The boot is enormous, so if you’re frequently holidaying in the UK and need to pack all your cases and much more then there’s no problem at all with the Kodiaq.
We think the SE model which is the first trim available with seven seats is more than adequate for most people and represents and affordable 7 seater large SUV. It comes with with 8 inch touchscreen, Sat Nav, dual zone climate control and rear parking sensor. The 1.4 petrol engine model is a lot cheaper whilst the 2,0 diesel represents some cheaper running costs but unless your clocking up a lot of miles stick with the petrol
Recommendation: SE Model with 1.4 petrol engine
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Ford Grand C-Max
The Grand C-Max is Ford’s offering in the 7 seater MPV class, it represents a good all round family car option but where it really leaves similar vehicles behind is drive quality. Handling and comfort are first class and if you are frequently travelling long distances then the comfort factor here will be very welcome.
We like the EcoBoost engines but the 99bhp option just feels a little under-powered and if you are frequently carrying a full or near full load the 124bhp EcoBoost engine’s extra grunt will probably be a better option for you.
Inside the dash is familiar Ford arrangement with a well thought-out configuration, good quality feel to the interior and an 8 inch infotainment system as an option of the entry-level Zetec and standard on all other trim-levels. All in all is more than adequate inside but doesn’t match up to the Zafira and Grand Picasso in terms of quality feel. The big pull with Grand C-Max is the drive as already mentioned, if you’re frequently cruising on long journeys the Grand C-Max offers a drive that is unrivalled by any other vehicle in its class for a similar price-tag. WE recommend skipping the entry-level Zetec and going for the Titanium model for the extra equipment including rear parking sensor, 8 inch infotainment system as standard and keyless entry.
Recommendation: Titanium model with EcoBoost (125PS) engine