Skoda Kodiaq review – more practical and higher quality than before
The 10 best large SUVs on sale in 2025
Large SUVs combine cavernous space, bold looks and a commanding view of the road – here are the 10 worth buying
For some car buyers, bigger is always better, and you can’t get much bigger than a large SUV. These high-riding family workhorses have the most interior space this side of a van, allowing you to carry the kids and cargo in comfort.
Take a look at the list of best-selling cars, and it’s clear that car buyers are SUV-crazy at the moment, and manufacturers have been quick to satisfy the growing demand. There’s now a lengthy list of small SUVs and mid-size SUVs to pick from, but large SUVs remain the car of choice for those with big families or lots of luggage.
Key to the appeal of a large SUV is practicality. All of the models on this list have seven seats, giving you the flexibility to carry extra passengers when you need to. Just be aware that rearmost seats in an SUV are likely to be smaller than what you’d find in a typical seven-seater MPV – we’d recommend one of these if you plan to regularly ferry a full complement of passengers.
What you will miss out on, though, is the raised ride height of an SUV. Many buyers like the high-up view of the road you get with a large SUV, while the chunky looks are a bonus, too. There are a variety of petrol, diesel, hybrid and fully-electric models to pick from, too, so there should be a large SUV to suit every buyer’s taste.
The best large SUVs
Read on for our list of the 10 best large SUVs on sale today. For a more general look at the SUV market, read our top 10 list of the best SUVs, which includes cars of a range of sizes.
- Priced from around £38,000
“The Skoda Kodiaq is spacious, efficient and features plenty of clever touches, while the cabin has taken a step upmarket” Dean Gibson, senior test editor.
Our current Carbuyer Best Large Family Car award winner, the all-new Skoda Kodiaq builds upon the strengths of the old model without a dramatic price increase. Compared to other seven-seater SUVs on this list, it still offers some of the best value for money, offering more space than the Hyundai Santa Fe for around £10,000 less. Sure, there are compromises – the interior doesn’t feel as luxurious and it’s fairly dull to drive – but that’ll be of little importance to most buyers.
While it may not be the last word in luxury, the Kodiaq’s interior is still a pleasant place to spend time. Quality is good, while the controls are laid out intuitively and there isn’t an over-reliance on touchscreens – we’re particularly fond of the clever ‘Smart Dials’ for controlling volume, temperature and other settings. It’s offered in five and seven-seater guises, the latter sacrificing some boot space for a pair of usable seats.
Engine choices aren’t particularly thrilling – most buyers will be satisfied by the 1.5-litre petrol mild hybrid or the 2.0-litre diesel – but at least there’s a plug-in hybrid model for company-car drivers or those who want to cut their fuel bills. It’s just a shame that this model isn’t available with seven seats.
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Find the latest new and used Skoda Kodiaq deals on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £65,000
“The EV9’s seven-seat layout features plenty of room in all three rows, while the fit and finish befit the car’s price” Alex Ingram, chief reviewer
Bursting onto the electric-SUV scene last year, the Kia EV9 impressed us across the board, with masses of interior space, a choice of two excellent EV powertrains and eye-catching looks. It’s pricier than any previous offering from the South Korean firm, but we think the EV9 lives up to its premium price tag.
As standard, the EV9 comes with seven seats, giving each passenger plenty of space – even in the third row. The optional six-seater layout adds an extra touch of luxury, with middle seats that swivel 180-degrees to face the rearmost passengers. Everything feels well thought out, from the storage cubbies to the three infotainment screens up front. There was a noticeable lack of any noise from the tyres or electric motor, further improving interior refinement.
There’s a choice of single or dual motor configurations, offering 201bhp and 379bhp respectively. We tested the latter, and it felt impressively nippy for a car of this size. More importantly, there’s good visibility from behind the wheel which, combined with the comfortable suspension, helps to make the EV9 a great choice for large-SUV shoppers.
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Find the latest new and used Kia EV9 deals on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £47,000
“With the introduction of the fifth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe, the Korean company has produced one of the most distinctive-looking seven-seat SUVs around.” Dean Gibson, senior test editor
Next up in our list of the best large SUVs is the Hyundai Santa Fe, the flagship of the South Korean brand’s lineup. It represents a big step up in quality over previous generations, with a premium air to rival pricier German alternatives. It looks the part too – boxy is certainly the word when it comes to the Santa Fe’s styling; love it or hate it, it certainly stands apart from today’s crop of SUVs, with some of the chunkiest styling this side of a battle tank.
Less divisive is the Santa Fe’s interior. With premium materials used throughout, and a pair of curved digital displays, it feels like a mighty step up from the previous model. Buyers can choose between five, six or seven-seater models, all of which provide plenty of room for occupants. The boot’s big too, at 725-litres with five seats in place.
The driving experience reflects the high-quality nature of the interior, with comfort taking priority over sportiness. Its 1.6-litre hybrid engine is more than capable of propelling the SUV with ease, and we were impressed by how quiet it was too. There’s a plug-in hybrid model arriving too, which will bring an increased electric range.
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Find the latest new and used Hyundai Santa Fe deals on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £40,000
“The Tayron’s excellent kit list, strong variety of engines and solid interior stand out as real positives.” Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter.
The Volkswagen Tayron is a relatively new name to join the brand’s seemingly endless fleet of SUVs, slotting in below the Touareg and above the Tiguan, essentially as a replacement for the outgoing Tiguan Allspace. The Tayron can be had with seven seats, which boosts the already-impressive practicality of the Tiguan, and that third row is something that you won’t get in the large Touareg, with that car’s focus on premium feel and second-row space.
The Tayrons with seven seats are very versatile because you still get a family-hatchback-sized boot capacity of 345 litres, while folding them down frees up a massive 850 litres in total. Go for the five-seater and you get even more at 885 litres. The downside is that plug-in hybrid models can’t be had with the extra third row.
We’re happy to report that the Tayron is very well built, so it should be able to put up with everything a large family can throw at it. The Tayron is comfortable, too, so ferrying the kids to and from school over pothole-filled roads won’t break your back.
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Find the latest new and used Volkswagen Tayron deals on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £80,000 (est)
“The Ioniq 9 is a big, spacious and flexible SUV with seating for up to seven, plus all the tech and safety kit you could ever want for.” Jordan Katsianis, senior staff writer
The Ioniq 9 is Hyundai’s largest EV, and it comes with a massive 110kW battery no matter which version you go for, providing it with an impressive range of up to 385 miles if you go for the entry-level model. That means that you’ll be able to get on with family life for longer periods of time before you have to worry about putting it on charge, but even when you eventually top up, charging speeds are impressive at up to 350kW, so you won’t be waiting around for long.
The Ioniq 9’s party piece is how practical it is – clever packaging means that it feels like a Tardis inside thanks to its flat floor, and there are lots of brilliant storage solutions dotted around. The centre row consists of two captain’s chairs, which means each occupant gets their own dedicated comfortable seat. Access to the rearmost row is easy thanks to the wide gap between these seats and buyers can pick between a three-seat bench or another pair of captain’s chairs for the third row, enabling six or seven-seater configurations.
Hyundai’s largest EV is incredibly serene to travel along in, with very little wind or road noise. While it’s not particularly entertaining to drive, the Ioniq 9 is incredibly simple and stress-free to operate, too, taking the edge off longer drives.
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Find the latest new Hyundai Ioniq 9 deals on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £50,000
“The Mazda CX-80 hits the right notes for a large SUV when it comes to rear seat space in the second and third rows.” Jordan Katsianis, senior staff writer
The Mazda CX-80 is a classy-looking large SUV with a commanding road presence. It’s a big car, but Mazda has put all that extra space to good use. The CX-80 comes with seven seats as standard, and unlike some rivals, the third row is actually spacious enough for three adults to sit comfortably.
There’s plenty of customisation for buyers, though, because you can specify two individual seats in the middle row, rather than a three-seater bench, should you wish. If you do want to have it as a six-seater, the middle seats are much more comfortable and there’s a wide space between them making it easier to get to the rearmost row, or you can instead fill this gap with a centre console with added storage and cupholders.
The CX-80 is great to drive and takes some of the same driver-pleasing DNA from Mazda’s MX-5 sports car. We think there’s a great balanced feel to the CX-80, with nice weighting to the steering and good body control. It does mean that this has come at a slight cost to ride comfort, but if you’re a keen driver with a large family then you might think that a worthy compromise.
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Find the latest new and used Mazda CX-80 deals on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £42,000
“Over the years, the Kia Sorento has evolved from being a large, practical and cheap family SUV into a large, practical and classy one.” Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter.
The Kia Sorento has become a popular large SUV, with masses of capability and space for all the family. It first gained popularity due to its size and reasonable price, mixed with a long seven-year warranty and solid reputation for reliability. There’s even more reason to like the Sorento in 2025, thanks to a mid-life facelift last year that brought an uplift in quality and a dash of extra style.
The interior of the Kia Sorento is largely pinched from the electric EV9, and that’s no bad thing. You get cutting-edge tech and a minimalist design, although some physical buttons have been removed in favour of touchscreen controls which may not suit everyone. What you can’t complain about is space – the second row is roomy enough for three passengers, while the rearmost seats have decent head and knee room.
The plug-in hybrid model offers silent driving in the city and a 1.6-litre petrol engine for longer journeys, but its 34-mile electric-only range falls some way short of the class-leading PHEVs. The self-charging hybrid will be the engine of choice for most buyers; it achieves similar fuel economy to the diesel engine but is better suited to a wider mix of driving scenarios.
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Find the latest new and used Kia Sorento deals on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £71,000
“The latest edition of the BMW X5 builds on the success of its predecessors with a fresh slate that sees improvements made to the practicality and overall design, as well as upgrades to the infotainment and safety tech.” Max Adams, online reviews editor
Now in its fourth generation, the BMW X5 continues to deliver on its promise as a practical and premium SUV that’s fulfilling as a driver’s car, too. It’s a genuinely great all-rounder worth your attention if you’re looking for something at the higher end of the large SUV market.
Features such as leather upholstery, an advanced digital dash and infotainment technology come as standard, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility included. The latest X5’s interior is one of its most convincing selling points, and the SUV’s range of powertrains is sure to impress, too. While many manufacturers are ditching diesel power, the X5 is still offered with a range of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid engines.
If you’re after a diesel SUV, our pick in the X5 lineup is the 3.0-litre mild-hybrid xDrive30d model with 293bhp. The X5 also caters for those after a plug-in hybrid SUV, with the xDrive50e model capable of a whopping 482bhp from its 3.0-litre straight six and electric motors, plus an impressive range of up to 67 miles on electricity alone. The petrol-powered M60i engine in the hardcore X5 M boasts 523bhp from a thirsty V8 engine, but undoubtedly offers impressive performance if you can stomach the bills.
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Find the latest new and used BMW X5 deals on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £37,000
“We highly rated the previous Peugeot 5008 as a versatile family car, and the good news is that this latest incarnation provides more of what we already liked.” Ellis Hyde, news reporter
Peugeot’s new 5008 proves that you don’t need to pay luxury car prices for a stylish family car. The seven-seat SUV was launched in 2024, packing a roomy interior, a choice of electrified powertrains, and striking styling inside and out. At £37,000, it’s not the cheapest seven-seater you can buy – that award goes to the Dacia Jogger – but the 5008 still punches above its weight in terms of style and quality.
Sitting up front in the 5008, you’re greeted by a stunning 21-inch screen that spans across the top of the dashboard. It looks the part and is fairly easy to use, although not as quick as Hyundai’s latest system. Moving to the second row, there’s plenty of space in the outer two seats, while the central one is a bit cramped (it also misses out in ISOFIX mounts). The rear pair of seats will be a bit tight for taller adults but are on par with other seven-seater SUVs.
The entry-level mild hybrid petrol engine is shared across other Peugeot models, all the way down to the 208 supermini. It’s undoubtedly working harder in this application, but does well to keep the 5008 chugging along. We’d recommend upgrading to the more powerful plug-in hybrid or the fully-electric E-5008 if you plan to use all seven seats regularly – the mild hybrid’s 138bhp is likely to feel insufficient in this scenario.
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Find the latest new and used Peugeot 5008 deals on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £64,000
“You know what you’re going to get with a Volvo – a solid, practical, safe and confidently understated type of premium car.” Steve Walker, head of digital content
Volvo has always held a reputation for making sensible and practical cars, so it wasn’t a surprise when it entered the SUV market with the first Volvo XC90. The second-generation model that followed in 2015 quickly became one of our favourite premium large SUVs, thanks to its spacious interior, efficient engines and handsome looks.
Nearly a decade later, the XC90 remains at the top of its game. It delivers the comfort and tranquillity inside that the Swedish carmaker has become known for, while its interior is one of the most luxurious and its exterior one of the most stylish on the market. A facelifted model is on the way, too, bringing a sharper appearance and updated tech. The same range of plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid engines remain, offering respectable performance and economy.
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Find the latest new and used Volvo XC90 deals on our sister site Auto Express
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