Best SUVs for three child car seats
Fitting three child seats into a car can be a challenge, so we’ve put 15 SUVs and MPVs to the test to find out which can accommodate three seats safely and comfortably...
SUVs have replaced MPVs as the go-to choice for most family buyers, but how well do they cope with three children?
Large SUVs
Hyundai Santa Fe
NCAP overall safety rating 5 stars
Child occupant score 88%
Price from £42,445
Target Price from £40,886
The Santa Fe is our 2023 Seven-seater of the Year for good reason. As well as having the interior space of a small minibus, it comes with lashings of family-friendly kit. There are separate air-con controls for the second and third rows, plus buttons to tip and slide each of the 60/40 split second-row seats forwards electrically to access the third row.
The Santa Fe has Isofix mounts only on the two outer second-row seats, but the other positions can be used for seatbelt-secured seats. We couldn’t squeeze all three of our seats into the second row, but thanks to there being plenty of space in the third row, it was easy to install one back there instead.
Access to the rearmost seats is good, and second-row occupants have plenty of leg room even with their seats slid forwards. The plug-in hybrid Santa Fe isn’t compromised for space by its relatively large battery, either.
Red tick = Isofix mounted child seat
Blue tick = seatbelt secured child seat
Black tick = other seatbelt secured child seat might fit
Black cross = not enough space for a child seat
Read our full Hyundai Santa Fe review or see Hyundai Santa Fe deals
Kia Sorento
NCAP overall safety rating 5 stars
Child occupant score 85%
Price from £49,495
Target Price from £49,495
The Sorento is closely related to the Hyundai Santa Fe and it shares that model’s spacious interior. This means it has more space in the third row than many rivals, including the Peugeot 5008. And unlike the previous-generation Sorento, the latest version has four Isofix mounts (two extra ones in the third row), so securely fitting child seats is easy.
The 60/40 split seats in the second row aren’t as practical as having three separate seats, but they recline and slide fore and aft, enabling them to accommodate larger child seats.
We couldn’t fit all three seats across the second row, but there was plenty of room for a child to sit in the third row behind our bulky infant child seat. There are electric controls in the boot and on the second-row seats to adjust them. The third-row seats can be raised out of the boot floor easily by pulling a cord.
NCAP overall safety rating 5 stars
Child occupant score 85%
Price from £36,570
Target Price from £34,171
The 5008 has been designed with families in mind, as evidenced by the fact that it has three separate sliding and reclining seats in the second row, each with Isofix mounts. We managed to fit all of our child seats into this row, and the middle seat could be slid back to create more room for the outer passengers.
The third-row seats aren’t as big as the Santa Fe’s and Sorento’s, and space is in shorter supply, but there’s enough room for the two seats for older children. Sliding a second-row seat forwards freed up extra leg room for a child right in the back without overly compromising space for the person in front.
When not in use, the third-row seats stow neatly into the boot floor and are easy to pull out using tabs. Child-friendly features include pull-up tables on the front seatbacks and a shelf with a cupholder for each third-row seat.
NCAP overall safety rating 5 stars
Child occupant score 77%
Price from £34,550
Target Price from £32,885
Most Kodiaq models come with seven seats as standard; only entry-level SE Drive trim can be had with five. The second row of seats splits 60/40 and slides backwards and forwards manually.
The Kodiaq isn’t as wide as the other large SUVs tested here and we could fit only two child seats into the second row. It doesn’t have as much leg room there, either, and we had to slide the second-row bench back to fit our infant seat, limiting space for anyone sitting behind it. Access to the third row is good, though, and we were able to fit our third seat back there.
Child-friendly features include a fold- down three-cupholder armrest in the middle of the second-row seatbacks, plus a cupholder and a slim pencil tray in the third row.
It’s easy to pull the third-row seats up from the boot floor, and the seats are wide but set relatively low down.
NCAP overall safety rating NA
Child occupant score NA
Price from £84,975
Target Price from £82,909
At the top end of BMW’s SUV line-up, the enormous X7 has enough space to transport an entire ice hockey team in comfort. Its third-row seats are roomier than those of the other luxury SUVs in this test, and the wide-opening rear doors and sliding second-row seats give good access. Switches on the second-row seats enable you to adjust them electrically, or you can use buttons in the boot that let you fold all five rear seats separately.
There are two Isofix mounts in each of the rear rows and they're easy to use, being clearly visible once a flap is opened rather than buried in between the seat base and back.
Although we couldn’t fit all three of our child seats into the second row, it was easy to install one in the third row. For extra comfort and convenience, second and third-row passengers have their own air-con controls and four cupholders.
Red tick = Isofix mounted child seat
Blue tick = seatbelt secured child seat
Black tick = other seatbelt secured child seat might fit
Black cross = not enough space for a child seat
Read our full BMW X7 review or see BMW X7 deals
Genesis GV80 (7 seat)
NCAP overall safety rating 5 stars
Child occupant score 87%
Price from £66,020
Target Price from £66,020
This South Korean luxury brand is a relative newcomer to the UK, but its models are lavishly equipped and good value for money. It comes as a five, six or seven-seater, but the mid-range seven- seat Luxury model is our pick.
Although we couldn’t fit three seats across the second row, it was easy enough to install two in the Isofix-equipped outer seats, with one of the seats for an older child being belted into the third row behind the large infant seat without anyone being squashed.
The second-row seats split 60/40 and slide backwards and forwards manually, but if you add the Second Row Comfort Pack, they slide and recline electrically and the third-row seats can be raised or lowered via buttons in the boot.
Access to the third row is good and the seat bases are fairly high up, so it doesn’t feel claustrophobic back there.
NCAP overall safety rating 5 stars
Child occupant score 90%
Price from £73,100
Target Price from £73,100
The latest version of the GLE is the first to be offered with seven seats as standard (except in the entry-level 300d and the 350de plug-in hybrid).
The second row is so spacious that we got all three child seats across it, securing the outer pair via Isofix mounts. With no Isofix mount on the middle seat, it was a bit of a struggle to fasten the seatbelt to secure the third child seat, but we had the option of putting it in the third row instead.
The second-row seats split in a 60/40 configuration and can be adjusted via electric controls on the side doors and seatbacks, and there are buttons in the boot to fold all five rear seatbacks flat. Space in the third row isn’t as generous as in the BMW X7, but each occupant has a cupholder and shelf, and there are dedicated air-con controls for the second and third rows.
NCAP overall safety rating 5 stars
Child occupant score 87%
Price from £61,995
Target Price from £56,769
All XC90s come with seven seats – even the Recharge T8 plug-in hybrid. There are three separate seats in the second row that slide backwards and forwards, enabling parents to adjust the amount of space available for those in the second or third rows. There are Isofix mounts only on the two outer second-row seats, but seats secured with seatbelts can be used in the other rear seats.
The second row wasn’t wide enough to take all three of our child seats, but we could put one seat in the third row and create enough space for our child’s legs by sliding the seat in front forwards.
There are big levers for folding the second-row seats flat, and the seatbacks concertina so that they sit neatly on their bases. Family-friendly features include cupholders for all rear seat occupants and lidded storage bins for those right at the back.
Read our full Volvo XC90 review or see Volvo XC90 deals
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