The family SUVs worth buying in 2026 (petrol, hybrid or electric) – Autocar
Family cars used to take the form of estates and MPVs, but the tide has shifted in favour of SUVs, with their high–up driving positions, ever-improving dynamics and practicality making them enticing options.
Family SUVs are particularly sought after, because of how they match generous cabin space that’s suitable for both adults and children with a capacious boot that’s practical and versatile enough for transporting cargo.
At present, there’s a myriad of options to choose from, ranging from traditional petrols and diesels to hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric SUVs, with their flat floors and clever packaging making them even more practical.
Endless choice means that there’s a lot of information to dissect before buying a family SUV, but thankfully for you we’ve curated a list of the top 10 best options from this crowded segment.
Topping our list is the Skoda Kodiaq. With a diverse range of engine options – which includes a PHEV which can travel up to 74 miles on electric power – a robust, versatile cabin, and the option of seven seats, it’s a great all-rounder that’s also well-priced.
Best for: All-around ability
Want an ultra-sensible family SUV that is undemanding to use and offers a truly huge amount of space for the money? Enter the Skoda Kodaiq.
So what are you sacrificing? A chunk of premium-feel materials compared with some rivals, for a start, although it's not as much of a step down as you might think. Plus everything feels well screwed together.
There are more upmarket family SUVs, but not many that offer as much space for the money. Five- and seven-seat models are both on offer, the former being especially helpful if you value boot space over everything else, as it offers an enormous 910 litres' worth.
All versions handle tidily, with commendable agility and composure and a good feeling of connection from the steering fooling you into thinking it's smaller than it actually is.
Plug-in hybrid models are available, which is great for company car drivers, but it’s worth knowing that they can't come with seven seats, because the third-row seats and the battery occupy the same space.
Read our Skoda Kodiaq review
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Second-generation seven-seat SUV lands in the UK with a design refresh and hybrid power
Best for: Space
The EV9 looks like it just landed from a sci-fi movie set. People stare at it on the street; they seek you out in shops and cafes to talk excitedly about it and to ask what it’s like. And yet it handles the tediousness of family life elegantly and serenely.
It's smooth, quiet and brilliantly easy to operate and will officially do up to 349 miles on a charge. Our testing suggests the big-battery versions should crack 300 miles in real-life conditions, but you can supplement this quickly with 220kW rapid charging.
But the real plus point of the electric powertrain is in its packaging. It enables the EV9 to make the most out of its gargantuan proportions.
It’s available with six or seven seats, and either way the third row is roomy enough for adults. Four of the five rear seats get their own cupholders and USB-C charging ports, as well as Isofix child-seat anchorages. The rearmost pair stow and deploy electrically and are easy to access.
Furthermore, the boot is big enough for a reasonable amount of shopping cargo with all seats in place. While in five-seat mode, the loading space is extremely generous. There's even a front boot, which is perfect for keeping the charging cables in.
Read our Kia EV9 review
Best for: Dealing with family life
The Nissan Qashqai is one of the most popular cars in the UK, and is considered the go-to choice for drivers considering a family car.
The smartly designed SUV comes with a choice of mild-hybrid petrol engines with either 136bhp or 156bhp. They're both frugal units, but you will have to work them both hard to achieve any decent level of performance.
Inside, the Qashqai is well equipped to deal with day-to-day family life. It has a 479-litre boot and a solid interior, which should handle anything your kids can (sometimes literally) throw at it.
Importantly, the Qashqai is one of the more affordable models on our list. Prices start at around £30,000, while standard equipment includes integrated Google Maps, a reversing camera, parking sensors and a 12.3in touchscreen infotainment system.
Read our Nissan Qashqai review
Best for: Range and efficiency
Tesla has managed to squeeze even more value out of the best-selling Model Y, with the arrival of the Standard model making it more keenly priced than ever before.
What’s impressive is that Tesla has managed to do this without sacrificing on range or space.
Sure, it’s not without a few faults: the infotainment touchscreen is distracting and the ADAS are downright annoying. But then this is an EV that can travel up to 391 miles on a charge in Long Range AWD form while achieving 4.0mpkWh and above. Plus you get a roomy cabin that’s good enough for adults and a boot that’s well up there with the class standard.
And Tesla's widely available Supercharger network can make charging on the go a hassle-free task.
Read our Tesla Model Y review
Best for: Style
Once an MPV, the Renault Scenic returned last year as an electric SUV. While you can no longer select it with seven seats, it’s still a brilliant family hauler with lots of space and a pleasant interior.
Entry-level cars come with a 60kWh battery as standard with a claimed range of 260 miles, but the 87kWh long-range option offers a mighty 379 miles on a charge. Power can range from a meagre 167bhp to 215bhp, which is acceptable.
Make no mistake: that’s a seriously impressive range. It puts the Scenic straight to the top of the segment, even outclassing the Tesla Model Y’s 331 miles and the 348 miles touted by the Skoda Enyaq.
It’s practical and smart inside too, with a sizable, responsive 12in touchscreen infotainment system.
Its 545-litre boot is also impressive, and while rear passenger space isn’t quite class-leading, it’s still airy nonetheless.
Read our Renault Scenic E-Tech review
Best for: Comfort
The Hyundai Tucson is one of the most versatile family SUVs on sale today, thanks to its combination of practicality, frugality and interior quality.
Drivers can select their Tucson with a choice of petrol or hybridised engines, all based around the brand's tried and tested 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The range starts with 157bhp, rising up to 252bhp in the plug-in hybrid, which offers up to 39 miles of electric-only range.
But the jewel in the Tucson's crown is its interior, which is close to best-in-class. It's full of premium-feel materials, plus there's plenty of space in the front and the back for most passengers.
Add to that a 616-litre boot and you've got yourself a very usable family SUV indeed.
Read our Hyundai Tucson review
Best for: Value
Making the step into the dog-eat-dog C-segment was a big deal for Dacia, but they needn’t have worried, because the Bigster that arrived last year stayed true to the brand's values with practicality, economy and affordability at its core.
Rear accommodation is good enough for adults, and the 677-litre boot is bigger than that of rivals like the Kia Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan.
The standard mild-hybrid petrol 140 model is natural to drive, cheaper than the full hybrid and almost as economical – and it’s cheap, too, costing from around £25,000.
If you’re doing the odd bit of off-roading, the inbound Hybrid-G 4×4 is the ideal choice for those who plan to tap into the Bigster’s rugged vibe.
Read our Dacia Bigster review
Best for: Engine selection
The BMW X3 was given an extensive overhaul at the end of 2024, bringing with it a new design and some powertrain updates.
Thankfully, it's still one of the better SUVs in terms of driving dynamics, with a direct attitude and bags of grip. That said, it has compromised some of its comfort this time around, with a fidgety ride and a distinct firmness on UK Tarmac.
The X3's strengths are found in its performance. A selection of 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines are available (the latter with mild-hybrid assistance), while a plug-in hybrid offers 50-56 miles of electric-only range and 295bhp. The powerful X3 M50 tops the range with 393bhp.
BMW's family SUV is packed with technology with some physical controls, but it's also a bit confusing and fidgety to use. Regardless, it's still a nice place to sit with plenty of space in both the front and rear.
Read our BMW X3 review
Best for: Refinement
The Volvo XC40 has been a real success in the UK. It first went on sale in 2017, but to this day it sports a charismatic and alluring design that looks great compared to many other blander family SUVs.
Its good looks continue on the inside. The XC40 offers a refined cabin with genuine richness, quality, usability and comfort.
It's fair to say, though, that the XC40 isn't the most practical family car out there, with a 452-litre boot and a cramped rear.
Read our Volvo XC40 review
Best for: All-round ability
The Kia Sportage is one of the most popular family SUVs – and one of the most popular cars in general – on sale in the UK.
It's easy to see why the model is a routine finisher in the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) top 10 sales charts.
The Sportage is versatile, practical and frugal to run and, while it's not the largest car in the class, there's room for five inside.
Powertrains consist of a handful of hybrids, including a 1.6-litre T-GDi turbo petrol with a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
A plug-in hybrid with a 13.8kWh battery and a 45-mile all-electric range is also on the way.
Read our Kia Sportage review
Choosing the right family SUV means looking past core qualities like economy, efficiency and practicality and instead nailing down the key attributes a family hauler must offer in order to maximise its usability.
Determine your seating and space needs
Why it matters: Buying more car than you need adds weight and cost; buying too little leads to immediate regret.
Powertrain and mileage
Why it matters: The most efficient car on paper might be the most expensive for your specific lifestyle.
Practicality and ease of use
Why it matters: A family SUV that has a practical but versatile interior makes carrying kids and clobber much easier.
Safety first
Why it matters: Family cars carry your most precious cargo.
Do you actually need a family SUV?
You should buy a family SUV if:
You shouldn’t buy a family SUV if you want an engaging car to drive and prefer to sit closer to the road. A traditional hatchback or estate will suit your needs better than an SUV.
When reviewing family SUVs, we look for cars that offer an all-rounded package. The best family SUVs must balance the morning commute and school run, with the demands of long-distance holiday trips, all while maintaining manageable running costs.
Here’s what we assessed:
Practicality and versatility
We measured leg room and head room across all rows and while taking into account ease of access to the third row in seven-seat models. We assessed boot capacity with various seating configurations, testing how easily they swallow large, bulky items. We also looked out for smaller wins, such clever storage space, a sliding rear bench and an electric tailgate.
Real-world efficiency and performance
Whether petrol, diesel or hybrid, we measured real-world fuel economy (MPG) and efficiency (mpkWh) across motorways and urban environments. Ride quality is paramount, hence we tested each SUV’s ability to iron out potholes and imperfections while maintaining good body control, despite their higher center of gravity.
Safety and driver assistance
We looked at visibility from the driver’s seat, ensuring larger vehicles were easy to park and maneuver in tight school zones. We also assessed the effectiveness of ADAS software, while taking into account how easy it is to turn off.
Interior quality and technology
We tested infotainment responsiveness, ensuring Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration is seamless and that physical controls for climate and volume are intuitive enough to use on the move.
There’s a vast choice of models for those looking for a sensible, useable family car. SUVs are extremely popular for good reason: the lofty seating position means plugging in child seats is easy, the boot lip is great for sitting on to change muddy boots and the square shape of most SUVs means there’s usually plenty of interior space.
The tall stance of most SUVs means there’s a commanding view ahead, which isn’t just beneficial for the driver; kids are less likely to get car sick, and the dog should be able to see out, too.
In a word: yes. MPVs were once a familiar sight on the road, but aside from a few models derived from vans, there aren’t many left at all. Conversely, the SUV market continues to go from strength to strength: they’re desirable, increasingly good to drive, and the raised ride height frees up some very convenient space for manufacturers to store batteries as the world moves towards full electrification.
If there is a drawback, it’s that unashamedly boxy MPVs are – or were – often the last word in interior space and practicality.
To a lot of people the terms SUV and crossover are interchangeable. And the actual definition varies depending on which part of the world you are from. In the UK, the term crossover generally refers to a car-like SUV rather than something that looks or feels that little bit more rugged. A Peugeot 2008 might be referred to as either a crossover or a small (or compact) SUV.
SUV stands for Sports Utility Vehicle. The acronym has been used for decades, but only really came into common usage in the UK in the late 1990s. The term replaced the ‘soft roader’ tag given to models like the Toyota RAV4 or Suzuki Vitara, and as models became more road-focused, largely replaced the term ‘off-roader’, too.
SUVs are the stylish face of practicality. They mostly blend car-like driving dynamics in a practical bodystyle. Many drivers like the rugged looks, four-wheel drive and increased rode height because it endows – or appears to endow – the vehicle with a little more off-road ability, even if drivers will rarely leave the tarmac. SUVs are great for families and those who need a little more utility than a hatchback or estate car can provide. Sporty dynamics aside, they’re excellent all-rounders.
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Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website.
He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport.
Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.
Fifty percent of this list is completely absurd. The Sportage, Tuscon, Kuga, and Tiguan aren’t going to be available? car gamesUsed, financed, or bought outright, these vehicles are far more inexpensive!Based on my personal observations of roadside failures and reports from press and studies, I would contend that the list above gets even weaker when considering the ongoing quality and reliability difficulties with Land Rover, Audi, and BMW.
Thnaks for sharing.
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50% of this list is total nonsense. What, so hang on, no Sportage, Tuscon, Kuga or Tiguan????
These cars are way, way more affordable as used, financed, outright !
Given the constant quality/reliability issues with Audi, BMW and Land Rover (my own roadside failure observations and press reports/studies) I would argue the list above becomes even more weak ?!
Just sayin’
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