Which family cars are best for child seats?

We know children are in child seats for at least seven years in Australia, so we need our family cars to be able to accommodate them for at least that long – and that’s if we only have one child.

If you have two, three, four or more children then you are looking at 10 to 15 years or more where child seats will be a large part of your everyday life.

It is naive to think this is only something that will affect your use of the car while they are tiny babies; get settled in for at least 7-20 years depending on how many children you have and their age gaps!

When it comes to baby seats, there is a minefield of information, laws and rules you have to adhere to – and that’s before learning how to fit the things.

Child seats come in all shapes and sizes; there are capsules for tiny babies, or seats suitable for 0-4 years – some are even marketed as suitable for 0-8 years – in forward-facing, rear-facing (and those that can convert between the two) as well as booster seats. It’s a lot to take on board.

The practicality of car interiors changes once you add baby seats to them. During the time your babies are rear-facing, some cars do not leave not enough legroom for the driver or front passenger to sit in the front.

If you have more than one infant, is there enough space in the rear seats to fit two or three child seats across? Or two child seats and another passenger?

All cars in Australia must have top tether anchorages for child seats to attach to and most now have ISOFIX anchors that are compatible with a lot of child seats.

Some car manufacturers have started to accommodate the needs of families and child seats really thoughtfully.

As a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au, I have tested child seats in hundreds of cars over the past seven years with my family, using a broad range of Infasecure child seats. So I definitely know great family cars for child seats when I see them!

Here’s my pick of hatches, SUVs and people-movers that are the best for child seats…

Hatches

With a 410km battery range, the fully electric BYD Dolphin small hatch makes a surprisingly good little family car. It even has some interesting interior design flourishes like the fin-shaped door handles and media screen that rotates from portrait to landscape.

The Dolphin has ISOFIX in the two outer rear seats and top-tether anchorages in the seat backs for all three rear seats. Three child seats fit across in the back nicely.

Legroom is good in the Dolphin and the rear footwell is flat. With a rear-facing child seat installed, a 180cm driver can sit in front. With forward-facing child seats a 186cm driver can fit in front.

An all-round good fully electric hatch for families, the MG MG4 ticks a lot of boxes. The battery range is from 405km to 590km depending on your family’s lifestyle and budget.

We drove an MG4 with our family for several months and it was perfect for our clan of four.

There are ISOFIX in the two outer rear seats and three top-tether anchorages. We travelled with two child seats permanently installed in the back but added a third child seat when we had friends’ children staying.

Legroom is good with a flat rear footwell and a 180cm driver can fit in front of a rear-facing child seat, or a 186cm-plus driver in front of a forward-facing child seat.

Small SUVs

The new and very affordable Mahindra 3XO is a surprising small SUV with heaps of interior space. The rear seats are large and flat based with ISOFIX in the two outer seats and top-tether anchorages in the back of all three rear seats.

For families that need three child seats daily, or even just when friends or relatives are visiting, the 3XO can comfortably fit them in the back in a couple of configurations: two forward facing and a rear facing or three forward facing.

The rear footwell is flat, so there is plenty of room for passengers to access their seats. With a rear-facing infant capsule installed in the back, a 180cm driver can fit in the front, which is better legroom than a lot of medium and large SUVs.

Suzuki’s newest small SUV, the Fronx, is another surprising one when it comes to interior space.

With ISOFIX in the two outer seats and top-tether anchorages in the back of all three rear seat backs, a trio of child seats fits nicely. With a rear-facing child seat installed behind the driver, a relatively tall adult can sit in the front.

The Fronx is a very affordable little SUV with a starting price of less than $30,000. It also features funky exterior styling and a fun, dynamic drive.

A solid and sturdy small SUV, the Skoda Kamiq has a smooth, grown-up driving feel unlike many other cars this size.

In the back it has ISOFIX in the two outer seats and top-tether anchorages in the back of all three seatbacks. Three child seats fit across the rear seats – it’s a snug fit, but I managed to get three forward-facing or two forward-facing and a rear-facing child seat, which is impressive for a car of this size.

Legroom is not quite as generous as the Mahindra and Suzuki, with space for a 170cm driver in front of a rear-facing child seat or, if you have forward-facing child seats in the back, a 180cm driver can fit in front.

Medium SUVs

The Honda CR-V is a very spacious medium SUV that I find is well-suited to tall families.

In the second-row seats there are ISOFIX in the two outer seats and top-tether anchorages in the seatbacks of the two outer seats as well. The central seat top tether is in the ceiling above the boot space.

Three child seats fit nicely across the second row and even with a rear-facing child seat in the second row a 186cm driver can sit up front.

Honda also sells a seven-seat CR-V, although, in the latest version the two third-row seats do not have top-tether anchorages or ISOFIX points so you can’t install a child seat in the third row. It gives you the option for extra seating when grandparents visit, though.

The Nissan X-Trail e-Power hybrid has instant acceleration and feels like an EV to drive, making it stand out from other hybrid SUVs where the engine drives the wheels.

Its interior is modern and comfortable for families. The rear seats have ISOFIX in the two outer seats and top-tether anchorages in the seat backs for both the outer seats. Like the Honda, the top-tether anchorage for the central seat is in the ceiling above the boot.

Three child seats fit neatly across the second-row seats with excellent legroom. With a rear-facing child seat installed, a tall driver can sit in front of it.

The Nissan X-Trail is also available as a seven seater, although the two third-row seats do not have top-tether anchorages or ISOFIX points so you can’t install child seats back there.

Large SUVs

The CX-80 is the most affordable in Mazda’s seven-seat SUV line-up and it’s practical for families big and small.

Its rear doors open nice and wide so kids can easily access their seats and adults can comfortably lean in to do up harnesses and seatbelts. The second row has ISOFIX in the two outer seats and top-tether anchorages on the back of all three. A trio of child seats fit very comfortably across the second row, too.

There’s a pair of pews in the third row. Both seatbacks have top-tether anchorages, but there are no ISOFIX lower anchors, so you need to use the seatbelt to attach your child seats along with the top tethers. Two child seats fit comfortably in the third row.

Legroom is pretty good in the CX-80. With rear-facing child seats in the second-row and forward-facing in the third-row a 180cm driver can fit in front. Or with forward facing child seats in both rows, a tall driver fits in front.

You can’t access the third row with three child seats installed across the middle row.

The seven-seater 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe is available as a hybrid, making running this large SUV more affordable for families.

In the second row there are ISOFIX in the two outer seats and top-tether anchorages in the back of all three seats with a trio of child seats fitting very comfortably. In the two third-row seats there are ISOFIX in both and top-tether anchorages in their seatbacks. Two child seats fit nicely here.

The footwells are flat in both the second and third rows, making it easy for passengers accessing their seats but to access the third row you need to remove a child seat from the second row.

Legroom is where the Hyundai Santa Fe really excels. With a rear-facing child seat in the second row and forward-facing child seat in the third a tall driver can sit in front of them.

The fully electric, seven-seat Kia EV9 is a stand out, futuristic looking large SUV for families.

The rear seating is very practical for family life, being the only one on this list that has third-row access without parents needing to remove a child seat from the second row. If you require five child seats every day you should give this a test drive.

Second-row seats in the EV9 have ISOFIX in the two outer seats and top-tether anchorages. Three child seats fit comfortably across with wide rear door openings and flat footwells throughout. The third row seats have ISOFIX and top-tether anchorages in both, making installing two child seats easy.

Legroom is decent throughout the EV9 and with a forward-facing child seat in the third-row and a rear-facing child seat in the second-row, an 180cm driver can fit in front. Or with forward-facing child seats in both rear rows a 186cm driver can sit in front.

People Movers

The 2025 Kia Carnival is now available as a hybrid, making it even more practical for families.

Don’t let the van stigma put you off, the Carnival is a must for large families to at least test drive – and small families wanting almost unlimited storage and boot space will love it, too.

This gentle giant has six rear seats, of which there are three top-tether anchorages and ISOFIX in the second-row as well as two ISOFIX and top-tether points in the third-row seats. There’s also a lot of interior space, meaning you will easily fit five child seats in the back if you need to.

Those who only need to fit four child seats (or less) can remove the second-row central seat and create a walkway through to the third row. Otherwise, the big sliding doors make it easy to get in and out of the third row, access to which is helped by the fact you can bring the outer second-row seats forward even when they have child seats installed.

You can also turn around the central seat in the middle row so one passenger can travel facing backwards (child seats are not allowed in this position). There is no hump in the footwells so passengers can move around easily to their seats.

If you have rear-facing child seats in the second row you can fit a 182cm driver in front with either a similar-height passenger or child seat in the third row too.

The fully electric 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz makes the school run a lot more fun while being a very practical family car.

It is available as a five seater with short wheelbase or seven seater with long wheelbase (the sporty top-spec GTX is seven-seater only). Both sizes of ID. Buzz have great access with huge sliding doors, allowing you to park in tight parking spaces without the kids flinging the doors into other cars.

Flat rear footwells make moving around the cabin easy, too, and you can remove the centre console up front so you can walk through to the rear seats.

The five-seat model has three seats in the second-row with ISOFIX in the two outer pews and top-tether anchorages for all three rear seats. Three child seats fit easily across the rear seats and there’s legroom for a tall driver in front of a rear-facing child seat.

The seven-seat models add a third-row. With ISOFIX and top-tether anchorages in both seats making it a five child seat family car with heaps of legroom in all three rows.

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