Question 1

Medium SUVs

Accepted Answer

There are some fantastic mid-size SUVs for families but in this category those with three rows of seats tend to be what are called 5+2 seaters (five-seat SUVs that are available with an extra two seats in the third row). This makes them a flexible option for occasional third-row use in blended families or for when the grandparents visit, in a more compact and often more affordable package.

Models with side curtain airbags covering all three rows of seats include the Honda CR-V, Volkswagen Tayron and Skoda Kodiaq.

Honda CR-V

Models with side curtain airbags covering all three rows of seats include the Honda CR-V, Volkswagen Tayron and Skoda Kodiaq.

Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is available with five or seven seats. The seven-seat VTi L7 and VTi X variants have 11 airbags including curtain airbags extending to the last row and the five-seat models have nine airbags and curtain airbags for rows one and two only.

My testing has found the five-seat Honda CR-V to be a great car for tall families, although with all seven seats in use, it’s a little more cramped. For installing child seats, there are top tether anchorages for all three second-row positions and ISOFIX points in the outer two but none in the third row. However, the central top tether anchorage is in the ceiling above the third-row passengers’ heads, which can compromise comfort and visibility. If you need three child seats, it’s also worth considering that you would have to remove one of them in order to access the third row.

The CR-V has a five-star ANCAP rating and a scoring of 88 per cent for both child and adult occupant protection.

Skoda Kodiaq

The Skoda Kodiaq is a neat and tidy seven-seat SUV for families. It just fits three child seats across the second-row seats using the top tether anchorages on the back of each of the seats and the ISOFIX points in the two outer seats. There are no top tether anchors in the optional third row seats so you can’t install child seats back there.

The Kodiaq has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 87 per cent for child occupant protection and 89 per cent for adult occupant protection. It also has nine airbags including side curtain airbags that extend to the third row.

Volkswagen Tayron

The seven-seat Volkswagen Tayron replaces the Tiguan Allspace. In the second row are top tether anchorages for all three seats and ISOFIX in the two outer positions. There are no top tether anchors in the third row seats so you can’t install child seats back there.

The Tayron has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 87 per cent for both child and adult occupant protection. It has nine airbags, including side curtain airbags that extend to the third row.

Question 2

Large SUVs

Accepted Answer

There’s an abundance of large SUVs with third-row airbags to suit various budgets and lifestyles whether you are looking for an EV, hybrid, plug-in-hybrid, a capable off-roader, strong tow vehicle or suburban runaround for the school drop offs.

If you are looking for a car to comfortably fit your large family, some are more spacious than others and certain models have great third-row access even with multiple child seats installed.

The BYD Sealion 8, Denza B8, Ford Everest, GWM Tank 500, Hyundai IONIQ 9, Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Santa Fe, Isuzu MU-X, Kia EV9, LDV D90, Mazda CX-80, Mazda CX-90, MG QS, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Patrol, Peugeot 5008, Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Kluger, Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Toyota LandCruiser Prado all have third-row airbags.

For those looking for a luxury SUV, the Audi Q7, BMW X7, Genesis GV80, Land Rover Defender 130, Land Rover Discovery, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Lexus LX, Mercedes-Benz EQB/GLB, Mercedes-Benz GLE (seven-seat version), Volvo EX90 and Volvo XC90 all have third-row airbags.

Here are a few family favourites:

Ford Everest

If you’re looking for a family SUV that can also take you off-road or tow at the weekends and do the school run, the Ford Everest makes a fantastic seven-seat family car.

The Everest has one of the highest ANCAP safety ratings for its class, scoring 93 per cent for child occupant protection and 86 per cent for adult occupant protection. It has nine airbags, including third-row curtain airbags.

In the back there are ISOFIX in the two outer second-row seats and top tether anchorages for all five rear seats. Five child seats will fit in the back of the Everest, although if you want daily access to the third-row seats you’ll need to only have two child seats in the second row.

Hyundai Palisade

The Hyundai Palisade makes a fantastic seven- or eight-seater car for families. It is overflowing with family friendly features – it even has “Baby Drive Mode” and built in white noise to help get your little ones to sleep!

It also comes with built-in rear window blinds, easy-to-reach cup holders in the rear doors and plenty of clever storage areas, plus charging ports throughout.

The eight-seat model has top tether anchorages for five of the six rear seats and ISOFIX for four of them. It fits three child seats across the second row and two in the third row.

Replacing the second-row bench with two captain’s chairs, the seven-seat Palisade has ISOFIX and top tether anchorages on four of the five rear seats, so will fit four child seats (one in each of the captain’s chairs and two in the third row).

Legroom is ample across all rows for a 186cm tall driver in front of a rear facing child seat and third-row access is excellent, even in the eight-seater with three child seats installed across the second row – provided those in the outer seats are secured using ISOFIX rather than the seatbelts.

The Palisade has eight airbags as standard along with a five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 86 per cent for child occupant protection and 84 per cent for adult occupants.

Mazda CX-80

The CX-80 is a fantastic six- or seven-seater for families, providing a great combination of practicality and flexibility in a nice-looking car with an elegant interior plus the option of a fuel-saving plug-in hybrid version.

All second and third row seats have top tether anchorages and the outer second-row seats (or captain’s chairs in the six-seater) have ISOFIX, giving you flexibility when configuring your child seats around the cabin. You can also comfortably fit a passenger between two child seats in the second row of the seven-seat versions.

Mazda has also made it easy to access the third row of the CX-80 with child seats installed in the second row (using ISOFIX rather than seatbelts).

The CX-80 has 10 airbags, including curtain airbags that cover all three rows. It has a five-star ANCAP rating, scoring 87 per cent for child occupant protection and 92 per cent for adult occupant protection.