Erin Baker: Top 10 seven‑seaters to buy this year

But it turns out it’s not as depressing as all that. Take the Ford S-Max; it might look like a dull MPV, but it drives like a composed saloon. Take the Volvo XC90: it might look like a tank, but the interior is something out of a luxury hotel. And then you have the forthcoming seven-seat version of the Bentley Bentayga: performance, unparalleled luxury and power.

Here’s our pick of the top seven-seaters to buy this year: believe me, with four boys aged 4-9, I’ve put them properly to the test.

Mercedes GLS: from £69,110

This is the daddy of them all. It is absolutely vast: the third row of occupants are in a different postcode, or, as my 6ft 1in boyfriend said, when he sat comfortably in the furthest reaches, “You could be in two separate accidents in this car”. Not that you would: it’s built like Fort Knox. Room for seven adults and still enough boot space for the weekly shop.

Hyundai Santa Fe: from £25,850

The above price is for the five-seat version; I’ve been running a £39,000 seven-seat version for a few months and it’s still a bargain at that price, kitted up with heated steering wheel and seats, automatic parking and more. 

Volvo XC90: from £45,550

Perhaps the ideal combo, certainly for a large family with no off-roading pretensions. A luxurious interior, comfy ride and great huge touchscreen tablet to control all the functions, including Apple CarPlay. Gigantic wheels and rubbish turning circle but hey ho.

Land Rover Discovery: from £43,495

The new design has proved contentious, but you can’t argue about its capabilities. This huge SUV is still the king of off-roading, as we discovered in Utah, and now has a more upmarket interior that takes it close to Range Rover territory.

Bentley Bentayga: from £160,200-plus

The seven-seat version is on its way, with price to be confirmed but the above is what you’ll pay for a four- or five-seat version, and if you really need to know the difference, this isn’t the car for you. Just think though: seven seats and capable of 187mph.

Ford S-Max: from £24,545

This was the original driver’s MPV and still holds the crown for the most dynamically gifted seven-seater on the road. The chassis belies its footprint and the steering is razor sharp. Full of clever storage options, as an MPV should be.

Land Rover Discovery Sport: from £31,095

Yes, two Discos on this list, but for two different buyers. The first gives you far more luxury at a greater price, but we rather like the incredibly small footprint of the Disco Sport, which gives you a seven-seater that you can actually park easily in town.

Audi SQ7: from £71,000

Bentayga or this? They use the same clever 48V system in the chassis which means hardly any lateral roll, and that 4.0-litre V8 gives you 664lb ft of torque. That should shut the children up. Smart and fast.

Tesla Model X: from £72,280

Undoubtedly the cleverest car on the list. Is it an SUV? Or something out of Thunderbirds? The Falcon dihedral doors lift high like arched wings to reveal a pristine white leather interior with three rows of thin, sculpted seats. That electric powertrain gives you about 250 miles and the P100D version gives you supercar performance, making this the world’s fastest SUV.

Renault Grand Scenic: £23,375

We love the Grand Scenic. The new version is a handsome SUV, and the interior is smart, clever and fun, with different colour LED bars for different modes of driving, and black ribbed fabric seats that look like a technical fibre. The 1.3-litre diesel with the manual box is an excellent choice.