Australian families are drawn to many different types of car, from hatchbacks and wagons to small, medium and large seven-seat SUVs. Across hybrid, EV and conventional engines, here’s our best family cars to test drive in 2025.
Motoring
Australia’s best large SUVs and 7-seaters of 2025
Large SUVs and seven-seat wagons undertake a variety of duties in Australia, from family transport to long-distance touring, towing and off-road adventure. Here are the best large SUVs to test drive in 2025 across all budgets and hybrid, EV, petrol and diesel powertrains.
Large SUVs and those with seven or more seats are the preferred choice as family and recreational vehicles for so many Australians.
Whereas once this was a niche category largely devoted to 4x4 wagons designed for off-road adventure, the new breed has branched out to appeal to a much broader range of buyers – in the city, the suburbs and the bush.
Go shopping for a large SUV these days and you could be contemplating everything from two-wheel drive vehicles trying to emulate the easy driving manners of a passenger car to luxury machines, hard-core off-roaders, towing and touring wagons and even city-focused EVs. Among these are hybrids, diesels and petrol-powered models and a price spread that caters to most budgets.
To help you narrow them down, here are the best large SUVs and seven-seat wagons available today.
Best large SUVs and 7-seaters in Australia
The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid combines striking looks with lots of cabin space, quality, practicality, and economy.
Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
If you want to stand out, the new 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe does it nicely with its bold styling. Instead of curves and generic shapes, Hyundai has opted for sharper edges and some retro-infused lights that give it a distinctive aesthetic.
The latest iteration of the popular Korean brand’s seven-seat, large SUV also comes with more room inside. While the third row is best left to kids, the first and second rows provide ample sprawling space and come with some cleverness in the storage and attention to detail. For example, cupholders are plentiful and the floating centre console hides a handy bag compartment lower down.
The Hyundai Santa Fe also represents solid value, priced from $53,000 plus on-road costs ($58,306.89 driveaway in Victoria) and coming with dual 12.3-inch screens and over-the-air software updates, as well as quality finishes throughout.
A 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine has just joined the line-up, but the more frugal 1.6-litre turbo petrol-electric hybrid makes plenty of sense courtesy of claimed fuel consumption of just 5.6L/100km. It’s a smooth and refined unit that isn’t as muscular as some but easily shifts the Santa Fe’s sizeable body. Crisp on-road manners add to this SUV’s talents and counter the relatively firm, but well-controlled, ride quality.
More: Hyundai Santa Fe review
More: Australia’s best family cars of 2025
Toyota LandCruiser Prado
It was a long time coming, but the new 2025 Toyota LandCruiser Prado 250 Series has finally arrived, introducing rugged good looks that speak to its 4x4 off-road prowess. While Prado has always been immensely capable in rough terrain, this fourth-generation model steps it up with even smarter electronics and fantastic wheel articulation to help clamber over just about anything.
The familiar 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine also benefits from a new eight-speed automatic transmission that makes for crisper responses. Combined with a new steering system and improved refinement, the mechanical overhaul makes for a more comfortable and composed SUV on bitumen.
As before, the Prado is available in a range of model variants, all of which have stepped up in price. Thankfully, the entry-level GX isn’t as basic as it used to be, with smart key entry, dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning and blind spot warning all part of a package, which starts from $72,500 plus on-road costs ($78,522 driveaway in Victoria).
A new off-road-focused Altitude variant (from $92,700 plus on-roads) provides a stepping stone to the luxurious Kakadu (from $99,990). While it shares its core platform with the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, the new Prado doesn’t have an abundance of interior space, in part due to the rather high boot floor.
More: Toyota LandCruiser Prado 250 Series preview
More: The best cars for towing a caravan
The Nissan X-Trail is one of the best three-row medium SUVs in Australia and impresses with its comfort and composure on the road.
Nissan X-Trail 7-seater
Medium-sized SUVs have traditionally accommodated five people, but a handful pack in a third row to take the seating capacity to seven. The 2025 Nissan X-Trail is among the best of those options, providing the same body but with a pair of kid-ready seats behind the spacious two rows up front.
Seven-seat Nissan X-Trail models come exclusively with an all-wheel drive system, with prices starting from $40,790 plus on-road costs ($45,420 driveaway in Victoria). There’s a basic level of gear for that money, including an 8.0-inch touchscreen for the entry-level ST, but once you step up to the higher-series N-Trek (from $51,640 plus on-roads) it comes with a more convincing 12.3-inch infotainment unit, heated front seats and faux leather trim.
The excellent e-Power hybrid system isn’t available in seven-seat models, leaving the ageing 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the only option. It dishes up respectable performance but is forced to work hard with a load on board. That said, the X-Trail is comfortable and composed on the road, making for an easy mid-size SUV that has the handy addition of a third row of seats.
More: Nissan X-Trail review
More: Australia’s best medium SUVs of 2024
The Hyundai Palisade offers eight seats and is packed with luxury features in the range-topping Calligraphy Black Ink model pictured here.
Hyundai Palisade
The largest SUV in Hyundai’s stable, the 2025 Hyundai Palisade has one big advantage over many rivals: it’s available with eight seats. In a market rich in seven-seat options, it makes for a tempting alternative, priced from $66,800 plus on-road costs ($72,686.20 driveaway in Victoria).
Even as a seven-seater the Palisade is a luxurious option, complete with two individual captain’s chairs in the middle row. As an eight-seater it gets three seats in each of the second and third rows.
At the top of the range, the Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink also gets a digital rearview mirror (so heads or cargo don’t obscure the view) and a remote parking system that allows the car to be remotely controlled in and out of tight spots directly from the key fob. Sumptuous Nappa leather upholstery and high-quality finishes throughout also help justify the price tag, which climbs as high as $81,719 (plus on-roads).
The lusty V6 petrol engine available on the Palisade may have the power advantage on paper, but it’s the four-cylinder turbo-diesel that is better suited to the car and also brings all-wheel drive.
More: Hyundai Palisade review
Solid ute-based underpinnings and undeniable value for money have served the Isuzu MU-X well over many years.
Isuzu MU-X
It’s all about value with the 2025 Isuzu MU-X, which is among a group of popular large SUVs that are closely related to a dual-cab ute (in this case, the Isuzu D-Max).
While the MU-X covers the basics in terms of equipment – including available leather trim and ambient lighting as you step through the model range – it’s the solid underpinnings that appeal most.
Priced from $47,400 plus on-road costs for the entry-level LS-M rear-drive variant with 1.9-litre turbo-diesel engine ($52,326 driveaway in Victoria), it’s a relatively affordable way to get into a seven-seater designed to tow a caravan or trailer and devour rough roads. The more muscular 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel is gruff but effective, quickly delivering its torque peak in the lower rev range where it’s needed.
The MU-X can tow up to 3500kg with the 3.0-litre engine, but 1.9-litre models are limited to 3000kg. The smaller engine is fine around town but has shorter gear ratios that don’t work as well on the open road. And while the driving manners are thoroughly acceptable, the MU-X doesn’t have the polish and driving refinement of pricier rivals.
More: Isuzu MU-X review
The Australian-developed Ford Everest is a great long-distance tourer and has a roomy, versatile and comfortable cabin.
Ford Everest
The 2025 Ford Everest is about as Australian as cars get now that we import everything. Along with the closely related Ford Ranger ute, the Everest was designed and engineered Down Under.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, that local input has created an SUV that deals admirably with country roads and patchy gravel. The Everest disposes of big bumps with little fuss but also delivers on comfort and a sense of solidity and security. It’s a great long-distance tourer, with good refinement, especially if you opt for the 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine. The V6 easily shifts the large SUV body while having extra in reserve for towing and overtaking.
The Everest’s cabin is well laid out and has good space throughout. The ability to fit child seats in the third row, thanks to the inclusion of top tether strap points, is a win that not all rivals can match.
Pricing kicks off at $54,420 plus on-road costs ($60,647 driveaway in Victoria) for the rear-drive Ambiente model that’s more about towing and family transport than heading off-road. An extra $5000 gets you into a four-wheel drive model that has impressive credentials beyond the blacktop. The Sport (from $63,740 plus on-roads) is nicely positioned at the middle ground, while the V6-only Platinum (from $81,200) has quilted leather upholstery and extra trinkets that add to the everyday comfort.
More: Ford Everest review
More: Australia’s best utes of 2025
The V8-powered Nissan Patrol can be a thirsty beast, but does a great job accommodating eight occupants and devouring road miles across Australia.
Nissan Patrol
It’s getting on in age, but the big 2025 Nissan Patrol delivers a huge cabin that easily accommodates big families. Priced from $88,900 plus on-road costs ($98,122 driveaway in Victoria), the entry-level Patrol Ti is a lot of car for the money, right down to its eight-seat capacity. The more luxurious Ti-L seats seven.
The Nissan Patrol’s cabin comfortably fits adults in any seating position, while a recent update brought a new 10.1-inch central infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Some other elements of the current Y62-generation Patrol are showing their age – the analogue instrument cluster and wood-look trim, for example – however the more off-road-focused (and locally developed) Nissan Patrol Warrior comes with darker trim elements for a more modern look.
The Patrol’s 5.6-litre V8 slurps plenty of petrol – the manufacturer’s claimed consumption is 14.4L/100km and it’s easy to use more than that – but it’s a responsive powerplant that suits the character of the wagon. And despite its hefty 2.8-tonne body, independent suspension with some fancy hydraulics to reduce leaning in corners does a good job of controlling it all.
Plus, the Patrol is impressive in rough terrain, easily traversing tough tracks or trudging over sand.
More: Nissan Patrol review
The Volkswagen Touareg is a relative bargain compared to other large luxury SUVs, including in the sporty R PHEV guise shown here.
Volkswagen Touareg
The 2025 Volkswagen Touareg is strictly a five-seater but offers supreme comfort and lashings of luxury within its large SUV body. Despite wearing a mainstream badge, the Touareg is brimming with features, including clever matrix LED headlights that can illuminate pedestrians and individual lanes. There’s also real leather and wood trim and vibrant display screens spreading across the dash.
You pay for such great panache, of course, with Touareg prices starting from $87,430.85 plus on-road costs ($99,248 driveaway in Victoria). By the same token, it’s a relative bargain compared to swankier rivals.
Sharing its core architecture with much fancier models – think Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne – the VW Touareg also delivers on the driving experience. It’s supremely quiet and refined and with available air suspension smothers bumps in the road beautifully.
It’s competent, too, and the V6 turbo-diesel engine has muscle where it’s needed for effortless large SUV motoring. That’s true across the range, but the Touareg R PHEV, with its mighty plug-in hybrid powertrain, raises the bar even higher.
More: Volkswagen Touareg review
More: Australia's best hybrid and PHEV cars, SUVs and utes of 2024
The Kia EV9 is one of the most impressive battery-electric large SUVs on the market, aided by its EV underpinnings that help maximise interior space.
Kia EV9
Kia’s largest car is also one of its most impressive, although it comes at a price. The battery-electric 2025 Kia EV9 kicks off at $97,000 plus on-road costs ($106,378.45 driveaway in Victoria), thrusting it firmly into luxury car territory.
For that money, you get an impressive EV with terrific performance. Even the single-motor EV9 Air is nicely responsive, while the dual-motor models, which produce an impressive 283kW of power and 700Nm of torque, offer outstanding acceleration. What’s more, the EV9 backs it up with a beautiful blend of everyday comfort and driving enjoyment.
Being based on a dedicated EV architecture means the EV9 maximises interior space, with a flat floor that translates to excellent foot room in whichever of the seven seats you’re situated.
While the cabin’s plastic trim and recycled materials don’t quite live up to the luxury price tag, a suitably long equipment list makes it easier to digest. Standard equipment on all models includes a heated steering wheel, powered tailgate and heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats.
More: Kia EV9 review
More: Australia’s best electric cars and SUVs of 2024
The BMW X5 has maintained its reputation as one of the best large luxury SUVs over 25 years in Australia, including with this current fourth generation.
BMW X5
There’s no shortage of excellent large SUVs at the luxury end of the market, most of which are moving up in price compared to just a few years ago. The 2025 BMW X5 is no different, with prices kicking off at $134,900 plus on-road costs ($153,106 driveaway in Victoria).
Fortunately, the X5 is well specified for the money, with standard equipment including ambient interior lighting, a powered tailgate, very convincing faux leather upholstery and a curved instrument cluster that blends into the central infotainment unit. And the attention to detail in the cabin – from clear screens and sensible controls to upmarket materials and quality plastic trim – helps justify the splurge.
Beautifully supportive front seats and decent rear seat space add to the functionality and liveability, although the third row is best left to little folk. The X5 is also among the best-driving SUVs on the market, some of BMW’s trademark sportiness shining through in the way it moves through corners.
The X5’s choice of inline six-cylinder turbocharged engines – either a hearty diesel or silky petrol – and beautifully calibrated eight-speed auto transmissions add to the driving experience.
More: The best used cars and SUVs in Australia under $50,000
Far more than a 'Prado wearing Prada', the Lexus GX550 is luxurious, refined and talented both on-road and off the beaten track.
Lexus GX550
While it owes plenty to the Toyota LandCruiser Prado beneath the skin, the 2025 Lexus GX550 has a very Lexus flavour inside, even with imitation leather that does a great job of looking like the real deal. Plenty of pixels cement the tech side of the equation but there’s also good functionality with buttons and dials, making the GX an easy car to cruise in.
A hearty 260kW 3.5-litre V6 turbocharged petrol engine goes against the diesel norm but suits the character of the large luxury SUV that’s priced from $116,000 plus on-road costs ($131,178 driveaway in Victoria). While the engine’s not particularly frugal – the GX550 consumes a claimed 12.3L/100km – it’s punchy and effective. The GX also delivers on refinement and backs it up with nicely sorted on-road dynamics.
As with the rival Land Rover Defender, the Lexus GX is designed to get down and dirty, with proper off-road hardware beneath the skin. And with an off-road-focused Overtrail model stepping up the capability (from $122,250 plus on-roads), there’s ample talent on offer in tough terrain.
All of which adds up to a versatile large family SUV with a broad ability.
More: The best used cars, SUVs and utes in Australia under $30,000
The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.
