The Best of Seven Seat Vehicle Designs

Large Family cars have come a long way since the introduction of the four wheel drive. Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPVs), Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and Crossovers are now commonplace across America and Europe, with increasingly innovative designs and features.

From the economy Fiat Doblo Family to the luxurious BMW X5, customers are spoilt for choice. When buying a car, keeping the cost within budget is often an overriding factor. Similarly, safety and fuel efficiency influence the choice of vehicle. The appeal for many motorists who purchase large family cars is the additional space they provide. Seven seater cars are available in a number of designs, and can prove invaluable to families with more than four passengers.

Leg Room

Many vehicles now come with a third row of seats at the rear, which can be folded away when they are not needed. Often, the extra seating creates restricted leg room. The Toyota 4Runner, for example, provides only 24 inches of leg room in the third row. If the extra seating is used for child passengers then this may not be a problem, but for adults the design may fall short on comfort. By comparison, vehicles such as the Ford Expedition allow around 38 inches of leg room. Especially where long car journeys are concerned, this can prove to be a significant difference.

Flexibility

Modern car manufacturers search for flexibility in their designs. The benefit of a third row of seating is that it can be disassembled or installed according to the requirements of the customer. In older models this often involved folding the seats to the internal sides of the vehicle to create a storage space in the centre. Today, a much wider range of options is available. The 2011 Honda Odyssey allows third row seating to be folded into the floor of the car for maximum space efficiency. Also, the seats can be folded away separately should a combination of cargo and passengers need transporting.

Accessibility

Another problem facing owners of seven seater vehicles is accessibility. In some cases, access to the third row of seating is very limited, and can involve clambering over the middle row. In other cases, access is provided via the boot of the car where the height is sufficient. The new Chevrolet Captiva provides an alternative solution. The 7 seater 4x4provides three seats on the third row and two in the middle row, providing access through the centre of the vehicle. Another factor to consider is the side door. This may be on either or both sides of the vehicle and most models opt for a sliding mechanism that makes it easier to exit the car.

With a wide range of models and car deals on the market, seven seater vehicles are more affordable than in the past. The competition between manufacturers is fierce and cars that provide leg room, flexibility and accessibility demonstrate successful, innovative design.