THE NEXT CLASS UP
Take the kids and a couple of schoolmates in these safe and spacious wagons
As beach towels and boogie boards make way for lunch boxes and textbooks at the end of a hot summer holiday, families can find themselves questioning whether Mum or Dad’s taxi can cop another year of school drop-offs. Families can outgrow their cars the way teens outgrow shoes. If you’re looking to trade up — or you concede the hot hatch you were clinging on to isn’t up to family duties — here are our back-to-school options.
COMPACT SEVEN-SEATERS
Cramming seven into a mid-sized SUV can involve some creative packaging, not all of which works well for those relegated to the third row. And you’ll have to pack carefully if all seven seats are in play. But they’re suited to one or two-kid families who do the taxi work for friends on weekends.
VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN ALLSPACE, FROM $41,990
In Allspace form, VW’s mid-sized SUV not only gains extra seats but the front and rear wheels are stretched further apart and the body is 215mm longer. That third row has airbag coverage but no tether points or air vents, though the sliding middle row can modestly extend legroom. Great to drive, too, with crisp dynamics and turbo engines (2.0 is the pick).
SKODA KODIAQ, FROM $47,990
The Kodiaq shares the Tiguan’s quality drive (Skoda is owned by VW) but has a wider body.
There’s genuine thoughtfulness, from umbrellas in the doors and retractable blinds to the tablet holders and door protectors that pop out to cover painted edges. Child locks operated from the driver’s seat are a bonus.
NISSAN X-TRAIL SEVEN-SEAT, FROM $36,190
It’s all value in the X-Trail, which loads plenty in for the circa-$36K ask — opt for the ST-L (with blind spot warning, leather, satnav, heated front seats and more), There are sharper deals for now, from $42,390 for the seven-seat. There’s no four-wheel drive and the curtain airbags don’t cover the third row. As with rivals, there’s no aircon for the back row.
HONDA CR-V, FROM $38,300
The 1.5-litre engine delivers decent grunt