With manufacturers flooding the market with their own take on the seven-seat SUV platform, buyers have more options than ever before, though it’s easy to get confused by the ever-plentiful choices in the segment.
That’s exactly what we’ll be unpacking today as we take a closer look at ten of Australia’s cheapest seven-seat SUVs on sale in 2023 to help you out with your family-friendly SUV shortlist.
Mahindra XUV 700
Starting from $36,990*
The outright winner of Australia’s cheapest seven-seat SUV currently on sale in 2023 goes to the recently-introduced Mahindra XUV 700, a package that gives buyers some serious food for thought in terms of value.
Available in two grades with a base model and a more luxurious variant on offer, the XUV 700 lacks the brand awareness that many of its rivals enjoy, though seems to target those same rivals with some major undercuts on price, outstanding features lists and a long warranty to keep buyers happy.
- Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol
- Power & Torque: 149kW/380Nm
- Fuel Economy: 8.3L/100km
- Boot Space: N/A
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Unrated
- Warranty: Seven-year/150,000km
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Request a quoteLDV D90
Starting from $38,937*
The LDV D90 is another seven-seat SUV offering outstanding value for money, with its ute-based platform lending itself to some off-road abilities and a much more versatile personality than some other affordable SUVs listed here.
Space inside the D90 is outstanding, offering a full-sized seven-seat seating experience with a decent amount of boot space with three rows standing, combined with a healthy features list and towing power up to 3100kg in the case of the D90 diesel.
- Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol & bi-turbo diesel
- Power & Torque: 165kW/350Nm (petrol) 158kW/480Nm (diesel)
- Fuel Economy: 9.1 - 10.9L/100km
- Boot Space: 343L
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star
- Warranty: Five-year/130,000km
Nissan X-Trail
Starting from $37,250*
Another one of the cheapest seven-seat SUVs on sale here in Australia comes in the form of the adventurous Nissan X-Trail, and while it’s technically a midsize SUV, there’s still a decent amount of space for families of seven.
The X-Trail comes well-equipped, even in base form, though buyers looking for seven seats will need to upgrade to the X-Trail AWD lineup in order to get three rows of seats, while there’s a hybrid engine at the top of the range for fuel-conscious buyers.
- Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
- Power & Torque: 135kW/244Nm
- Fuel Economy: 7.4 - 7.8L/100km
- Boot Space: 465L
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star
- Warranty: Five-year/unlimited-kilometre
Mitsubishi Outlander
Starting from $37,240*
On a similar note, the Mitsubishi Outlander is also classified as a midsize SUV, though there’s enough space inside the cabin for families of seven, so long as you’re planning on squeezing some small kids in the third row.
The Outlander range offers buyers a heap of value, be it the long features list or outstanding warranty coverage if you keep it serviced within the Mitsubishi network, combined with the option of a plug-in hybrid range-topper to help keep fuel bills down.
- Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
- Power & Torque: 135kW/244Nm
- Fuel Economy: 7.7 - 8.1L/100km
- Boot Space: 163L
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star
- Warranty: Five-year/100,000 extends to 10-year/200,000km
Mazda CX-8
Starting from $40,610*
Mazda’s CX-8 range offers buyers a handsome styling package both inside and out, combined with Mazda’s clever and practical layouts and a decent amount of equipment in the base model to keep Aussie buyers happy.
The CX-8 has been designed specifically for families, with its three-row cabin offering enough space for seven occupants and enough grunt from the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel for up to 2000kg of towing power with significant fuel savings over the base petrol variant, too - but you’ll have to be quick, because Mazda is wrapping up production of the CX-8 in the near future.
- Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol & 2.2-litre twin-turbo diesel.
- Power & Torque: 140kW/252Nm (petrol) 140kW/450Nm (diesel)
- Fuel Economy: 6.0 - 8.1L/100km
- Boot Space: 209L
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star
- Warranty: Five-year/unlimited-kilometre
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Starting from $44,940*
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport not only ranks as one of the cheapest seven-seat SUVs in Australia, it’s also one of the most versatile and off-road-ready packages thanks to its Triton ute underpinnings.
This gives the Pajero Sport some undeniable performance off-road while remaining smooth and user-friendly enough to confidently tick off a day’s worth of errands around town, handling seven people and towing up to 3100kg with ease.
- Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
- Power & Torque: 133kW/430Nm
- Fuel Economy: 8.0L/100km
- Boot Space: 131L
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star
- Warranty: Five-year/100,000km extends to ten-year/200,000km
Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace
Starting from $42,890*
While you might not have expected a Volkswagen to make it onto a list of the most affordable seven-seat SUVs, the seven-seat Tiguan AllSpace remains competitively priced here in Australia.
The Tiguan AllSpace’s recipe is simple yet effective - with VW taking the long-wheelbase Tiguan platform and crafting a seven-seat SUV that retains all the refined driving characteristics and premium touches we’ve come to enjoy from Volkswagen.
- Engine: Four engines available (turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel)
- Power & Torque: 110kW/250Nm - 147kW/400Nm
- Fuel Economy: 7.3 - 8.6L/100km
- Boot Space: 230L
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star
- Warranty: Five-year/unlimited-kilometre
Hyundai Santa Fe
Starting from $46,050*
Hyundai is known for its competitive pricing and its increasingly premium SUVs, and the latest Santa Fe is no different - offering a great platform for large families up to seven looking for a well-equipped family mover.
The Santa Fe can be optioned with an all-wheel drive system, though the more competitively-priced variants come powered by either a V6 petrol or turbo-diesel and a front-wheel drive layout, with the option of a fuel-efficient hybrid variant at the top of the Santa Fe range.
- Engine: Three engines available
- Power & Torque: 148kW/440Nm - 169kW/350Nm
- Fuel Economy: 6.0 - 10.5L/100km
- Boot Space: 130L
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star
- Warranty: Five-year/unlimited-kilometre
Kia Sorento
Starting from $47,650*
Kia’s largest SUV in the family, the Sorento, is yet another well-priced and extremely well-equipped seven-seat SUV package that makes light work of large families and their belongings.
Within the Sorento range, there’s a heap of variety between trim levels, and engine options, the latter of which includes a hybrid and super fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid (PHEV) engine option that increases power and drops fuel use to impressive levels for a large, seven-seat SUV.
- Engine: Four engine options
- Power & Torque: 132kW/265Nm - 195kW/350Nm
- Fuel Economy: 1.6 - 9.7L/100km
- Boot Space: 187L
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star
- Warranty: Seven-year/unlimited-kilometre
Isuzu MU-X
Starting from $48,900*
Our list wraps up with one of our favourite seven-seat SUVs, the Isuzu MU-X range, which offers a barely believable mix of off-road abilities and family-friendly touches for the money.
Underneath, the MU-X is actually a D-Max ute, which means it’s got more than enough power and the right suspension hardware to push hard off-road while dialing back down into a smooth daily driver with a heap of interior space for families of seven.
- Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
- Power & Torque: 140kW/450Nm
- Fuel Economy: 7.8 - 8.3L/100km
- Boot Space: 311L
- ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star
- Warranty: Six-year/150,000km
Notable Mentions for an Affordable Seven-Seat SUV
While they didn’t make the cut for our list, there’s a healthy amount of other affordable seven-seat SUVs on sale here in Australia, including cars like the:
- SsangYong Rexton - Starting from $46,300*
- Toyota Fortuner - Starting from $53,775*
- Skoda Kodiaq - Starting from $51,490*
- Honda CR-V VTi 7 - Starting from $35,900*
- Ford Everest - Starting from $53,290*
- Toyota Kluger - Starting from $51,790*
- Hyundai Palisade - Starting from $65,900*
- Nissan Pathfinder - Starting from $71,490*
- Mazda CX-9 - Starting from $47,600*
If you’d like to learn more about any of the models mentioned above, we’ve got reviews listed here on the OnlineAuto website.
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If you’re looking for a large, spacious and practical SUV for your family, be sure to reach out to one of our car buying specialists who can help find you a great price.
* Prices accurate at time of writing.
