Time for a 7-seater. SUV or MPV?

Welcoming Luke into the family has been nothing but a joy to us these past few weeks — Leia and Lauren are absolutely head over heels for their little brother! Now that we are a family of five, a major lifestyle change is our daily ride. Before Luke, Leia and Lauren were comfortable in the back seats as they had their own child-seat with enough room in the middle to play/bicker between them. Now with an infant car seat for Luke, our little sedan can barely fit another two booster seats for the girls. Moreover our family also make frequent road trips up to Malaysia, and this meant long drives... With all these in mind, we decided to go in search for a bigger car, something that is ideal for road trips and comfortable for all five of us.

So a 7-seater it is, and it is a toss up between an MPV or SUV. The market is full of boxy MPVs that struggle with any hint of design sexiness, while wooing you with its generous seats and practical sliding doors. The alternatives are the rugged 7-seater SUVs that offer both style and functionality.

With a budget of S$150K (for non-Singaporeans, yes we have insane car prices), we went to try out two of SEAT’s 7-seaters, the trusty Alhambra MPV and its younger looking cousin, the new Tarraco SUV. Both share the same 1.4L engine with 150hp that’s nifty and responsive (more so with the Tarraco). And since we have been Audi fans for the last decade, we cannot resist taking the luxurious Audi Q7 for a spin.

After spending 3 days with each car, putting it through our daily grind with the kids, here are some of our thoughts.

Seat Alhambra — Classic MPV

Our neighbour’s first comment was “love this white on the Sharan!” and when I corrected him that it’s not a Volkswagen (VW) but a SEAT, he took a double take and said it looked the same. Yes the SEAT Alhambra is literally the identical twin of VW Sharan. SEAT is under the Volkswagen Group so many models actually share the same chassis and parts. The difference lie primarily beneath the hood and the Alhambra now comes with a 1.4L engine that’s more road tax friendly. With dual sliding doors, generous interior space, and integrated booster seats (two in the middle row), it seems like the natural car of choice for our family.

The issue with this much space means a bigger and heavier car, and that shows when you get in the driver seat. Coming from a sedan, this is very much like driving a van. And while the 1.4L engine is torquey, you can feel that bit of lag off the line. The dashboard is typical VW and feels dated compared to the new SEAT design in the Tarraco. The lack of navigation might bother some though it does come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Another feature that is missing is the reverse/overhead camera. With its size, I’d expect this to be standard as the basic parking sensors do little when it comes to parking confidence.

Now onto the good parts. Access to the third row is quick and easy with a one hand lever that jacks the seat front so even adults can step right into the back without contortion. With ISOFIX on all passenger seats, we are able to easily fit the Snapkis RevolveFix 0-4 car seat in the middle seat for Luke and utilise the integrated booster seats on both sides for the girls. The Snapkis RevolveFix 0-4 has a 360 degree rotation so no matter which seat you fix it on, getting the little one safely harnessed is a snap. For long drives, the girls can retreat to their ‘private cabin’ at the back where Snapkis Mighty Fix Booster Seats easily attach via ISOFIX mounts.

Sending the girls to school is so much easier with the power sliding doors. No wonder despite MPV being labelled dull and boring, most parents still opt for it. Practicality still reigns.

Wide opening with power sliding doors and integrated booster seats

Snapkis Revolving 360° rotating seat turns all around for accessible child harnessing and effortless rearward-to-forward transitioning

With ISOFIX in all passenger seats, the Alhambra is ready for your family’s seating configurations

Factory fitted window sun shield

Final thoughts - Value for money and a car that everyone in the family would appreciate.

SEAT Alhambra Style 1.4 TSI 110 kW DSG Start/Stop (150 HP)

Price starting from $157,999 as of 31-Oct-2019

Book a Test Drive here.

Seat Tarraco — Sporty SUV

Visually more appealing with an edgy design, the SEAT Tarraco is honestly a more fun car to drive as well. With a list of modern features like digital cockpit with navigation view, reverse and 360 overhead cam, parking assist, lane assist, adaptive cruise control and auto tailgate, this new offering from SEAT checked all the right boxes from the get-go.

Powered by a 1.4L engine producing 150bhp, the drive is firm and never felt underpowered with our family of five on board. Cabin quality is good, with quality plastic trimmings and firm Alcantara fabric seats. The main draw is the fully digital instrumental cockpit with full navigation view mode so I can focus on my own 10” map while the fam continue with their music selection on the 8” infotainment touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard.

As with most SUVs, the back row is best left for kids and being that far back means less noise I have to deal with, not a bad idea for sanity sake. Internal cabin space is adequate with roomy headspace and lots of practical storage pockets for the family. Auto leg sweep tailgate is a welcome feature with all those grocery runs.

Modern virtual cockpit with touchscreen infotainment system

Snapkis RevolveFix with premium melange fabric and plenty of padding for newborns.

Final thoughts - Stylish SUV packed with features and space for the family.

SEAT Tarraco Xcellence 1.4 TSI 110kW DSG-6 (150 HP)

Price starting from $147,999 as of 31-Oct-2019

Book a Test Drive here.

Audi Q7 Quattro— Luxury SUV

Having driven an Audi for over a decade, the familiarity with the MMI infotainment system, the dash and knobs makes the Q7 feels right at home. We drove the 2019 model that comes with panoramic sunroof and Virtual Cockpit. The interior cabin quality is impeccable with premium Nappa leather seats that provide comfortable seating for five adults and two kids in the last row. Yes despite its size, the last two seats are tight and best reserved for kids.

Powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder 2.0L engine, the ride is firm yet nimble despite its hunky size. There is little to fault with this luxurious SUV and surely a strong contender for those looking for a pure luxury ride.

Luxurious interior with premium Nappa leather and digital cockpit

Boot space with last row seats up, good for cabin bags

Final thoughts - Car of choice if it wasn’t so far off my budget (list price $285K as of Oct-2019).

Audi Q7 2.0 TFSI quattro tip (252HP)

Price starting from $284,999 as of 31-Oct-2019

Book a Test Drive here or visit Audi Centre at 281 Alexandra Road

Now with Audi on demand you can also book a Q7 from its wide range of vehicles on a pay-per-use basis, from 4-hours up to one-month use. Great for those long weekend holidays up in Malaysia. There is a promotion now til 30 Dec 2019, where you can enjoy 3 days for 2 for SUVs (Q7 included).

decisions decisions

Having tried both SUV and MPV, it’s safe to say the head goes for the MPV while the heart goes for the SUV. If we have a helper, it would be a no brainer to get the MPV, but since we are still managing alright (for now), it is that much harder to convince myself to go for the ‘soccer mom’ car. Meanwhile we will just enjoy the last few weeks of our little sedan while the hunt continues…