Additional seats were first hidden in station wagons
The seven-seater family car appeared long before the current SUVs. In the second half of the last century, some large station wagons were equipped with folding benches in the trunk. Passengers sat on them facing the direction of travel, and the seats folded into the trunk floor. For example, the 1977 Volvo 245 could be ordered with an additional third row – at that time, the car could accommodate seven people.
This design occasionally allowed for more passengers, but did not provide seven equally comfortable seats. Five people traveled in the usual seats, while two others covered shorter distances in the trunk area. As safety requirements and family habits changed, rear-facing seats became rare, but the idea of five permanent and two additional seats remained.
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In the 1980s, the architecture of family cars was changed by minivans. Chrysler considers 1983 the beginning of the modern minivan history, and the Renault Espace, which appeared in Europe in 1984, became a symbol of this body type. The high roof and adjustable or removable seats allowed the interior space to be adapted to passenger needs.
In large minivans, adults could comfortably sit in the third row. Later, the same idea was applied to more compact models, including the Renault Scénic introduced in 1996. A similar logic remains in current SUVs, for example, the recently debuted Chery Tiggo 8 in Lithuania: the third row of seats is more often useful for transporting children or when additional seats are needed for occasional trips.
SUVs took over the role of the family car
As buyers increasingly choose SUV models, manufacturers have moved the third row of seats into this segment. According to JATO Dynamics, in 2024 SUVs accounted for 54% of all new car registrations in Europe. Even the Renault Espace, which started as a classic minivan, became a crossover in its fifth generation.
This does not mean that only SUVs offer seven seats. Passenger vans and some remaining minivans are still more spacious if all seats are used daily. However, their selection is much smaller, and the third row in regular station wagons has almost disappeared. Families wanting the dimensions of a passenger car, higher seating, and two spare seats usually have to choose a medium or large SUV.
In a taller body, it is easier to hide two folding seats under the floor and leave more headroom for passengers, although in the third row they still have to sit on slightly raised legs. The sloping roofline can limit space, and in hybrid and electric models, the space under the floor has to be shared with the battery.
In plug-in hybrids, this becomes a serious design challenge: for example, the Škoda Kodiaq PHEV is offered only with five seats, while Chery managed to combine a plug-in hybrid drive with seven seats in the Tiggo 8 PHEV model. For a family looking for a plug-in hybrid and unwilling to give up the third row, this is a clear advantage.
There are more seven-seater plug-in hybrids on the market, but the selection in Lithuania remains narrow. Official price lists include, besides the Chery Tiggo 8, models offering this combination such as the Mazda CX-80, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, and a few other premium segment models.
This is a short list compared to the entire large family SUV offering, and some models whose petrol or diesel versions have a third row are offered only as five-seaters with plug-in hybrid drive. Therefore, the choice of powertrain alone can immediately narrow the list of suitable models for a family significantly.
Limited choice is also revealed by price differences. The Lithuanian price list shows the Tiggo 8 PHEV at 40,990 EUR. The closest among the mentioned models, the Mazda CX-80, even with a special offer, costs from 49,900 EUR. The starting price of the Hyundai Santa Fe is about 57,000 EUR, and the Kia Sorento nearly 70,000 EUR.
5+2 is not seven equal seats
The suitability of the third row is best assessed not by the number of seats listed in the data table, but by sitting in it yourself. It is important how much space remains for feet and legs, whether an adult’s head touches the ceiling, how much the second row can be moved, and whether it is possible to access the third row without removing a child seat. On a longer trip, separate air vents, window size, and charging ports also matter.
Another compromise is the trunk. When all seats are unfolded, it often fits only a few soft bags. Folding the rear seats turns the car back into a spacious five-seater SUV. Therefore, 5+2 is best suited when additional seats are needed a few times a month, not every morning to carry seven people and their belongings.
Which option is best ultimately becomes clear not at the calculator, but in the car. If the third row will be used often, it is worth coming to the test drive with passengers, child seats, and travel luggage. From the benches hidden in station wagons to today’s SUVs, the same 5+2 formula and its flexibility remain, but the practical value depends on whether the family can actually use those two additional seats comfortably.
