The last decade has seen the seemingly unstoppable rise of the SUV as the bodystyle of choice for millions. But while there are plenty of advantages to a high-riding, spacious car, it’s not perfect for everyone.
If you want to carry lots of people around, it’s hard to beat an multi-purpose vehicle, or MPV, for practicality and value for money. As well as acres of space, you’ll get flexible seating arrangements and plenty of places to store things.
While many MPVs are tools to do a job, there’s enough choice out there to keep happy those that want an engaging driving experience or stylish looks, as well as the ability to carry as many people as possible. Here then is our guide to the MPVs you should be checking out in 2021.
Peugeot Rifter
Car lease price: from £237.12 per month*
Space. Yes, it’s the final frontier, but it’s also the main reason many people buy an MPV. And the Peugeot Rifter has a huge amount of it. Get a five-seat version and the boot has a massive 775-litre capacity, which dwarfs pretty much anything else on the market short of a van. Even in the seven-seat Long model, there’s still plenty of room in the load area. Third row passengers might find leg space a little cramped, but it’s still much better than those offered in most rivals. All the seats can fold flat into the floor for ultimate load-carrying practicality.
Peugeot Rifter need to knows:
- Car Leasing Category: MPV
- Select’s Car Review Score: 3.8 out of 5
- Boot size: 775 litres
- Engine Options: Diesel, Petrol
- NCAP Safety Rating: 4 stars
Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer
Car lease price: from £336.65 per month
Citroen is a company that doesn’t really do non-stylish. Even the MPV, the most utilitarian of all passenger cars, must be pretty if it’s to get approval from the Citroen board, and so if style is a priority then the Grand C4 Spacetourer should be on your radar. This seven-seat MPV has plenty of passenger space and seats that recline, fold flat and slide backwards and forwards for extra flexibility. You can also get a regular Citroen C4 Spacetourer, which has five seats.
Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer need to knows:
- Car Leasing Category: MPV
- Select’s Car Review Score: 4.0 out of 5
- Boot size: 165 litres
- Engine Options: Diesel, Petrol
- NCAP Safety Rating: Unavailable
Ford S-Max
Car lease price from: £321.36 per month
The larger V90 should really be on this list, given the extra space it provides, but the V60 is arguably the sweet spot in the Volvo range. It shares design touches with the rest of the range, so you get an elegant shape with interesting details - Thor’s Hammer headlights, anyone? - and a load area that’s almost as spacious.
But by opting for the V60 over the V90, you’re picking the more dynamic, more agile model that’s also arguably more comfortable. Ok, you won’t be grinning from ear to ear after a cross-country blast, but there’s a solidity and purpose to the V60’s chassis.
The cabin takes the same design cues as the rest of the grown-up Volvo range, too, which means a minimalist design filled with cool Scandinavian touches. There’s the option of having driftwood trim in the car, while the infotainment centre is vertically integrated and, once set up, a cinch to use.
Tiny Swedish flags remind you where the car comes from, and what that means; the seat belts have a ‘Since 1950’ stamp, for example, a reminder that Volvo’s reputation for safety isn’t something it’s just going to throw away. Solid, spacious, safe and (relatively) sporting.
Ford S Max need to knows:
- Car Leasing Category: MPV
- Select’s Car Review Score: 3.9 out of 5
- Boot size: 285 litres
- Engine Options: Diesel
- NCAP Safety Rating: 5 stars
Volkswagen Touran
Car lease price from: £285.14 per month
Volkswagen makes a habit of balancing the appeal and pricing of a major volume carmaker with just a little bit more of a premium feel, mixing understated looks with a classy interior. The Touran is no different, and comes at a price that undercuts plenty of rivals. But it also ticks all the relevant boxes, with space for seven despite taking up relatively little space on your driveway. While boot space is tight with all seven seats up, fold the rear row down and that expands to a mammoth 927 litres, and the middle row folds flat too.
Volkswagen Touran need to knows:
- Car Leasing Category: MPV
- Select’s Car Review Score: 4.2 out of 5
- Boot size: 137 litres
- Engine Options: Petrol, Diesel
- NCAP Safety Rating: 5 stars
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer
Car lease price: from £232.32 per month
Just because you need to focus on practicality doesn’t mean you can’t do so with a prestigious badge. The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is a small five-seat MPV that offers a premium interior as well as plenty of places to keep odds and ends. Some rivals have the edge on practicality, but if you need more room then a seven-seat version, called the 2 Series Gran Tourer, is also available. You can also get the BMW as a plug-in hybrid; if you’re mostly doing shorter journeys and have somewhere to plug it in to charge, this could dramatically reduce your fuel bills.
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer need to knows:
- Car Leasing Category: MPV
- Select’s Car Review Score: 3.6 out of 5
- Boot size: 468 litres
- Engine Options: Diesel, Petrol, Diesel Plug-In Hybrid
- NCAP Safety Rating: 5 stars
Vauxhall Combo Life
Car lease price: from £278.03 per month
The Combo Life is another MPV that focuses on practicality at a very attractive price, and it comes in a wide variety of styles to suit different needs. You can choose from five or seven seats, and two different lengths – standard or XL. The latter is probably the best choice if you want the two extra seats, but if you’ve got a small parking space then it’s good to know you have options. The five-seater in particular has huge amounts of luggage space, and leasing costs are impressively low. This might not be a car that particularly appeals to the heart, but your head is going to love it.
Vauxhall Combo Life to knows:
- Car Leasing Category: MPV
- Select’s Car Review Score: 3.6 out of 5
- Boot Size: 597 litres
- Engine Options: Petrol, Diesel
- NCAP Safety Rating: 4 stars
Toyota ProAce Verso
Car lease price: from £256.27 per month
There’s a decent choice of seven-seat MPVs to choose from, but what if you have more people than that to accommodate? Then check out Toyota’s Proace Verso, which can seat up to nine. This is a minibus masquerading as a car, but with it comes a vast amount of people-and-stuff-carrying ability at an impressively low price. You can get a Proace Verso in three different sizes and in several trims, and there’s a choice of seating layout. If you don’t need space for nine then there’s an eight-seater and a seven-seater if you just want your six passengers to have loads of space. For load-lugging, you can remove all the rear seats entirely.
Toyota ProAce Verso need to knows:
- Car Leasing Category: MPV
- Select’s Car Review Score: 3.4 out of 5
- Boot size: 927 litres (long model)
- Engine Options: Diesel
- NCAP Safety Rating: 5 stars
*Prices include VAT. Credit is Subject to Status, Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply. Excess mileage may apply. Price correct as of 26/01/2021.
**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the scores of the UK’s top five leading independent car website reviews
