A huge vehicle with seating for seven or more people can seem like overkill, or in the likes of the UK, where the roads tend to be narrow and congested, ridiculous. Up until recently, the only place you could find a car or truck that could really handle the needs of seven seat living was in the US.
Yet these large vehicles are undeniably convenient in some circumstances. Here’s one particular outing that illustrates exactly how and why extended SUVs and MPVs can be so darn handy;
On this particular summer Sunday, several families were heading out of town to kick back and watch some motor racing. This was not to be just some boring car geeks and beers event, however. In this case, three families were going to take everything they needed to keep the men, women and children happy for an afternoon trackside.
Three families – think about that. Even if each family has both parents and one kid, you’re talking about nine people in all. How many ‘practical’ European cars can handle that? Well, you’d be surprised, actually. Thanks to the French, one can usually find something quirky but ideal.
Citreon CX Familale 8 Seater Wagon
In this case, one of our barbecue battle wagons took the form of a massive Citroen. This thing was bigger than any French car I’d ever witnessed. Based on the much more ubiquitous CX, the model we had at our disposal was the CX estate, whose full name is the Citroen CX Familale.
Complete with incredibly comfortable and adjustable suspension, the CX Wagon could carry eight passengers. Yes, that’s right – eight passengers plus one driver, meaning seating for nine people.
Even with significant amounts of cargo, the CX weekend-warrior-wagon could still squeeze in several adults and a gang of noisy, active children. In went folding tables, portable chairs, boxes of meats and vegetables, and drinks.
It really was a lesson in the utility of vehicles that otherwise look rather silly on little British roads. The Citroen took practicality to another level, however. With its adjustable suspension, when we had to go off-road to get to our ideal position for viewing the racing, cooking the meats and drinking the drinks, the driver simply set the suspension to its highest setting and we easily navigated some quite rough terrain.
This particular festive weekend involved more than nine people, however. Fortunately, we didn’t have to suffer any over-loaded Golfs or similarly ‘sensible’ hatchback with roof rack.
For, you see, a member of our party already had a family of five and regularly made long trips hauling construction equipment. Time to call in the big boys, the Americans.
Chevrolet Surburban - Large MPV from USA
Despite outward appearances of it being an overdone ‘Yank tank’, Chevrolet’s Suburban is an impressive piece of kit. With its powerful diesel engine and four-wheel drive, the Suburban could easily slog along motorways in fabulous comfort or plug away at muddy access roads on British motor racing circuits.
Into the Chevy went yet more adults and children, yet more cooking equipment and yet more furniture. You would hardly have noticed such are the gargantuan proportions of this beast. Like the Citroen, the Suburban can carry nine people and still have lots of storage space.
Okay, so neither the Citroen nor the Chevrolet are even remotely close to the modern standards of the best people movers from European or Japanese manufacturers. On the other hand, when you’re sitting up high in the Chevy, you can actually look down on the drivers of Land Rovers and for some of us that is, as one famous credit card company says, priceless.
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