IF you have a growing family, the chances are you're going to need a bigger car. Two young ones can cope with sitting in the back of a compact hatchback, but once the head count starts to climb and best friends start to demand strategic lifts to the school gates, seven seats really come into their own. Getting seven seats doesn't necessarily mean moving up to a car in the people carrier class. Recent advances in cars' interior design and flexibility were pioneered by Vauxhall's Flex7 system in the Zafira and have since been developed in different ways by other manufacturers. The result is that seven seats can now be fitted into some surprisingly compact floor plans without feeling cramped. Here are four of the finest compact modern seven seaters to consider...

Volvo XC90...

Price: From £30,735.

Go on, treat yourself. The XC90 doesn't come cheap, but the best purchases rarely do. It has the subtly aggressive looks of a 4x4, and indeed does boast all-wheel-drive if required, but the XC90's strongest attraction is its superbly family-friendly interior. Rearmost seats and the central one of the second rank are on the small side but kids are unlikely to complain until they reach their teens - when it doesn't matter because they'll complain about absolutely everything anyway.

PEUGEOT 307 SW...

Price: From £13,920.

It looks like an estate car, it drives like an estate car and with the rear seats down it offers the load space of an estate car. But estate cars usually seat just five, and this good-looking car seats seven. A good choice of engines and no fear of being mistaken for a lumpish MPV make it a strong alternative choice to a people carrier. There's a 307 estate as well, but the SW actually looks better.

Renault Grand Scenic...

Price: From £14,910.

As the name suggests, it's a Scenic (pictured right) with a little bit extra - namely, two seats. Exhibiting all of Renault's current design panache, the Grand Scenic hides its size better than any of its rivals while retaining all of the functionality associated with the Scenic name. Toddler terrorists may be able to destroy some of the trim, but it's an inherently solid vehicle and the safest in its class.

Toyota Corolla Verso Price: £14,495 A name that has become a byword for reliability has suddenly become equally notable for flexibility thanks to some staggeringly clever interior architecture. All five rear seats can fold completely flat if required, meaning this vehicle can be transformed into everything from a spacious van to a seven seat MPV. Rearmost seats feel a bit claustrophobic due to limited window space. The D-4D diesel engine is clearly the strongest choice.