If you’ve got a growing family, chances are, you’ve already realized how quickly space runs out in a regular car. Between school bags, weekend trips, and an extra passenger or two, a proper three-row SUV can go from a luxury to a necessity. If you live in the Gulf, aside from reliability and comfort, your SUV must be designed to withstand high temperatures.
To help you select the right model, we have compiled a list of the top five family SUVs with three-row seating you can find in the Gulf. Also, don’t forget that insuring your car is mandatory in the region, so pick a reliable car insurance that protects you from unpredictable costs.
Mazda CX-90
| Horsepower | Fuel consumption | Seating capacity | Starting price |
| 280 HP (standard)340 HP (turbo S)323 HP (plug-in hybrid) | 28 – 23 mpg (petrol)31 mpg (hybrid) | 7–8 passengers | $40,700 |
We begin with one of the most popular Japanese brands and its renowned SUV, the Mazda CX-90. It’s a blend of luxury and performance, making it an ideal choice for families seeking a reliable and affordable SUV with three-row seating.
Mazda CX-90 comes with 2 engine models:
- 3.3 turbocharged mild hybrid
- 2.5 plug-in hybrid
All trims come with an all-wheel drive system, and all models are equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Performance and heat resilience
With up to 340 horsepower, the Mazda CX-90 performs well on various roads. Additionally, it provides a smooth driving experience, thanks to its acceleration and stable handling.
The car features a robust cooling system, making it great for the Gulf. The system maintains optimal engine temperature, preventing the vehicle from overheating even in extreme desert heat. It also maintains a cool cabin temperature at all times due to its three-zone automatic climate control, which features dedicated AC vents in all rows.
Interior and comfort
The interior is clean and elegant, featuring soft-touch materials throughout the cabin. Also, the higher trim models feature genuine wood and aluminium, which gives the car a premium look.
The vehicle is comfortable on the inside, as it can easily fit 7 passengers with its base 2+3+2 seating configuration. Although the car is quite spacious, the legroom in the third row is limited, making it more suitable for children rather than adults.
Safety and technology
The newest Mazda CX-90 model utilizes the i-Activsense safety suite, which comes with features such as:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-keeping assist
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Automatic emergency braking
- Driver attention alert
Moreover, the vehicle performed well on crash tests, earning it the Top Safety Pick+ badge from the IIHS.
Technology in the car is standard, featuring a 12.3-inch touch screen display, USB ports, wireless phone integration, and a heads-up display.
Toyota Highlander
| Horsepower | Fuel consumption | Seating capacity | Starting price |
| 265 HP (petrol)243 HP (hybrid) | 29–21 mpg (petrol)35 mpg (hybrid) | 7–8 passengers | $39,820 |
As one of the most well-rounded SUVs on this list, the Toyota Highlander is an ideal option for families in the Gulf as it provides safety and good performance for a relatively affordable price.
The Highlander comes with 2 main engine models:
- 2.4 turbocharged petrol engine
- 2.5 hybrid engine
This SUV is available with front-wheel and all-wheel drivetrains equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission, except for the hybrid model, which utilizes an electronic CVT (continuously variable transmission).
Performance and heat resilience
The Highlander is designed for daily driving, performing best on highways and in urban traffic. Thanks to its solid acceleration and smooth gear transitions, driving this vehicle is quite easy.
The Toyota Highlander withstands extreme heat. The engine has a cooling feature that maintains its temperature in hot climates, and the vehicle is equipped with a three-zone climate control system.
Interior and comfort
The materials inside the car are durable and soft-touch, with higher trims, leather upholstery, and ambient lighting.
When it comes to comfort, the Highlander offers quite spacious seating in the second row, while the third row is primarily designed for children. One feature that stands out with this model is its large trunk, as even with all three seating rows used, the car has ample room for luggage.
Safety and technology
The engineers at Toyota did their best to make the Toyota Highlander one of the brand’s safest models, equipping the car with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ suite that includes:
- Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane departure alert with steering assist
- Lane tracing assist
- Road sign assist
- Automatic high beams
The vehicle also performed well in crash testing and is regarded as a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS.
As for technology, the Highlander has a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, multiple USB ports, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and wireless charging.
Toyota Land Cruiser — Series 300
| Horsepower | Fuel consumption | Seating capacity | Starting price |
| 304 HP (diesel)409 HP (petrol) | 26.5 mpg (diesel)21.5 mpg (petrol) | 5–7 passengers | $65,870 |
This list wouldn’t be complete without one of the most popular SUVs in the Gulf region — the Toyota Land Cruiser Series 300. This SUV is renowned for its exceptional durability and is capable of handling extreme heat, rugged terrain, and everything in between.
The Land Cruiser comes with 2 main engine models:
- 3.3 twin turbo V6 diesel
- 3.5 twin turbo V6 petrol
All models are equipped with a 4WD (four-wheel drive) system and a 10-speed automatic transmission, offering smooth gear shifts and improved fuel efficiency.
Performance and heat resilience
This SUV is designed to excel in harsh environments commonly found in the Gulf region because of its powerful engine, robust off-road capability, and overall reliability.
Whether you’re driving the car around the city or heading out on a desert trip, the engine’s advanced cooling system will maintain its temperature. This system also features heat-resistant brake pads, designed to prevent overheating in desert conditions. Furthermore, the vehicle boasts a 4-zone climate control.
Interior and comfort
Although the Land Cruiser is known for its off-road capabilities, the car’s interior is designed to meet modern expectations. The vehicle features high-quality leather upholstery, real wood trim, and a spacious three-row layout that can fit up to 7 passengers.
The legroom in the second row is generous, while the third row is primarily designed for shorter passengers. The cabin remains relatively quiet during driving, making the car ideal for longer trips.
Safety and technology
As with most Toyota models, the Land Cruiser comes equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, which includes:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane departure alert
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection
When it comes to crash testing, the vehicle performed well, as it earned a 5-star rating from ANCAP.
The infotainment system in the car includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a heads-up display, a 360-degree camera, and a JBL premium sound system.
KIA Telluride
| Horsepower | Fuel consumption | Seating capacity | Starting price |
| 291 HP | 24–20 mpg | 7–8 passengers | $36,390 |
As you can see, Japanese brands dominate the SUV market in the Gulf region. However, one non-Japanese vehicle stands out, and that’s the KIA Telluride. This SUV offers a mix of space, a high-quality interior, solid performance, and numerous standard features for a relatively affordable price.
The Telluride comes with one engine option, a 3.8 V6 engine, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s available in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations.
Performance and heat resilience
Although the Telluride isn’t designed as an off-road car, it can handle Gulf roads and weather conditions quite well. The V6 engine delivers smooth and reliable power, enabling it to perform well on both highways and in city traffic.
When it comes to heat resistance, the Telluride has a cooling system that maintains engine stability even in extreme heat conditions. Also, the cabin remains cool because of its car’s tri-zone automatic climate control and air vents in all rows.
Interior and comfort
The interior of the KIA Telluride feels much more premium than its price might suggest. This SUV features soft-touch materials, leather upholstery (standard on most trims), and thoughtful details, including ambient lighting.
It seats 7 or 8 passengers, depending on which model you choose. The legroom in the second row is standard, while, like many other models on this list, the third row is designed for smaller individuals.
Safety and technology
KIA has made the Telluride quite a safe family vehicle, as it’s packed with safety features such as:
- Forward collision warning
- Blind-spot view monitor
- Lane keeping assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Adaptive cruise control
- Safe exit assist
The vehicle performed well in crash tests, earning it the Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.
The car uses standard technology, featuring a 12.3-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a 360-degree camera, and navigation.
Nissan Pathfinder
| Horsepower | Fuel consumption | Seating capacity | Starting price |
| 284 HP (most trims)295 HP (Rock Creek trim) | 23.5 mpg | 7–8 passengers | $43,000 |
We finish our list with another Japanese SUV — the Nissan Pathfinder. In its latest generation, the Pathfinder has undergone a complete redesign, offering a more rugged appearance, improved driving performance, and a higher-quality interior.
The Nissan Pathfinder is available in 2 main engine models:
- 3.5 V6 engine (standard model)
- 3.5 V6 tuned engine (Rock Creek model)
This car utilizes a 9-speed automatic transmission and is available with both front-wheel and all-wheel drivetrains.
Performance and heat resilience
The Pathfinder excels in both daily driving and long-distance traveling, thanks to its V6 engine and improved transmission system.
Passengers don’t have to worry about the temperature while driving in this SUV, as it features three-zone climate control and vents in all rows.
Interior and comfort
The interior of the Nissan Pathfinder is decked with high-quality materials, featuring soft-touch surfaces, modern design elements, and available leather seats in higher trims.
Moreover, this is a reasonably comfortable SUV, offering a spacious interior and ample cargo capacity. It has limited legroom in the third row, making it more suitable for children.
Safety and technology
To stay competitive, Nissan has equipped the Pathfinder with a modern safety system, known as Nissan Safety Shield 360. This system includes:
- Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Blind-spot warning
- Lane departure warning
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- High beam assist
- Rear automatic braking
The Pathfinder also performed well in crash tests, earning the IIHS’s Top Safety Pick+ grade.
The technology used in the Pathfinder is standard and includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, wireless charging, and a 360-degree camera.
