At the many crossroads in life, priorities change. Perhaps your brood is growing up fast. Or maybe your parents would now prefer to be chauffeured around, and you’ve just been appointed the family driver. 

At this point, you realise your transport options are best fulfilled by a car. 

Just ask Mr Jon Ding. He traded in his Japanese sport utility vehicle (SUV) for the new Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid last December because it met his family’s requirements and matched his budget.  

“One of the requirements my wife and I had for the new car was that the three kids liked it, and we brought all of them along to the test drives,” says the 39-year-old. “Since space was always one of the major complaints with the old car, everybody is happy now that they get their own individual seats.”

Having driven the car for already four months, Mr Ding has found even more things to like about it. He points to the huge sunroof, through which the family likes to “look at the moon and stars” at night. 

Another aspect is the fuel efficiency of the Santa Fe Hybrid, which he reckons to be about 65 per cent improvement over his preceding car. 

The product manager of a multinational company adds: “I used to visit the petrol station every week with my car but now, after changing, I only have to pump petrol once every three weeks. Sometimes, even just once a month, if I don’t use the car as much.”

At Cars@Expo 2023, there are many offerings around suitable for big or multigenerational families. But with many people in tow, a spacious yet fuel-efficient vehicle should be right at the top of your shopping list. 

Honda Freed

Looking for a compact seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle that is spacious, versatile, attractive, and yet sensible? How many options can truly fit that bill? 

The Honda Freed probably comes the closest. It is unabashedly boxy but for good reason – those squared-off proportions do wonders for internal space, making the Freed one of the most commodious in its segment. 

The Freed is also very straightforward – there are no colourful lights or fancy high-tech screens in it – giving it a refreshing simplicity. It comes with dual power sliding doors for easy ingress and egress, a low floor to make it easy for children or elderly to enter and exit the car, and multiple storage compartments to keep everything stored away. 

As for moving people and cargo about, the well-packaged Freed does the job exactly as it advertises – second- and third-row seats accommodate adult passengers well and the third-row seats can be folded away if more cargo space is desired.

Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

The spacious seven-seater Hyundai Santa Fe is a familiar nameplate among drivers and with the latest Hybrid variant, it keeps on winning fans with a robust combination of features and styling. 

The Santa Fe Hybrid is a good adrenaline-filled drive backed by a suite of advanced safety features. Fresh from a facelift, it is emphasised with a wide, distinctive grille that merges seamlessly with the headlights, making for an unrivalled road presence. 

Under the hood, a 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid petrol engine provides plenty of poke with 230hp of power and 265Nm of torque, while returning a fuel economy of 5.5 litres for every 100km.

Convenience and simplicity are a big part of the Santa Fe Hybrid’s appeal, including the Smart Power Tailgate, folding second- and third-row seats, wireless charging and the unique Blind-Spot View Monitor. 

In the driver’s cockpit are a large infotainment display and digital instruments, as well as a unique push-button shifter that no other car in this class has.

Lexus ES 300h

How about a luxurious drive to ferry the family for Sunday brunch? If your answer is yes, then have a look at the Lexus ES300h, a premium hybrid sedan that turns heads and catches the right attention. 

A mesh patterned grille up front with its forward extrusion heightens the sense of quality and dynamism, flanked by triple-beam lamps to better illuminate the road ahead. 

While handsome to look at, the real highlight is inside, where Lexus engineers have crafted a welcoming and restful cabin. A Takumi crafted interior with accommodating power-reclining rear seats offers generous headroom and legroom, while a centre armrest with cupholders and integrated control panel allows passengers to adjust the audio system, recline their seats and conveniently access other vehicle settings. 

Keeping everyone safely ensconced is the Lexus Safety System+, which comes with a Pre-Collision System, enhanced with an increased response range and automatically activated braking to avoid potential accidents. 

Lane Tracing Assist monitors lane markings and applies steering input to keep the vehicle centred in the lane while Dynamic Radar Cruise Control helps maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. 

Just because it is used as a family car does not mean the ES300h is a slouch on the road. In fact, it is far from that – a hybrid 2.5-litre engine paired with an electric motor delivers 214hp of power and 221Nm of torque with a fuel economy of 21.7km per litre.

Toyota Harrier Hybrid

For the discerning driver who demands luxury, fuel efficiency and style in one package, the Toyota Harrier Hybrid ticks all the right boxes. 

At Cars@Expo, a new version of the Harrier Hybrid will be on show. It now comes with wireless Apple CarPlay to enhance the driving experience for everyone in the family. 

The Harrier Hybrid remains a firm favourite for those looking for a safe and economical luxury SUV, hitting exceptional fuel efficiency of 21.7km per litre and containing a suite of safety features such as Land Departure Alert, Lane Tracing Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and an improved Pre-Collision System to avoid accidents. 

Safety aside, the Harrier will keep you and your family riding in style thanks to an elegant, sculpted exterior complemented by a low centre of gravity, a sleek and tapered roofline and dual exhaust pipes. 

In terms of convenience features, the Harrier Hybrid has you covered. It has, as standard, a wireless smartphone charging pad, dual-zone climate control, ventilated front seats and a hands-free power liftgate that can be activated by waving your foot under the rear bumper – perfect for juggling baby and shopping bags.

Cars@Expo 2023 is held from April 15 to 16 at Singapore Expo Halls 3B and 4 from 10am to 8pm. Click here for the floorplan of the show. Read more about the latest cars and special deals at the show here.