High-riding SUVs look suitably imposing, give you the ever-popular high driving position and are big enough to carry a family and its luggage without breaking a sweat. Lots even come with four-wheel drive to give you peace of mind in icy winter weather. If this sounds like your kind of thing and you want to choose your ideal new model, we’ve narrowed down a list of the 10 best SUVs currently on sale.

[2018 update: A new entry for 2018, the Volvo XC40, shoots straight to the top of our list. It combines a posh interior with funky looks and loads of high-tech safety kit. The Volvo XC40 is a funky-looking mid-size SUV with a stylish interior and space for five adults. All models come with plenty of kit - including a nine-inch portrait touchscreen infotainment system - and loads of flashy interior trims while top-spec cars get gorgeous unvarnished wood inserts made from actual driftwood.

Its boot isn’t quite as roomy as in some larger SUVs, but Volvo has the competition licked when it comes to high-tech autonomous driving features. Pick the optional Pilot Assist system and the XC40 can pretty much drive itself - on motorways at least. Combine this with comfortable suspension that, unlike in some rivals, doesn’t try to be overly sporty and you’ll have no trouble covering long distances in the XC40. The Skoda Kodiaq is a hugely practical family SUV with room for five tall adults inside.

Pay a little extra and you can get it with an extra row of kid-sized seats in the boot, too. All models get a minimalist - if slightly monochrome - cabin that feels impressively robust and a high-resolution infotainment system that’s bright and easy to use. There’s a wide range of engines to choose from and you can even get the Skoda with four-wheel drive for extra grip in slippery conditions.

It isn’t the most exciting car to drive, whichever model you pick, but it’s pretty comfortable and its vast boot means it’ll swallow far more luggage than most similar-size SUVs. When it comes to eye-catching interiors, the Peugeot 3008 has the competition well and truly licked. Its small steering wheel and the high-mounted digital display that replaces conventional analogue instruments really feel a cut above what you get in most mid-size family cars.

It’s pretty roomy, too - there’s space in all five seats for adults to get comfy and the Peugeot’s flat rear floor means there’s lots of space for your passengers’ feet. The boot’s pretty generous, too, and its square shape and large opening make it a doddle to load. Sadly, unlike most cars in our list, you can’t get the 3008 with four-wheel drive.

The Audi Q7 is a luxurious seven-seat SUV that’s more at home on the Autobahn than romping through the great outdoors. Pick a 3.0-litre diesel model and you’ll happily devour hundreds of motorway miles comfortably and very quietly - thanks to its special sound-deadening glass. The BMW X1 is a small five-seat SUV that’s more fun to drive than most high-riding family cars and comes with plenty of upmarket features. You get BMW’s intuitive iDrive infotainment system as standard alongside some plush interior trims that feel nicer than those in a Mercedes GLA or Audi Q3.

There’s enough space in the back seats for three adults and its boot is pretty roomy, too. The X1 feels more agile than most tall SUVs, but to get the most out of it you’ll have to pay a little more for some key optional extras. An automatic gearbox to give your left foot a rest and adaptive suspension to stop the car’s body from leaning are well worth having, but they’ll set you back nearly £2,000 together.

The VW Tiguan is closely related to the larger Skoda Kodiaq but it does away with the Skoda’s extra rearmost seats in favour of a plusher cabin with some more upmarket materials. There’s still enough space in the back for adults to get comfy, however, and even a big weekly shop won’t come close to filling its boot.

If you do need to cart six friends around, there’s also a larger seven-seat model called the Tiguan Allspace. The Tiguan’s raised driving position gives you a great view out which helps make it pretty easy to drive in the city. The BMW X3 comes with a sumptuous cabin that’s packed with plenty of plush materials and more high-tech features than you can shake a stick at. Pay extra for the Professional Navigation pack and you’ll get a huge digital driver’s display and futuristic gesture controls - borrowed from the uber-luxurious 7 Series.