Rear Head restraints

[BxUKXwp6CZ01]

I have failed to locate any way to raise/lower or fold forward the rear outer headrests. So if anybody ever finds how to achieve this operation in 2020 (late) Inscription please let me know.
Thanks

[morganj]

I have failed to locate any way to raise/lower or fold forward the rear outer headrests. So if anybody ever finds how to achieve this operation in 2020 (late) Inscription please let me know.
Thanks

Interestingly i read in the manual about lowering the seat-backs something along the lines of " you may need to move the front seats forward to fully lower the rear seat backs" seems that the folding headrests are no longer folding without the pack and they are fully fixed and non-removable.

It would also seem that MY21 cars no longer have electrically lowering rear seat backs, only the headrests now. That is going to annoy me, when i ordered it was MY20 and then Volvo changed the order to MY21

[Skyrimmer]

I will be reluctant to replace my current XC40 with a newer model if I cannot get all the features I currently have.

[blastpipe]

I will be reluctant to replace my current XC40 with a newer model if I cannot get all the features I currently have.

Same here...or that the things I want are only available as part of a really expensive pack rather than available individually.

Perhaps it's a Norfolk thing?

[WelshRobin]

Volvo always used to make really practical cars. It’s a shame if their designers can no longer recognise and provide these little inexpensive features without having to pay for a lot of other unwanted stuff. As has been noted earlier, it is absurd to have to move the front seats forward in order to lower the rear seat backs. In fact, a tall driver could have to sit in a cramped and potentially unsafe posture. This is not the Volvo of old. It was a feature of the V40 that the head restraints would mechanically loosen and fold when the rear seat back was lowered, and very useful it was too. Mind you, I have to admit that the roof bars I had in place of the non-folding passenger seat proved to be more useful!

[ChrisLF]

The folding headrests were I think part of the Convenience Park on my MY20 car and whilst I'm not that bothered about the small increase in rear view that dropping then provides it is very useful to have so that they don't foul the front seats when dropping the rear seats.

I'm quite tall at 6' 1" but don't have the seat all the way back. I've had previous cars (and quite large ones at that) where I've had to pull the drivers seat quite a long way forward for the rear seats to drop down which used to annoy me because of the compromised driving position, especially being manual gear boxes. Bad design.

As regards the remote dropping of the rear seats I'm glad my car doesn't have that as I like to control the dropping of the seats rather than have them thud down and also make sure that the folded head rest misses the seat squab.

I really like how quickly I can fold the rear seats and get a level load area compared with my previous Yeti where you had to remove the head rests and had a step in the floor.

Chris

[eugen61]

I also find it bizarre that rear head restraint folding is no longer a standard feature in the MY21. As already pointed out, tall drivers will have to move forward the seat in order to accommodate rear seats folding. I’m 6’ 3” tall and my driving position requires the seat to be all the way back, I would not have a proper driving position with my seat moved 2” forward.

I can understand marketing tactics that push customers to upgrade to expensive packs with unneeded features, but in this case I’m flabbergasted to see Volvo going against their core philosophy of safe driving.

[ChrisLF]

Absolutely, and in a car of this class you shouldn't have compromises like that. The folding of the rear seats should operate without hindrance whatever position the front seat is in. That's a basic design consideration in my book.

Chris

[UTC]

I also find it bizarre that rear head restraint folding is no longer a standard feature in the MY21. As already pointed out, tall drivers will have to move forward the seat in order to accommodate rear seats folding. I’m 6’ 3” tall and my driving position requires the seat to be all the way back, I would not have a proper driving position with my seat moved 2” forward.

I can understand marketing tactics that push customers to upgrade to expensive packs with unneeded features, but in this case I’m flabbergasted to see Volvo going against their core philosophy of safe driving.

Does anyone here actually have a XC40

It just doesn't work like that !!

1) You move the front seat forward...

2) You lower the rear seat...

3) You move the front seat back, all the way if you are tall.

The front seat does not need to be kept in a forward, compromised, position. Even with the front seat at its farthest back it does NOT touch the rear head restraints.

Incidentally, this is the same design as I've experienced on every car I've ever had with folding rear sets - you move the front seat forward, you lower the rear, you move the front seat back.

[BxUKXwp6CZ01]

I put my concerns to Customer Relations UKIE, CUSTCARE

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for your email.

We have looked into this for you and unfortunately this function is not compatible with your vehicle.

We are very sorry for this.

Best regards,

Not half as sorry as I am!

It seems I will have to continue adjusting both front seats, lowering the backrest, then readjusting the front seats AND then repeating the whole exercise when returning the back seats to the upright position - brilliant change to the design! (When ordering in Feb 2020 the manual showed the manual folding of headrests and nobody advised me of the change.

Very disappointed with Volvo, I advise anybody to get in writing the exact spec for the car they are ordering, or a design change may be made that makes the car less useable.