Rear Head restraints

[ChrisLF]

I suppose if you have the electric drivers seat and a wife who is shorter than you then it's not too much of a problem!

[UTC]

Don't you just hate it when the TV remote isn't by your side, and you have to get up

[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.

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.

Nope, in the XC40 doesn’t work the way you describe it. With folded rear seats AND unfolded head rest you can no longer move the front seat all the way back, you loose 2” of legroom.

[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.

Nope, in the XC40 doesn’t work the way you describe it. With folded rear seats AND unfolded head rest you can no longer move the front seat all the way back, you loose 2” of legroom.

Well I'm just glad I have the XC40 that I have. Perhaps I'll be able to sell it eventually as a one-off limited edition because I can do everything I've described.

I have the R Design T4 AWD MY2020. It has fixed rear head restraints. I put the front seats fully forward, I lower the rear seats (with unfolded restraints), I can then move the front seats to their extent i.e. fully back. At that position, with front seats fully back there is at least 50mm/60mm between the back of the front seats and the top of the rear head restraints.

I wonder if it's to do with manual vs electrically adjusted seats. Mine are manually adjusted with a lever beneath the seat. I can, without doubt, move the front seats to their farthest extent backwards and have no issues with the rear restraints.

How much extra do you think I'll get for such a unique version of the R Design - perhaps it's an "R Design Head Restraint" model.

[stu22]

I suppose if you have the electric drivers seat and a wife who is shorter than you then it's not too much of a problem!

Yep, push the button and the seat goes in to furthest forward and highest mode!

[eugen61]

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.

Nope, in the XC40 doesn’t work the way you describe it. With folded rear seats AND unfolded head rest you can no longer move the front seat all the way back, you loose 2” of legroom.

Well I'm just glad I have the XC40 that I have. Perhaps I'll be able to sell it eventually as a one-off limited edition because I can do everything I've described.

I have the R Design T4 AWD MY2020. It has fixed rear head restraints. I put the front seats fully forward, I lower the rear seats (with unfolded restraints), I can then move the front seats to their extent i.e. fully back. At that position, with front seats fully back there is at least 50mm/60mm between the back of the front seats and the top of the rear head restraints.

I wonder if it's to do with manual vs electrically adjusted seats. Mine are manually adjusted with a lever beneath the seat. I can, without doubt, move the front seats to their farthest extent backwards and have no issues with the rear restraints.

How much extra do you think I'll get for such a unique version of the R Design - perhaps it's an "R Design Head Restraint" model.

Thanks UTC for pointing out MY MISTAKE. You are RIGHT and I was WRONG.

Your reply intrigued me enough to check again the seat in my car, indeed there is no legroom loss and front seat can be moved all the way back whit rear seats folded and head rest unfolded. You restored my faith in Volvo’s dedication to their core philosophy of safe driving.

[UTC]

Nope, in the XC40 doesn’t work the way you describe it. With folded rear seats AND unfolded head rest you can no longer move the front seat all the way back, you loose 2” of legroom.

Well I'm just glad I have the XC40 that I have. Perhaps I'll be able to sell it eventually as a one-off limited edition because I can do everything I've described.

I have the R Design T4 AWD MY2020. It has fixed rear head restraints. I put the front seats fully forward, I lower the rear seats (with unfolded restraints), I can then move the front seats to their extent i.e. fully back. At that position, with front seats fully back there is at least 50mm/60mm between the back of the front seats and the top of the rear head restraints.

I wonder if it's to do with manual vs electrically adjusted seats. Mine are manually adjusted with a lever beneath the seat. I can, without doubt, move the front seats to their farthest extent backwards and have no issues with the rear restraints.

How much extra do you think I'll get for such a unique version of the R Design - perhaps it's an "R Design Head Restraint" model.

Thanks UTC for pointing out MY MISTAKE. You are RIGHT and I was WRONG.

Your reply intrigued me enough to check again the seat in my car, indeed there is no legroom loss and front seat can be moved all the way back whit rear seats folded and head rest unfolded. You restored my faith in Volvo’s dedication to their core philosophy of safe driving.

Thanks for that. Shame I can't claim it's a limited edition

[ChrisLF]

My apologies to Volvo's designers as well. Though I have the folding head rests, so no messing around with moving the drivers seat!

Chris

[WelshRobin]

I think the differing views about the folding of the rear seat back can be explained by consulting the manual, page 177, where there is a note that the front seat may need to be moved forward in order to fully fold the rear seat back. Once the rear seat back is fully folded to the horizontal position there is an adequate gap between the head restraint and the front seat even when the front seat is set fully back. It is at intermediate positions that the head restraint contacts the front seat back. So my apologies to the Volvo design team for failing to read the manual more thoroughly!

[browncamry]

Really. Really. Annoying. Thanks Volvo.