Estate Carrying Capacity

[Fab 1]

Help...I'm about to replace my 3rd Fabia Estate, moving from a Series 2 now to a Series 3. The Skoda salesman indicated the rear seat squab is now in one piece, doesn't lift up and fold forward, or even come out completely. This would prevent the rear seat backs from folding flat...a really serious problem for load carrying. Is this true? I'm thinking of making a second visit, and asking one of their mechanics to come out and show me it's true. If so, I'll have to look at Golf estates, but the price means it won't be new!

[pfaff]

Well, the salesman is wrong.

[chieflordy]

Well, the salesman is wrong.

+1

The rear seats do fold flat, page 72 &73 of the manual explain how, basically you lift up the base of the seats, that comes forward and rests parallel to the back of the front seats and then the back of the rear seats fold straight down.

[GeneralPurpose]

The estate rear seats fold flat as per pfaff. The hatch rear seats do not! (page 65 in the manual for my hatch).

[CRASH67]

Hold on i do believe the estates only fold flat IF you the optional varible boot floor....

[CRASH67]

https://youtu.be/uAIyMmtPz40

Watch this.

Base fold up making the backs flat. BUT leaves a huge Lip wifh out the optional boot floor

[Fab 1]

Ah, Crash 67, very interesting. The new estate I saw in the dealers had a single piece rear seat base. This video clearly shows a car with a two-piece rear seat base, folded up to allow the seat backs to fold forward more horizontally, albeit not completely flat. I have phoned a couple more main dealers who say the rear seat base does NOT fold up. The conclusion is that Skoda have changed the rear seats after early versions of the three series. Interesting, but a pain in the proverbial.

[Fab 1]

Just to add, of course, I am familiar with the variable boot floor. The step up isn't an issue, what is though, is the awful slope of the rear seat backs with the immovable rear seat base in the way. Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

[chieflordy]

Ah, Crash 67, very interesting. The new estate I saw in the dealers had a single piece rear seat base. This video clearly shows a car with a two-piece rear seat base, folded up to allow the seat backs to fold forward more horizontally, albeit not completely flat. I have phoned a couple more main dealers who say the rear seat base does NOT fold up. The conclusion is that Skoda have changed the rear seats after early versions of the three series. Interesting, but a pain in the proverbial.

I wouldn't be so sure that is has changed, the seat base is one part in my estate and folds up as per the video, you pull it up at the front then lift/ fold it forward and down, then the seat back folds down where the base was. My estate is only a few months old, the latest manual still shows the estate as having the same seat design and folding mechanism.

My best advise, print p65 of the manual, take it in to the dealers and have a try to fold it yourself, I'll wager it will work

Link to manual:

http://ws.skoda-auto.com/OwnersManualService/Data/en/Fabia_NJ/05-2016/Manual/Fabia/A06_Fabia_OwnersManual.pdf

Edited 3 October, 2016 by chieflordy

[GeneralPurpose]

All the estates have a fold flat rear seat (well as good as completely fold flat) unless it's just changed in the last few weeks. It's listed in my Skoda Fabia hatchback manual (I picked that up new just a week and a bit ago) and makes specific mention that the hatchback does not fold fully flat,  but the estate car rear seats do and it then proceeds to show the diagram for the estate car on how to do it. It's just the same as my Mk2 Fabia estate rear seats that fold flat. You don't need the variable floor option for this either.

[Fab 1]

Many thanks everyone....my meeting with a mechanic and sales person at my local dealer is set for Thursday afternoon. It will be interesting. I will report back, and in the meantime, phone the other two main dealers I spoke to and ask them to refer to p65 of the manual and look again!

[chieflordy]

Good luck, I am waiting to hear how they all enjoy eating their humble pie

Seriously though, it shouldn't surprise me but still does, the level of product knowledge displayed by some dealers is shocking, the training given to staff before letting them loose to answer questions from potential buyers must be close to non-existent. Thank goodness for the Internet in general and this forum in particular for getting answers to questions...

[Gripper]

The seats don't fold to what I would say is completely flat in my monte estate (2015) as someone said above, there is a step.

The bracket for the isofix also popped out when I folded the seats forward. :s

[alltorque]

Many thanks everyone....my meeting with a mechanic and sales person at my local dealer is set for Thursday afternoon. It will be interesting. I will report back, and in the meantime, phone the other two main dealers I spoke to and ask them to refer to p65 of the manual and look again!

I suspect some dealers believe that the seating in the hatch and estate is identical. That would be a fair, but erronoeous supposition. Enjoy Thursday.

[Fab 1]

Bit of an anticlimax really, but then I was about to sit down and talk prices. Yes, I was shown a Mark 3 Fabia Estate...the SE, which I'm interested in, and briefly, the SEL. In both instances, the rear seat base is virtually the same as on the Mark 2; split and able to fold forward or be removed. We were out on the forecourt. When asked what I was shown a few days ago, the salesman said he supposed it must have been the basic trim model (S?), which I can confirm has a single piece seat base, which probably doesn't fold or come out.

So I'm sorted...the SE is what I'll get, though I'm dismayed that the only colour you can have is dark blue, without paying more, and the range is boring, except for the metaĺlic green, which is too exciting for long term ownership.

So, the sales staff have learnt something, and I resisted making the point.

If carrying capacity is important (why else would you buy the Fabia Estate, even though its lines are prettier than the hatch), it's a point to remember. Thanks again to everyone for their comments.

Edited 6 October, 2016 by Fab 1

[alltorque]

Bit of an anticlimax really, but then I was about to sit down and talk prices. Yes, I was shown a Mark 3 Fabia Estate...the SE, which I'm interested in, and briefly, the SEL. In both instances, the rear seat base is virtually the same as on the Mark 2; split and able to fold forward or be removed. We were out on the forecourt. When asked what I was shown a few days ago, the salesman said he supposed it must have been the basic trim model (S?), which I can confirm has a single piece seat base, which probably doesn't fold or come out.

So I'm sorted...the SE is what I'll get, though I'm dismayed that the only colour you can have is dark blue, without paying more, and the range is boring, except for the metaĺlic green, which is too exciting for long term ownership.

So, the sales staff have learnt something, and I resisted making the point.

If carrying capacity is important (why else would you buy the Fabia Estate, even though its lines are prettier than the hatch), it's a point to remember. Thanks again to everyone for their comments.

Glad you got it resolved...and have done your bit to educate a dealer. As for colours, have a look at Topaz Brown. It's quite different and I love my SE L hatch in the colour. Not a great many about but Bentley use a version of it lf you like bragging rights. :-)

[Gripper]

You've confused me, so do they fold flat or not? As in flat that you could lay something flat in the boot? I know mine doesn't.

[The PM]

Better than my Mk7 Golf estate then where the rear seat squabs are one piece and don't fold up easily... I wonder what the manufacturers are up to these days, don't they realise that the whole point of getting an estate is for the flexibility!

[GeneralPurpose]

You've confused me, so do they fold flat or not? As in flat that you could lay something flat in the boot? I know mine doesn't.

 

They do fold flat but just as in the Mk2 version, there is a lip.