Hi

I've got a friend who has a chronic health problem who I take out in my Fabia Estate (17reg) now and then. He struggles to get in because he can't bend his body very much.

 

Recently he got into a 22 reg Fabia and to his surprise got in more easily. When he gets in mine the seat is as low as it can be for him. So I'm wondering if the seats in the newer models are different to mine, that is lower? If so would there be an option of buying one of these seats and having it fitted to my car? I like the model I have - 1.2 4 cylinder with turbo - and don't want to change it. Any thoughts please? Thanks

You have your seat as low as it can be, so an adjustable one passenger side.  You need to know what the 2022 car was. It maybe did not have a hight adjustable seat.   You might have to visit someplace selling Fabia and have the friend seeing what works best.   Maybe there was 15mm difference in the cars height.  Ground to sill.  Then sill to seat makes a difference.  

Rooted has already put most of what I was thinking.

 

I've no idea but I guess changing seats in modern cars can be more involved than you might expect.

 

Also might sound odd but if you've not already done so adjusting the seat you have to a different position might help (depends of course) perhaps even raising from lowest position and the Fabia seat in my wife's 2015 Mk3 goes a long way back on it's base (provided you don't have someone sitting behind it).

 

Perhaps an inflatable cushion, my wife uses one in some cars, barely inflated to put behind her back, but in your vase I'm thinking of perhaps on the seat base to compensate perhaps for the seat back bolster cushion on getting in.

 

I'm short at 5' 5" but by habit I move the driver's seat fully back to get out and back in so I don't hit my head on the windscreen pillar and so that others can easily get in to the driver's seat as with short legs I have the driver's set close to pedals.  I have the driver's seat fully down in the Fabia but raised a bit in other modern cars.

 

Being five doors and not three means the front doors aren't as long so you do get closed to the windscreen pillar and perhaps sloping roof at front.

 

Move the seat further back.

 

Check the height adjutment really is at the lower position and not blocked by something stored under the seat.

 

The problem usually is the A pillar, I brained myself every time I would drive my UK neighbours car, his wife is a PORG and a ferocious one at that so whilst she rarely drives his car he dare not re-adjust the seat to a normal driving position and has to drive it hunched over the wheel and squeeze himself in and out.

 

Those who don't know what a PORG is will not be Tom Sharpe readers!

A good point has been made, I often find when I think I've got the seat of my wife's Fabia Mk3, and on other cars, fully down as it feels like the handle has come to a stop I can actually get another four pumps down (nothing preventing it under the seat).  The handle is plastic so car has to be taken.  I find, whether it's correct or necessary or not I've not investigated, that if I slightly lift the handle before pumping down on the first stroke that it seems* less resistance on first stroke.

 

(sorry to others)  -  * Troll - please note I put these type of words and sometimes empathises in on purpose, please don't think you've clever in 'discovering' them. 

 

The info / data from this is what is used in the Motability website when the different cars suitability needs the measurements / dimensions.