Removable rear seat back in Zoe

10278 Views 30 Replies 20 Participants Last post by Stormgrey, Apr 23, 2021

Kit Watson

Discussion Starter · Jun 19, 2017

You may know about this already but after 18months of complaining about the non splitting seats in the back of the Zoe I find the seat back lifts out!

No mention of this feature in the manual (that I could find).

Only one passing mention on this forum when I did a search just now here (buried in one of those 'my car is better than your car' discussions).

I was literally all ready, socket set in hand, to try unbolting the seat and hey presto it unclips!

The option of another (older) Zoe just leap-frogged the C-Zero/Ion in the running to replace the current Zoe as it now passes the 'taking the greyhounds to the vet/woods' test. So just got interested in the discussion about Zoes at auction here

The question which is now haunting me is: What other features am I missing? Maybe it has a switch which activates the 140mile NEDC range?

Reactions: 3

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StinkyPete

· #2 · Jun 19, 2017

Yeah, this is one of those things that is probably common-knowledge amongst the regulars here, but as you've pointed out; you wouldn't know about it unless you had been reading some completely unrelated threads! So your post certainly makes it easier to find the information.

Eclectic

· #3 · Jun 20, 2017

Kit Watson said:
You may know about this already but after 18months of complaining about the non splitting seats in the back of the Zoe I find the seat back lifts out!

No mention of this feature in the manual (that I could find).

I was literally all ready, socket set in hand, to try unbolting the seat and hey presto it unclips!

How much of a job is it to take the seat out?

I'm looking to replace my Honda Jazz with a Zoe, but the "Magic seats" in the Jazz are really useful to me, as I often need to use the car for transporting larger items.

cDy

· #4 · Jun 20, 2017

Eclectic said:
How much of a job is it to take the seat out?

I'm looking to replace my Honda Jazz with a Zoe, but the "Magic seats" in the Jazz are really useful to me, as I often need to use the car for transporting larger items.

The seat back on the Zoe unclips and lifts out easily but you have to find somewhere to put it. I'm just replacing my Jazz with a Zoe. The Jazz is a lot better in this respect than the Zoe. The magic seats just fold into the footwell and you have a flat loadspace.

Reactions: 1

Sandy

· #5 · Jun 20, 2017

Its never been a secret, just not in the manual. Someone said its also possible to remove the seat base as well as back but I've never needed to remove that much of the back seat myself so never tried.

Eclectic

· #6 · Jun 20, 2017

cDy said:
The seat back on the Zoe unclips and lifts out easily but you have to find somewhere to put it. I'm just replacing my Jazz with a Zoe. The Jazz is a lot better in this respect than the Zoe. The magic seats just fold into the footwell and you have a flat loadspace.

That's handy to know, I could get away with removing the seatback, unlike on my wife's Fiesta, where it just sort of flops forwards and doesn't give any extra length to the bootspace.

Kit Watson

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 20, 2017

Pivot seat back forward then lift at the hinge point and the catch just lets go. A couple of photos showing the space created (and the reduced step) and the catch/hinge mechanism.
Now if I could remove the seat base as well ....

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Reactions: 5

Eclectic

· #8 · Jun 22, 2017

Kit Watson said:
Pivot seat back forward then lift at the hinge point and the catch just lets go. A couple of photos showing the space created (and the reduced step) and the catch/hinge mechanism.
Now if I could remove the seat base as well ....

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Thanks for the pics Kit, that is a very usable space. I'm sure I can get the mower and tools in there!

Wabiloo

· #9 · Dec 3, 2017

Not sure if it's because I have the new ZE40, but in mine I can only do that on one side. On the other side, there is no gap between the metal "hook" and the plastic that surrounds the mechanism, so I can't pull the seat out...

Mtcm

· #10 · Dec 3, 2017

Wabiloo said:
Not sure if it's because I have the new ZE40, but in mine I can only do that on one side. On the other side, there is no gap between the metal "hook" and the plastic that surrounds the mechanism, so I can't pull the seat out...

The metal “hook” slides back - Take the strain off the hook and give it a good push and it should release.

I had a ZE40 on demo for a week and had the rear seat out with no issues.

Giblet

· #11 · Dec 3, 2017

This is very useful to know. Will be handy for the next tip run!

Problemchild

· #12 · Dec 3, 2017

Kit Watson said:
Pivot seat back forward then lift at the hinge point and the catch just lets go. A couple of photos showing the space created (and the reduced step) and the catch/hinge mechanism.
Now if I could remove the seat base as well ....

View attachment 42313 View attachment 42321

I like that a lot

JJ

Eclectic

· #13 · Mar 25, 2018

Now I have my own Zoe, I've had a look at how best to make the most of the space with the rear seat either removed or folded, and have found a reasonable compromise.

In the handbook, it shows the seat back appearing to lie on the squab, but not attached, so I gave it a go, and it works out well. By flipping the seat back forwards and then pulling up to unclip it, you can stow the parcel shelf and have another almost flat storage area. Pulling out the headrests allows the seat to drop another inch or so, and also locates the parcel shelf to stop it rattling about.

I need to get two folding bikes and a suitcase in the back, and this configuration does the job admirably!

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EddDeDuck

· #14 · Mar 25, 2018

How much does the back seat weigh?

Also has anyone gotten instructions about removing the bottom section of the rear seats?

It’s more idle curiousity but I wondered what the weight penalty is carrying around rear seats and if they would make any difference to the range.

I figured it would be negligible at best but also might be worth a couple of weeks of A/B testing once my Zoe arrives purely to satisfy my curiosity.

Plugger1

· #15 · Mar 25, 2018

I'm guessing nobody has taken this to the extreme Bjorn levels and tried to squeeze a mattress in their Zoe? Pull the fuse for the day time running lights and you've got yourself a camper mode

Reactions: 1

DutchDriver

· #16 · Mar 26, 2018

@Plugger1 exactly what I was thinking, but didn't dare ask

I'd imagine you'd have to stuff your feet between the chairs or something?

yoh-there

· #17 · Mar 26, 2018

@DutchDriver Ask HarmOtten in the Dutch forum. He did all of that, including wiring an extra 12 volt plug in the back for a coolbox.

Reactions: 1

DutchDriver

· #18 · Mar 26, 2018

Well whaddya say... found it: Camper mode - RENAULT forum
Translated into English by Google (but to view the images, you need to log in)

AndrewC

· #19 · Jun 2, 2018

EddDeDuck said:
How much does the back seat weigh?

Also has anyone gotten instructions about removing the bottom section of the rear seats?

It’s more idle curiousity but I wondered what the weight penalty is carrying around rear seats and if they would make any difference to the range.

I figured it would be negligible at best but also might be worth a couple of weeks of A/B testing once my Zoe arrives purely to satisfy my curiosity.

The backseat back weighs very little - the wife and I have just been playing with EV.

The base of the rear seat is the frame of the car with a little bit of foam molding and seat so didn't seem worth playing with.

Eclectic

· #20 · Jun 2, 2018

AndrewC said:
The backseat back weighs very little - the wife and I have just been playing with EV.

The base of the rear seat is the frame of the car with a little bit of foam molding and seat so didn't seem worth playing with.

You must be stronger than me - I thought the back seat was fairly heavy.

I've found the easiest way to make more room in the back, without having to store bits in the house, is to remove the rear seat from its clips and tip it forward into the space between front and rear seats, then store the parcel shelf in front of it - there is room for it.

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