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Fold down seats?

24K views 31 replies 19 participants last post by  SiWri 
#1 ·
Hi folks, new member here. I'm going to pick up my 16 plate xe r-sport on Friday, looking at the pictures online it's hard to tell wether the back seats fold down. Does this option come as standard on the r sport or is it still a optional extra? Cheers
 
#2 ·
It was never standard on the XE although I hear it might be on the 21MY ?
It's a bit tricky if you are just looking at pictures as the obvious signs are the pull handles under the shelf in the boot.

But the seats are split 40/20/40 and the centre portion has a release handle under the centre headrest to open the "ski" hatch.
I don't know if the dealer has internal shots of the interior that might show it.
A bit hard to see but found a photo that might help.
You can just see the start of the handle cut out under the centre head rest on this one:

Car Vehicle Motor vehicle Head restraint Car seat cover
 

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#4 ·
PhilB said:
It was never standard on the XE although I hear it might be on the 21MY ?
Definitely standard on MY21 but still with the ridiculous and impractical boot releases :x
 
#5 ·
Yes, all other cars I've had with folding rear seats have had push buttons in the top of the seat backs to release them. This also means that there is a way into the boot from inside the car. This is both convenient - and also vital if the battery fails and you can only the enter the car with the skeleton key, because the boot lid release is solely electrical.
Why JLR persist with these tacky pull cables is a mystery!
 
#6 ·
You can't see the buttons when standing close to the back of the car. I'd never had the need to drop the seats so wasn't aware of them and while trying to jam luggage into the boot I managed to knock one of the buttons out of its hole.
They're too vulnerable.
 
#7 ·
Hopefully the OP will be able to determine if his upcoming car has the folding seats already fitted.
Which I believe was the reasoning behind this thread ?

Or do you all want yet another moan fest about the folding seat release handles ?
:lol:
 
#9 ·
Davejag said:
I think the reason the seat release is in the boot is because, if it was on the seat, someone could put the window through and then access the boot. It's a security measure.
I think it's a cost cutting after thought!
 
#10 ·
Indianajons said:
Davejag said:
I think the reason the seat release is in the boot is because, if it was on the seat, someone could put the window through and then access the boot. It's a security measure.
I think it's a cost cutting after thought!
I agree.
Plus if you put the window in and gain access to the back seat you can open the centre section, reach in and pull the handles and fold the seat.
 
#11 ·
I'm sure I read somewhere on the forum a while back, the reason the releases are in the boot is something to do with it being a requirement in some countries.
 
#12 ·
BOBCDP said:
I'm sure I read somewhere on the forum a while back, the reason the releases are in the boot is something to do with it being a requirement in some countries.
If that's the case then why do other mainstream manufacturers like Audi, BMW and Ford amongst others, still have release catches in the passenger compartment? I assume they sell cars to all those same countries.
 
#13 ·
147daytona said:
BOBCDP said:
I'm sure I read somewhere on the forum a while back, the reason the releases are in the boot is something to do with it being a requirement in some countries.
If that's the case then why do other mainstream manufacturers like Audi, BMW and Ford amongst others, still have release catches in the passenger compartment? I assume they sell cars to all those same countries.
Indeed. I had an Audi A4 and the release was built into the back of the seat. It wasn't an add-on, it was part of the backrest.
 
#14 ·
Kushanku said:
147daytona said:
BOBCDP said:
I'm sure I read somewhere on the forum a while back, the reason the releases are in the boot is something to do with it being a requirement in some countries.
If that's the case then why do other mainstream manufacturers like Audi, BMW and Ford amongst others, still have release catches in the passenger compartment? I assume they sell cars to all those same countries.
Indeed. I had an Audi A4 and the release was built into the back of the seat. It wasn't an add-on, it was part of the backrest.
I wonder if it might be that the number of XE's built is very small in comparison with the likes of Audi, BMW etc? As folding seats were an extra anyway, probably most were made with fixed seats. To produce a relatively small number of seats with a front release would be very expensive so the bean counters would just love the choke cable solution.
 
#15 ·
BOBCDP said:
Kushanku said:
147daytona said:
If that's the case then why do other mainstream manufacturers like Audi, BMW and Ford amongst others, still have release catches in the passenger compartment? I assume they sell cars to all those same countries.
Indeed. I had an Audi A4 and the release was built into the back of the seat. It wasn't an add-on, it was part of the backrest.
I wonder if it might be that the number of XE's built is very small in comparison with the likes of Audi, BMW etc? As folding seats were an extra anyway, probably most were made with fixed seats. To produce a relatively small number of seats with a front release would be very expensive so the bean counters would just love the choke cable solution.
Except the folding seats in the XF is the same. The XF has the rubbish choke cables. Not what I expected from a Jaguar.

Regards John
 
#17 ·
Milfordman said:
BOBCDP said:
Kushanku said:
Indeed. I had an Audi A4 and the release was built into the back of the seat. It wasn't an add-on, it was part of the backrest.
I wonder if it might be that the number of XE's built is very small in comparison with the likes of Audi, BMW etc? As folding seats were an extra anyway, probably most were made with fixed seats. To produce a relatively small number of seats with a front release would be very expensive so the bean counters would just love the choke cable solution.
Except the folding seats in the XF is the same. The XF has the rubbish choke cables. Not what I expected from a Jaguar.

Regards John
The E-Pace has buttons in the backrest as per other makes, but I guess they are making these in much greater numbers as the split folding sits are across the range.
It does almost look like an afterthought on the XE & XF.
Out of interest were they on the previous XF?
 
G
#18 ·
I was surprised when I got the XE about the lack of folding seats (and folding mirrors lol), it was a bit of a pain, when I moved to the XF exactly the same.

I'm now on an XF Sportbrake which has levers on the backs of the seats but also levers on the side wall of the boot on each side so you can open them from the boot, the rear seats being weighted/sprung so that the fold flat straight away when you use them. The levers in the boot are flush to the side wall and are definately not an afterthought.

If they can manage such a good solution on the Sportbrake then it is possible to do it on the XE and XF saloon cars as they have already engineered a solution.

Cheers
 
#19 ·
Phorever said:
20201202_061758.jpg

See if there are these yellow tabs in the boot.
Many thanks for this post. I had no idea that the central part of the split seats had its own catch. If JLR had really wanted to keep the boot secure this catch should have only been operable from within the boot. Maybe the seat releases are in the boot so that someone trapped in the boot can release themselves ?
But seriously - the catches are not in keeping with the rest of the car and better solutions should have been found for the seat releases.
 
#20 ·
DavidW said:
I was surprised when I got the XE about the lack of folding seats (and folding mirrors lol), it was a bit of a pain, when I moved to the XF exactly the same.

I'm now on an XF Sportbrake which has levers on the backs of the seats but also levers on the side wall of the boot on each side so you can open them from the boot, the rear seats being weighted/sprung so that the fold flat straight away when you use them. The levers in the boot are flush to the side wall and are definately not an afterthought.

If they can manage such a good solution on the Sportbrake then it is possible to do it on the XE and XF saloon cars as they have already engineered a solution.

Cheers
This is exactly the same as an Audi A4 Avant. I guess in theory the rear seats in an estate get folded down a bit more so at Jag cost control they managed to get sign off for the better mechanism and levers.

The only good thing about not having folding seats is that the Jag stays clean and the wife's car gets to do the tip run and carry the odd large item.
 
#21 ·
The estates are designed for a through load.
So you don't have the big cross brace across the top of the boot like you do on the XE.
Probably for rigidity but it's a shame they didn't design it as a 3 box saloon with a hatch from the offset.

The folding seats can come in handy at this time of year though (Christmas before last when I still had the XE and it was a 6' Tree)

View attachment 5380

:D
 

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#22 ·
that car is about as dusty as I have ever seen, and I used to work in the outback!
 
#23 ·
BruceTheQuail said:
that car is about as dusty as I have ever seen, and I used to work in the outback!
Washing the car in the depths of winter around here is a pointless exercise!
One wet day and back to square one.
That's not dust either, it's road crud.
:D
 
#24 ·
PhilB said:
The estates are designed for a through load.
So you don't have the big cross brace across the top of the boot like you do on the XE.
Probably for rigidity but it's a shame they didn't design it as a 3 box saloon with a hatch from the offset.

The folding seats can come in handy at this time of year though (Christmas before last when I still had the XE and it was a 6' Tree)

20171209_103618.jpg

:D
Looks like you've been off-roading Phil.
Know what you mean by the pointless exercise though, same here!
 
#25 ·
JiggyJag said:
Looks like you've been off-roading Phil.
Know what you mean by the pointless exercise though, same here!
Funnily enough I did the Christmas Tree expedition again this morning!
The Ewok hasn't been washed since about early October and is absolutely minging.
But that's a good look for a 4x4 Suv.
Much easier with a hatchback too................................................. :mrgreen:
:D
 
#26 ·
PhilB said:
JiggyJag said:
Looks like you've been off-roading Phil.
Know what you mean by the pointless exercise though, same here!
Funnily enough I did the Christmas Tree expedition again this morning!
The Ewok hasn't been washed since about early October and is absolutely minging.
But that's a good look for a 4x4 Suv.
Much easier with a hatchback too................................................. :mrgreen:
:D
Yeh, I'm getting ear ache about washing the car!
 
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