Back seat comfort

CAR COMPARO REAR SEAT COMFORT

Sarmad Kadiri heads rearwards into the unexplored world of the car’s back seat and narrates his amazing experiences

Taking the

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Photography Sawan S. Hembram

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I like the peace in the backseat, I don’t have to drive; I don’t have to speak, I can watch the country side, and I can fall asleep.

Lyrics of the song ‘In The Backseat’ by The Arcade Fire It’s no walk in the park for car seat designers to get the right balance especially while designing the rear seats. The biggest hurdle is that the seats should not be overly firm or super soft. Designers tackle this situation by placing a thin layer of soft material over a denser base. They also depend on digital technology to get more accurate data to create a design that will fit the common body type of a costumer.

CAR India meticulously rummaged through innumerable cars to decide the best in rear seat comfort from every segment. Of course, our prime focus was comfort but we also considered other frills like safety, how wide the doors open for easy entry/exit of passengers, the buttons/switches and their position, other luxury bits like mirrors, blinds, reading lights, et al to name a few. We also took into consideration the ride quality of the car.

Mahindra Renault Logan The Logan sedan has proved to be big value for money and is probably the only car at its price that can render such shoulder room. The rear window button is situated in the center between the two front seats and bending to reach the buttons can be discomforting. The deep rear seats are not overly cushy but are comfortably firm, provide great back support. Like some other European cars, the rear windows do not go down completely. Another interesting aspect is the removable middle armrest.

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Honda Jazz The Jazz has magical seats full of nifty little compartments for your knickknacks.

The rear seats are divided in 60:40 ratio with various folding arrangements to ‘Fit’ all your needs. The premium hatch offers sedan like legroom and a five star safety rating from Euro NCAP. The Jazz spells comfort and reliability, although the suspension might seem a little soft for some. Apart from a smart design and brilliant engine, you also get a personal cup holder! So, ‘Why so serious?’

Toyota Corolla Altis Cool, comfort and classy – the Corolla Altis. The subtle drive coupled with aesthetic interiors and Toyota’s reliability makes it the unmistakable winner of this segment. Dressed in cool beige leather, the sofa-like seats hug you and provide all-around support. If you weren’t already spoilt with space, the front seats have been carved to provide some more room.

The rear seats have a practical 60:40 folding ratio to increase the storage area.

The Corolla Altis wins our hearts as well, at least in this segment.

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CAR COMPARO REAR SEAT COMFORT Skoda Superb The immense leg room in the car is simply ‘Superb’. The fine quality leather used for the upholstery adds to the car’s extravagance. There is storage space at the centre to dump knickknacks, separate A/C vent and reading light at the rear seat. There are manual blinds for both the rear windows and rear screen. The doors open to a large angle making getting in and out a breeze. All these features coupled with a brilliant ride make the Superb the obvious pick in this segment.

M&M Xylo While the Xylo was busy slaughtering sedans on the road we plonked ourselves on the third row seats to check out the seating comfort back there. We were surprised to find decent leg space, cup holders, A/C vents, adjustable reading lights and large second row windows for the convenience of passengers. The wide door angle and foldable second row seats made getting in or out pretty easy. Be prepared though as the ride tends to feel bumpy for mortals seated on the third row.

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CAR COMPARO REAR SEAT COMFORT Toyota Innova The Innova has been dominating this segment for years now. Toyota delivers great value for money with amazing reliability and the Innova is no exception.

Both the front seats recline completely to join the rear seats making a makeshift bed, however, the independent bucket rear seat might be slightly uncomfortable for passengers on the heavier side. The legroom at the second row seats with the high roof is simply wonderful during long drives. We didn’t have to look any further in this segment.

Mercedes-Benz E-class The E-class has become synonymous with quality, reliability and class leading ride comfort. The semi-active AIRMATIC Dual Control air suspension and ADS (Adaptive Damping System) assures smooth sailing over road bumps.

The great ride topped with frills like a rear armrest, window blinds and independent rear A/C vents make it a clear winner in its segment. However, the electronic rear blind has controls accessible only to the driver. But the wide door angle and the smart foldable rear headrest further strengthen our decision.

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CAR COMPARO REAR SEAT COMFORT Mercedes-Benz ML Class The deep seats of this brute SUV are firm and ready for off-roading. To enhance the rear legroom the front seats have been scooped out at the back making it look super cool. The German feels solid, right from the thud of the doors to the foldable armrests. The rear seats are divided in 60:40 ratio to make room for all your camping gear. One also gets a separate control console for the air-con and vents.

The rock solid ML is the clear winner in this segment.

Audi A8

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The synthesis of excellent seats, an exceptionally refined ride and overall comfort makes this Audi an outright winner. The new A8 has brilliant legroom and support for your feet. The window plus rear blinds and adjustable headrests can be fine-tuned by the driver and the passenger. Adding to its opulence is a fridge, a collapsible mirror, several cubby holes plus personal A/C vents. You also get your own deck of controls. The car’s adaptive air suspension irons out bumps making the ride silky smooth. Gliding in the A8 was relaxing and pleasurable making this Audi the unanimous choice for having the best overall rear seat comfort across all segments.