Split rear seat in the 2004 xc70

[xcool]

Just picked up my new 2004 xc70 a couple of days ago.  When I got home I realized that the split folding rear seat has a 60/40 split instead of the 40/20/40 split as described in the brochure.  The show room model in the dealership also has the 40/20/40 split.  I was kind of disappointed and angry because the 40/20/40 split should allow me to put some skis there and still comfortably sit 2 adults in the back.  So I called up the dealer and he told me Volvo ships both seat
designs.  I asked him if this is a previous year model and he told me not.

Just for my own sanity, how many people here has an 04 with a 60/40 split and how many has the 40/20/40?

I must say that there are a couple of things desirable about the 60/40 design.  The cargo net is integrated into the backrest of the rear  seats and retracts completely into it.  It also has a real pulldown armrest in the middle seat.

I still think that the dealer should have known about this and offered me the choice.  Is there anything I can do now?

[littlewaywelt]

If you've accepted delivery you're probably out of options.  You might be able to buy a new seatback and seat cushion but it would probably be prohibitively expensive.  I doubt that a dealer would be willing to trade it out.  Perhaps you can find someone that's willing to trade with you.  Personally, I much prefer the setup of the 60/40 to the 40/20/40 because of the pull out cargo net and center fold down armrest which has cupholders.  When we have the third row seat installed and have to remove the steel barrier it will be nice to have the cargo net so seemlessly integrated rather than strapping it on.
just my .03

[XC70Viking]

I got the 40/20/40 version and it is something I have to order and pay extra 250$US for  http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sneaky2.gif

How about the cooler? Do you have to have this kind of backseat to fit it?

I like the idea of beeing able to put my skiis in there too.

Since I have'nt got the car yet, don't know if I will like it or not http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/lookaround.gif

[jst4fun]

I ordered my XC70 2004, and it came with 40.20.40, which is what I prefer.

there was some confusion at time of order, with the dealer first telling me that that in order to get the versatility package and integrated boosters, I would have to get 60/40 version, but I pushed it, and found that I could get boosters on the 40.20.40 configuration.   I did order mine, and pick it up in Sweden, but they are built and configured per US specs.  Should be same options available to US, but it is possible that US dealers artificially limit the number of configurations supported.  i.e. if you get boosters, you have to get 60/40, if you order and pick up in US.

sounds like 60/40 has some advantages too. but I enjoy flipping the middel seat-bottom forward and putting bags/stuff in the middle.  also works great for putting long items in their such as snowboards.

take care

[xcool]

The xc70 in the show room of my dealer has the 40/20/40 and the booster seats.  My point is that the 40/20/40 is supposed to be "standard".  Nowhere in the 2004 brochure does it mention 60/40.  I feel that the dealer should know about this and should have given me the option of taking the car with the 60/40 split.

[dcawd]

One clue to what might have happened--Volvo appears to have changed what seat is standard. If I read the OSD website correctly, it switched from 40/20/40 to 60/40 as standard in 'production week 348' whenever that was.  I am not sure that this applies to non OSD cars as well, but I don't see why it would not. I wonder why the change?

Still, dealer ought to have told you that what you were to receive was going to be different from what was on his showroom floor.

[xcool]

I just called Volvo to find out what's the deal with the rear seat.  They confirmed to me that they had changed the rear seating to 60/40 starting November 2003.  Cars that are manufactured after that will get the 60/40 split.  So the information in the brochure is supposed to be outdated.  

I feel better after talking to Volvo about this, but how come sometimes dealers don't seem to know about this kind of thing.  I wonder...

Thanks for everyone who replied.

[pico de luuks]

That must be a recent option: booster seats and the 40/20/40 seats. Tried that on my late 02 Xc and that was a nogo http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif
In almost two years I have never used the additional versatility of the 40/20/40 seats and the kids miss the cupholders http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/lookaround.gif
Hindsight.....

http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/pico.gif

[edit: But once I have the cooler, it al will make sense again http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif ]

[gibbons]

Hey xcool, what color is your interior?  My car has 40/20/40 seats with boosters, and I may be willing to trade.  We are between needing boosters (our kids are older, but not old enough to make me us grandparents).  My XC is an 04 with taupe leather delivered in December.  I'm in Utah, but you're probably in Maine or somewhere really convenient like that.

Send me an message if you find this interesting.

By the way, they changed the content of the touring package, too.  They eliminated the grocery bag net.  My wife was bummed.

[Kilge]

Hello xcool!

I had to register just to reply to this post.

I could have started this thread myself, I got my car last Friday and have the exact same problem. I have the integrated boosters but they shouldn’t exclude the STANDARD 40/20/40 seat, at least not in Finland. I don’t know if its different in the US.

I think I got the 60/40 because I ordered cup holders for the rear armrest. Yes that’s true, because I ordered the cup holders I also got the (to my opinion ridiculous) folding table between the rear seats (which I didn’t know of before I got my car) and this table excludes the 40/20/40 seat. No one told me that the cup holders weren’t available for the 40/20/40 and therefore am I going to demand that the dealer will have the rear seat changed.

I think that you should do the same if you really want the 40/20/40 seat and no one even told you that ther was an other option. Do you BTW also have the folding table between the rear seats?

[VerVolvo]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (littlewaywelt @ Jan. 28 2004,21:23)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">When we have the third row seat installed and have to remove the steel barrier it will be nice to have the cargo net so seemlessly integrated rather than strapping it on.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I am afraid you will find out that the integrated net can not be used anymore when the third row seat is installed, because of the way the seat belts are attached to the ceiling. The only option my dealer offered was to use the foldable nylon net (with which I am quite satisfied).

[littlewaywelt]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (VerVolvo @ Jan. 29 2004,07:04)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (littlewaywelt @ Jan. 28 2004,21:23)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">When we have the third row seat installed and have to remove the steel barrier it will be nice to have the cargo net so seemlessly integrated rather than strapping it on.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I am afraid you will find out that the integrated net can not be used anymore when the third row seat is installed, because of the way the seat belts are attached to the ceiling. The only option my dealer offered was to use the foldable nylon net (with which I am quite satisfied).[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Actually my understanding is that the pull out nylon barrier will work with the 3rd row seat. &nbsp;Our neighbors have the third row and the slots to hold the barrier&#39;s top bar are still open. &nbsp;I believe only the steel barrier can&#39;t be used with the third row seat because it takes up the entire area where the seatbelts fit it. &nbsp;Our car also came with the fold up nylon barrier which is still in plastic, so we can use that instead.

[NeuDaddi]

My XC70, probably built in Sept or Oct of 2003, came with 40/20/40. &nbsp;It was on the dealer lot and the dealer tookt he Xenias off and gave us boosters instead, which is what we wanted. &nbsp;So, I don&#39;t know if there are any 40/20/40 with boosters as a stock item, but it can certainly be done. &nbsp;Funny thing is, I kind of wish it was 60/40 so that we had a better armrest in the back. &nbsp;But, since the middle of the seat is taken up by a carseat, that armrest won&#39;t be getting much action.

From what I could tell when I was at the dealership, the second row seats are basically a combination of a bunch of diffferent pieces. &nbsp;The seats and the seatbacks can all come out independently, which means that you should be able to replace your seats to get whichever configuration you want.

[xcool]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">
I think that you should do the same if you really want the 40/20/40 seat and no one even told you that ther was an other option. Do you BTW also have the folding table between the rear seats?
[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

I don&#39;t have folding table in the 60/40 seat and neither do I have an integrated cup holder, which I saw in the &quot;Manual in Motion&quot; DVD. But there are a pair of cup holders hidden inside the front seat armrest designed for rear passengers. Do you not have that? Like I said earlier, I have definitely seen a 40/20/40 seat with integrated boosters.

I am OK with the 60/40 seat, but I was very annoyed at the dealer not communicating to me about it before hand. I will never know in this case if he is truely clueless or just didn&#39;t want to jeopardize the sale. I wonder if Volvo does a good job communicating these kinds of changes to their dealers. They&#39;re certainly not doing a good job communicating to the consumers. Their brochure clearly showed the advantage of the 40/20/40 seat. Also the grocery bag holder option no longer looks the same. All I got in my car is just a yellow elastic band with a couple of hooks (what a joke of an option in my opinion), unlike what&#39;s shown in the picture, which has a nice net with side wings to it. Oh well...

[jlf]

Well now, this really stinks....just reading this thread for the first time....we took delivery late November on special order, so it was manufactured I think in October...our kids are older, and they like the arm rest and cup holders in our last x/c...the dealer here in NH said we could only get 40/20/40, and literature supported this....so that&#39;s what we ended up with....now I find I could have gotten the 60/40 with arm rest and cup holders....totally bummed&#33;&#33; http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[Art]

jlf,

I realize this might not be the solution that you were looking for, but one could always remove and reverse the center backrest then use it as an armrest. A bit fidgety, but nonetheless workable. Better yet, if the center seat isn&#39;t being occupied, what about getting the integrated cupholder/cooler box as XC70Viking and Pico suggested.

...I know that&#39;s what I did. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[gibbons]

I was playing around with my 20% section one day, and spun it around. &nbsp;Once turned over, the clip on the back for baby seat securing (now facing down) gouged into the seat bottom. &nbsp;

We won&#39;t be using baby seats for years (until grandkids), so I am going to remove all three of the teather points. &nbsp;I am going to put polished button head screws in the holes, and put the old bolts and clips with the spare.

[mrb]

Have 2004 built last week June has 40-20-40 with booster seats--picked up July 2 OSD

[jgoldsmith]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"> I don&#39;t have folding table in the 60/40 seat and neither do I have an integrated cup holder, which I saw in the &quot;Manual in Motion&quot; DVD. But there are a pair of cup holders hidden inside the front seat armrest designed for rear passengers. Do you not have that? Like I said earlier, I have definitely seen a 40/20/40 seat with integrated boosters.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

I have the same setup as you in the car I picked up this month. And while I don&#39;t care that much, it just makes me feel like someone is trying to dupe me or something. The center armrest does not have integrated cupholders like the ones in the 60/40 seats in the 2004 Rev A XC70&#39;s.

I had recently testdriven an XC70 with the three-section back seat with boosters and a real grocery bag holder. I assumed that the car I just bought would be like the one I testdrove and the one in the brochure until I was doing the final walkthrough...

I guess I will just write a letter of complaint to corporate and get on with my life and enjoy my car.

[Wijnand]

Picked up my new XC70 2004 two days ago. It has the 40/60 back seat as I wanted. I specially wanted the middle armrest, which can not be ordered with the 40/20/40 back seat. When my new car arrived I found out that the 40/60 could only be delivered with the integrated folding table and cupholders. Wonder if I will be going to use it.
One other thing to mention about the 40/60 seat is that I think it is probably safer than the 40/20/40. I saw a carprogram on television lately which showed heavy lugage being launhed actually THROUGH the backseat, breaking it in double. This of course in case of a head-on collision. Since the 40/20/40 seat has two splitting points it may be less strong. Or am I wrong? But it&#39;s better to tie luggage with belts if your afraid it will travel through your car on its own.

My kids love the middle armrest.

[pico de luuks]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Wijnand @ Jan. 31 2004,07:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I saw a carprogram on television lately which showed heavy lugage being launhed actually THROUGH the backseat, breaking it in double.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Was that a volvo?
Wrt the 40/20/24: I&#39;d be surprised if volvo would compromise safety for versatility http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/huh2.gif

http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/pico.gif

[bru4213]

We ordered our Car last week, and it was only when we were discussing the booster seats that the sales guy told us that the car was now standard with 40/60 rear sets and that the 40/20/40 was an option. I produced the bruchure, but he produced a page faxed from the Italian importers which replaced the relevant page...... I&#39;m not personally bothered, but I feel a little misled. This together with a 3 fold increase in delivery times (See thread on 2005 Facelift) The small print DOES say that they can change what they want when they want though&#33;

Regards

[TrueBlue]

For Wijnand:
I&#39;ve been lucky in that I have had both 60/40 and now 40/20/40 splits, so I can compare them. As to the safety aspect:-

Both versions are fixed with locking clamps on the outside. There is no lock between the 60 and the 40 section.
In the 40/20/40 version there is a lock between the LHS 40 and the 20, turning it into a 60.

To my mind the safety issue is the same between the two; ideally there should be an (another) inboard lock between the two sections. To be fair Volvo do say that the load should be secured - using the four anchorage points provided. What a pity these are only at floor level - IMO four additional at at least seat back height would be &#39;nice&#39;. It&#39;s better to restrain the load before it gets moving - which is what the nets do (stop it after it assumes the velocity of a projectile).

Three points as an aside:-
1). In my RHD UK car the 60 split is on the LHS, is it &#39;handed&#39; i.e. on the RHS in LHD cars?
2). The drop down steel frame luggage net (as opposed to a one piece steel net - which I have not seen except in pictures) looks as if it could be fitted behind the front seats. Has anyone moved it and used it in that position. It comes off quite easily, but could get in the way of rear seat passengers.
3). I found the flexible net which folds into the rear seat rests was a &#39;nice&#39; idea but horrible to use, being very flimsy. Any comments?

For Bru4123,

It&#39;s reasonable that specifications can be changed without notice, but everybody uses that clause to avoid updating the material at all . With the web being so pervasive, it&#39;s not beyond Volvo&#39;s with to publish changes on a regular basis. Over here the (prices) and specifications are quite good, but are modified only twice a year, and are the only definitive source of information - even to Volvo people (&#33http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

From what I can glean Volvo&#39;s manufacturing work on a day to day basis; if a supplier goes belly up or delivers unsatisfactory goods or whatever, they switch quickly (a simplification), and so on to the next problem... The same applies to &#39;version changes&#39;. Somebody makes a decision - and it happens in production. There doesn&#39;t seem to be a feedback process to let the sales side know what has happened.

Land Rover have a better system which says &#39;from VIN number xxxx&#39; these changes apply. Volvo may have it but nobody at the sharp end gets to know.

You know, Gentlemen and Ladies, there must be something
all right with Volvo in terms of quality and availability of information, if in the main we focus our attentions on seat splits, luggage nets, and headlamps bulbs.

Think on it......



&#39;Bye for now.

[littlewaywelt]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (TrueBlue @ Feb. 02 2004,05:58)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You know, Gentlemen and Ladies, there must be something
all right with Volvo in terms of quality and availability of information, if in the main we focus our attentions on seat splits, luggage nets, and headlamps bulbs.

Think on it......[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Well, I could go on and on about problem issues with our car and I have on occassion, but it&#39;s more enjoyable to discuss the features of the car than rant about quality. &nbsp; http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif