[darvetis]

Wondering if it's possible to completely remove the rear seat bottoms, so the cargo area is completely flat when rear seat backs are folded forward. I completely removed rear seats in my '97 Rav4 (only 4 bolts hold seat in place); the increase in cargo capacity was significant. Never have people sit in the rear, so the seats were not missed.

 

[Oldboy]

I'm not sure about this. I saw the car at the Toronto auto show but I couldn't see if the rear seats are removable and there wasn't any mention of it that I saw. It would be a good thing to have though because it would make it more versatile and utilitarian.

 

[Jay]

I'm not sure about this. I saw the car at the Toronto auto show but I couldn't see if the rear seats are removable and there wasn't any mention of it that I saw. It would be a good thing to have though because it would make it more versatile and utilitarian.

i think that would be impossible to do, doubt they'll let the public get that close to it just yet. they probably still have pre-production models out at shows

 

[Oldboy]

i think that would be impossible to do, doubt they'll let the public get that close to it just yet. they probably still have pre-production models out at shows

Yea it was a right hand drive model that they had on show. So it probably wasn't exactly what the actual model will be.

 

[Frank]

Yea it was a right hand drive model that they had on show. So it probably wasn't exactly what the actual model will be.

Well, it could be the proper model just for a different market. Although that probably means there are some slight differences.

 

[CXIII]

Well, it could be the proper model just for a different market. Although that probably means there are some slight differences.

considering it was taken to a major show i guess all the really noticeable differences would be on the interior, exterior is pretty basic

 

[darvetis]

Found a pic on the Japanese Mazda website, showing an interior pic of the CX-3 with rear seats folded down. Looks like they fold down much more than I originally realized. No need to entirely remove the rear seats like I did on my current vehicle.

 

[Jay]

Found a pic on the Japanese Mazda website, showing an interior pic of the CX-3 with rear seats folded down. Looks like they fold down much more than I originally realized. No need to entirely remove the rear seats like I did on my current vehicle.

I actually like how 'flat' it gets, although there is some slight rise, it's good enough for what ever someone would need to throw back their.

 

[CXIII]

flat enough to a point that it's no longer in the way

 

[HelloThereCX3]

Do we know if there is a flat cargo/hatch entry or is there a lip?
A straight flat unimpeded entrance would help loading bulky items for sure.

 

[darvetis]

Do we know if there is a flat cargo/hatch entry or is there a lip?
A straight flat unimpeded entrance would help loading bulky items for sure.

Found this pic, taken at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Looks like there is a lip:

 

[Jay]

It might help to get one of those protectors that limo's use to protect that area from getting damaged when loading/unloading, even more so that the lip is their, don't want to damage that as well.

 

[darvetis]

A few more pics of the cargo area:

 

[apiary43]

Removing the three headrests allows for a flatter leveled surface

 

[Leavenfish]

Rear Seat Removal...sounds kinda drastic. Sounds like someone should have gotten one of the larger cargo comparable autos...

 

[MechaBouncer]

I wonder if removing the headrests on my 3 would do the same thing? They are shaped similarly.

 

[darvetis]

Rear Seat Removal...sounds kinda drastic. Sounds like someone should have gotten one of the larger cargo comparable autos...

Worthless comment of the day.

 

[Leavenfish]

Worthless comment of the day.

So....why did you make it?
Seriously, if someone is going THAT FAR...there is a really good chance they chose the wrong auto. This IS 2015...there are all kinds of similar autos with more space behind the drivers seat. Facts are facts.

 

[darvetis]

So....why did you make it?
Seriously, if someone is going THAT FAR...there is a really good chance they chose the wrong auto. This IS 2015...there are all kinds of similar autos with more space behind the drivers seat. Facts are facts.

HA, nice one! :laugh:

Here's the thing, it wasn't really a big deal to remove a few a few bolts from my Toyota to remove the rear seats. Took less than ten minutes and made a big difference in cargo capacity. Nothing drastic whatsoever, quite simple actually.

When I composed that original post, the car wasn't even available in the states. I thought the CX-3 might be a near perfect vehicle for my needs (except for the cargo capacity). If there was a simple way to increase cargo capacity (as I did with the Rav) I wanted to hear about it.