How does the car seat fit in different types of cars?

A question that often arises among parents when it comes to choosing a car seat is: “Will it fit in our car?” The answer to that question is probably yes, but the question is: how much space will be left over?

We have created a visual guide where we have installed different child car seats in three common car sizes, to give you an easy overview in your search.

How do I know if the car seat fits in my car?

Knowing exactly how much space is available in your car is difficult. But with our guide below we hope to give you a good overview of how child car seats fit in different types of cars. We have selected representatives of three common car types to illustrate how much space is available in a hatchback, station wagon and SUV.

The biggest car is not always the most spacious

A bigger car means more space for a child seat, right? When we chose to install the child seats in the different cars, it turned out that this was not really the case. Our assumption that the SUV would undoubtedly have the most space inside turned out to be wrong, as we experienced significantly more space than expected inside the passenger compartment of the station wagon. And what about the hatchback? Even though the car is significantly smaller than the others in the test, we found an impressive amount of space there too – and realized that both one and two child seats can fit without any problems.

Guide: We show child car seats in three different car models

• In the guide we have used an Axkid ONE (beige) up to about 7 years (125 cm/23 kg) and an Axkid Minikid 2 (blue) about 6 years (125 cm/25 kg). The Axkid ONE is installed with ISOFIX and the Axkid Minikid 2 is belt-mounted.

• For reference, Wictor, who helps us illustrate legroom, is 186 cm tall.

Hatchback

A hatchback is a popular size for city driving and is a good fit as a smaller family car. Perhaps you have also chosen a hatchback as a second car for the family? Here we will let a Volkswagen Golf be the representative of a hatchback.

Here we are testing in a hatchback and have chosen a Volkswagen Golf.

With a child seat in the back, there is still plenty of legroom in the front.

Is it possible to fit two rear-facing child seats in a hatchback? No problem!

Combi

A station wagon is perhaps your first thought when it's time to look for a family car? It is a popular car type where the balance between space inside the car and in the car's luggage is grateful for those who want plenty of space for both children and stuff. Here we let an Audi A6 be the representative of a station wagon.

In the station wagon, we see plenty of legroom for the passenger.

Even with the child seat in the passenger seat, there is comfortable space for Wictor, who is 186 cm tall, to sit in the back.

When two child car seats are installed in the station wagon, there is noticeably more space than in the hatchback.

SUV

Along with the station wagon, SUVs have emerged as an increasingly popular family car in recent years. With a spacious interior and comfortable height from the road, they are a practical choice for those who often travel long distances. Here, we let a Volvo XC60 be the representative of SUVs.

How much legroom is there in the SUV? It's somewhere between a hatchback and a station wagon.

There is room here to angle the child car seat to a more reclined position, without compromising legroom in the passenger seat.

As in the station wagon, we find plenty of room for two child seats. However, we see a slight difference in the space. The station wagon takes first place as the most spacious when two child seats are connected behind each other.