elpwr wrote:" we all agree the seat problem is of biblical proportions". - a totally false statement.
Many Bolt owners and potential purchasers find the seats completely satisfactory. Myself included.
"We all agree" is not accurate, I agree with you there. But I have had 6 people at work drive my car because they are (sorry were) interested in buying one. Only one (5'2" and probably 110lbs) thought the seats were "alright, but very hard". The others, all various size males and none over weight, said the seats were unbelievably narrow and very uncomfortable. They also all drove my Kia Soul EV. They all loved the seats. Same size car so apples to apples.
If you haven't yet read the Doug Review thread and watched the video review please do. He only has 3 gripes in the car. The seats are one. He was told they were narrow but he says they are even worse than he thought they would be (his words not mine) and he is not a big guy.
Me and my wife fight over who gets to drive our Kia Soul EV each day, for one reason only......... really, no BS, it's the only reason. We both think the Bolt is fantastic, except for the seats which make us want not to drive it.
And my wife is 5'6" and 135lbs.
The seats are too narrow, full stop. Add to that the almost complete lack of padding in the base and seat back. Add to that the high hard plastic seat base shell, and the pronounced hard side bolsters on the seat back.
The seats are at best for some "satisfactory", for many terrible and even painful.
My car is heading to the dealer for a repair of the seat back that has split away and a loud cracking noise when you lean against it. Others on this and another popular forum have had the same issues (some more than once now.
A leading car maker aiming to break new ground should be making sure that "Satisfactory" is the way someone who doesn't like the seats describes them.
They are losing sales because of these seats. If the don't make wider, more padded alternate seats available, they will lose me as an owner as soon as someone comes out with a car to match the mileage (that I can actually buy, not put a deposit on).