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

A question that often arises from 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 a simple 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 there is in a hatchback, station wagon and SUV.

Biggest car not always most spacious

Bigger car means more space for the car seat, right? When we chose to mount the child car seats in the different cars, it turned out that it wasn't quite like that. Our notion that the SUV would undoubtedly have the most space inside turned out to be incorrect, as we experienced significantly more space than expected inside the hatchback's cabin. And the hatchback then? Despite the fact that the car is significantly smaller than the others in the test, we thought we found an impressive amount of space there too - and realized that both one and two child car seats fit without problem.

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). Axkid ONE is installed with ISOFIX and Axkid Minikid 2 is belt-mounted.

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

Hatchback

A hatchback is a popular size for city driving and works well as a smaller family car. Perhaps it is also the case that you have chosen a hatchback as the second car for the family? Here we let a Volkswagen Golf represent the hatchback.

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

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

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

Station wagon

Combi is perhaps your first thought that comes to mind, it's time to look for a family car? It is a popular type of car 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 gadgets. Here we let an Audi A6 represent the station wagon.

In the combination, we see a lot of legroom for the person sitting in the passenger seat.

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

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

SUV

Along with station wagons, SUVs have risen as an increasingly popular family car in recent years. With a spacious interior and comfortable height from the roadway, it will be a practical choice for you who often drive longer distances. Here we let a Volvo XC60 represent the SUV.

How much legroom is there in the SUV? Midway between hatchback and hatchback.

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