CX 9 After Market Captain Seats

folks,

anyone knows if after market solution is available to convert cx9 - 2nd raw bench seat to captain seat? (no middle seat) I like that concept in some newer SUVs, it provides easy access to 3rd raw. for those with very young babies in car seat, it can be blessing as moving bench seat is not easy to gain access to 3rd raw.

svusa said:

folks,

anyone knows if after market solution is available to convert cx9 - 2nd raw bench seat to captain seat? (no middle seat) I like that concept in some newer SUVs, it provides easy access to 3rd raw. for those with very young babies in car seat, it can be blessing as moving bench seat is not easy to gain access to 3rd raw.

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Why would you want a vehicle the size of a CX-9 that can only carry 6 passengers? For all that extra size, that's only one more than a CX-5.

tex2670 said:

Why would you want a vehicle the size of a CX-9 that can only carry 6 passengers? For all that extra size, that's only one more than a CX-5.

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I could see it if you want the legroom... Seat's fully back in front and second row of the 9 give you a ton more leg room (and just overall cabin room) than a CX-5, and you still get a big back section for gear. Yeah, you lose functionality of the third row if you slam the seats back, but for many the third row is an occasional use. It's just like why people by long wheel-base models of cars, a more luxurious back. In addition, for all that extra size you get a CUV that can tow and actually drive up a hill (I test drove the CX-5 and CX-9 back to back on I-70 out of town, 6% grade into the mountains, and the 5 definitely struggled more even though the 9 has so much more heft). Just sayin', there could be reasons

To the OP's question, I doubt there would be a ready made conversion since the market for the vehicle is so small, and @tex2670 brings up the good point of most people wouldn't want to loose the functionality. That said, a custom option wouldn't be too hard I should think, as the brackets would need to be the only custom part (you could just find some aftermarket captains chairs and have a fabricator build the seat brackets). While not necessarily hard, it would cost a lot probably.

Good luck finding a shop that will take on the risk of a custom conversion like that. Seats and the restraints that go with them are heavily safety tested by the manufacture to meet strict DOT standards. Not many shops will take on the liability of a captains chair conversion failing in a crash.

eskimo0101 said:

Good luck finding a shop that will take on the risk of a custom conversion like that. Seats and the restraints that go with them are heavily safety tested by the manufacture to meet strict DOT standards. Not many shops will take on the liability of a captains chair conversion failing in a crash.

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true story and good point. I didn't really think of the liability factor, more of what you would do in the event of swapping out a seat to a racing seat in a track day conversion... My head wasn't in the frame of mind of "family hauler", lol.

Thanks guys.. I know custom solution would be difficult to develop. Since manufacturer seat design is 2-1 split, it will be hard to install captain chair. Looks like no one has really ventured in this direction.

I understand not everyone needs space to walk between two seats, but when you have couple of young kids in the car seat... it is hard to move 2nd raw up n down to gain access to 3 raw. Needless to say, very young kid may not like to seat alone in 3rd raw hence need for easy access.