Photo: ADAC
Having seven seats in one small car is great if you want everybody to be together for a weekend trip to the pool or a night at the movie theatre watching the latest Disney flick. However, it could all turn into a horror story if the vehicle were to be involved in an accident.
The crash tests carried out by the ADAC in Germany have shown cheap 7-seater cars could be very dangerous. They conducted a test where the Fiat 500L Living was rear-ended at a speed of 60 km/h.
For those of you who don't know, the Living is a longer version of the 500L MPV that allowed Fiat to add another two seats in the back. There are many automakers that do this, including Renault, Peugeot and Opel.
Because the last seats are placed over the axle, the passengers sit higher. ADAC found that, because of this, adult mannequins hit their heads on the headliner.
One in every five crashes that happen in Germany is a rear-end one. ADAC, which is Europe's biggest car club, found that the headrests of the back seats actually broke through the rear window. If the vehicle responsible for the crash were to be tall, like an SUV or commercial vehicle, this could result in deadly force being inflicted.
The sturdy backrests, however, pleasantly surprised the crash test engineers. They concluded that the further these last two seats were from the rear of the vehicle, the safer they become. However, not everybody can afford a Volvo XC90 or Audi Q7.
Most people buy these slightly crammed 7-seaters because they are cheap, not because they are easy to park or more frugal. The 500L Living starts at just €19,650, while a Volkswagen Sharan will set you back anywhere from €35,270 up.
The ADAC study also warns about the use of child seats. Most parents think that because babies don't need legroom, it's better to place them at the back of the vehicle. Unfortunately, most baby seats are not designed to be installed there.
For those of you who don't know, the Living is a longer version of the 500L MPV that allowed Fiat to add another two seats in the back. There are many automakers that do this, including Renault, Peugeot and Opel.
Because the last seats are placed over the axle, the passengers sit higher. ADAC found that, because of this, adult mannequins hit their heads on the headliner.
One in every five crashes that happen in Germany is a rear-end one. ADAC, which is Europe's biggest car club, found that the headrests of the back seats actually broke through the rear window. If the vehicle responsible for the crash were to be tall, like an SUV or commercial vehicle, this could result in deadly force being inflicted.
The sturdy backrests, however, pleasantly surprised the crash test engineers. They concluded that the further these last two seats were from the rear of the vehicle, the safer they become. However, not everybody can afford a Volvo XC90 or Audi Q7.
Most people buy these slightly crammed 7-seaters because they are cheap, not because they are easy to park or more frugal. The 500L Living starts at just €19,650, while a Volkswagen Sharan will set you back anywhere from €35,270 up.
The ADAC study also warns about the use of child seats. Most parents think that because babies don't need legroom, it's better to place them at the back of the vehicle. Unfortunately, most baby seats are not designed to be installed there.
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