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How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?

Editor’s note: This Car Seat Check was written in May 2017 about the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. Little of substance has changed with this year’s model. To see what’s new for 2018, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.

Chevrolet’s Bolt EV may be tiny, but it packs a big punch in a few key places: range and room. The all-electric compact hatchback has an EPA-estimated range of 238 miles and an exceptionally roomy cabin for a car this size. During one drive, two editors more than 6 feet tall had enough headroom and reasonable legroom in the backseat. Likewise, the Bolt had no problem accommodating two car seats.

How many car seats fit in the second row? Two

Related: More Car Seat Checks

Solid

  • Latch, grade A: Two sets of anchors sit beneath slits in the upholstery. They’re easy to access and use.
  • Infant, grade A: Connection was easy, and our 5-foot-6-inch front passenger had enough legroom thanks to very thin front seats and a dash/control panel design that maximizes knee space.
  • Rear-facing convertible, grade A: Easy to install and plenty of legroom for the front passenger.
  • Forward-facing convertible, grade A: This seat was also easy to install and fit well after we raised the head restraint. The three top tether anchors on the seatbacks are clearly marked and easy to use.

So-So

  • Booster, grade B: After raising the head restraint, the booster fit well. The buckles are on floppy bases, which might make them tough for kids to grasp and use independently.

Skip It

  • None

Grading Scale

Solid indicates an A grade for optimum ease of use and fit. So-So indicates B or C grades for one to two ease-of-use or fit issues. Skip It indicates D or F grades.

A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn’t impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row.   

B: One room, fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing third row when available.

C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. Difficult to access third row when available.

D: Insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.

F: Does not fit or is unsafe.

About Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks

Editors Jennifer Geiger, Jennifer Newman and Matt Schmitz are certified child safety seat installation technicians.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30 infant-safety seat, a Britax Marathon convertible seat and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.

We also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row’s middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there’s a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. Learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks.

Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

Jennifer Geiger
News Editor Jennifer Geiger joined the automotive industry in 2003, much to the delight of her Corvette-obsessed dad. Jennifer is an expert reviewer, certified car-seat technician and mom of three. She wears a lot of hats — many of them while driving a minivan.
Email Jennifer Geiger

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