Citroen Saxo bucket seat guide
1996 to 2003
More people have learned to drive quickly in a Saxo than in almost anything else sold in this country, and a lot of them are buying their first proper seat while doing it. So this page is written with that in mind rather than for somebody with a workshop and a budget.
The short version: a Sparco direct fit frame and an Auto Style K5 shell will give you a complete, properly mounted seat for less than a set of tyres. That is not a compromise, it is genuinely how a lot of good Saxos are set up, and it is a far better use of the money than most of the other things people bolt to these cars.
What we would ask you to do is spend it in the right order, because the order matters more than the total.
- Two direct fit frames are catalogued, from Sparco and OMP, and both are base mount
- No sliding sub frame exists for this car, so the seat position is set once
- The Auto Style K5 is listed at a 28in to 32in waist and is the value shell here
- The OMP TRS-E is FIA approved, mounts either way and is listed from a 28in waist
- No roll cage is catalogued for the Saxo, so a harness needs a bar behind the seats
- Three Corbeau pairs are listed if you are doing both sides at once
What is on this page
Spend it in this order
If the budget is tight, and on a Saxo it usually is, here is the order we would spend it in and the reasoning behind each step.
Frame first, always. A seat sitting on the standard runners or on something somebody welded up is worse than the standard seat, because it will move when you need it not to. The frame is the cheapest part here and it is the part that makes everything above it work.
Seat second, and buy the one that fits you rather than the one that looks best. A shell that is too wide lets you slide, which is the whole thing you were trying to fix.
Harness last, and only once you have somewhere solid to anchor it. A harness on a bad anchor is worse than a standard belt, so if the bar is not there yet, keep the standard belt and enjoy the seat. There is no rush.
The frames
Sparco and OMP both catalogue a direct fit sub frame for the Saxo and both are base mount. They bolt into the standard seat mounting points and take the new seat straight onto them, which puts the seat lower than the standard one.
There is no sliding sub frame for this car, so the fore and aft adjustment goes and the position is set once. On a Saxo that is normally fine, because it is normally one person driving it. If two of you share it and you are different heights, that is a real conversation to have before you order rather than after.
A fixed back shell also needs a pair of side mount brackets on top of the frame. Those are a separate part again and they are not in the box with the seat.
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The seats
Two of these are FIA approved. The Cobra Monaco Pro is the one most Saxo track builds use, and the OMP TRS-E is the narrow one at a 28in to 36in waist, which is unusually generous for an approved seat and suits a small cabin. Both mount either base or side, so they work on the frame with or without side mounts.
The Auto Style K5 at a 28in to 32in waist is the value answer and the seat we would put in a road Saxo without hesitating. The Auto Style BS6 is the fixed back option if you want the look and the lateral support.
If you are doing both sides, the three Corbeau pairs are listed to a 38in waist and for all driver heights, and buying them as a pair is cheaper than two singles. The Sparco R100 Vinyl and the R500s are the middle ground: proper support, still reclines, still liveable on a long drive.
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Our picksSparco frame and an Auto Style K5 is the honest first seat
Complete, properly mounted, narrow enough for the cabin and cheaper than most people expect. If the car does track days and you want approval, swap the shell for the OMP TRS-E, which is FIA 8855-1999 and still listed from a 28in waist. Send Cameron your height and waist rather than guessing, because a seat that is too wide does not do the job you bought it for.
Harnesses
The standard belt is right on the road and works with every seat above. On circuit a harness is what actually holds you into the seat, but only if it is anchored properly, and on a Saxo that is the whole difficulty.
We do not catalogue a roll cage for this car, so the shoulder straps need a harness bar behind the front seats at or above shoulder height. Not the rear seat belt mountings. Not a hole in the floor behind the seat. Those angles pull down through your spine in an accident instead of holding you back against the seat, and it is the one harness mistake that genuinely injures people.
If you have not got the bar yet, keep the standard belt. That is not us being cautious, it is the right answer.
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Our recommendationsThe bar comes before the belts
Sort the anchor first and the belt choice is easy. The TRS Clubman belts cover fast road and trackday use and never need renewing, which suits a car that gets driven all year. The Magnum 6 point Superlite and the Schroth Profi carry FIA dates for series that ask for them. Tell us what is behind the seats and we will match them.
What fits what
Waist, height and approval are taken from each product listing. Where a listing does not state a figure the table says so.
| Seat | Mounting | Waist | Height | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Style Type BS6 | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Road and track |
| Cobra Monaco Pro | Base or side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | FIA 8855-1999 |
| OMP TRS-E Velour | Base or side mount | 28in to 36in | Under 6ft | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Auto Style Type K5 | Base mount | 28in to 32in | Under 6ft | Road and track |
| Sparco R100 | Base mount | All sizes | All heights | Road and track |
| Sparco R100 Vinyl | Base mount | 32in to 38in | All heights | Road and track |
| Sparco R500 Fabric | Base mount | 32in to 38in | All heights | Road and track |
| Sparco R500 Sky | Base mount | 32in to 38in | All heights | Road and track |
| Sparco GT | Base mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Road and track |
| Corbeau Sportline RRS (pair) | Base mount | 32in to 38in | All heights | Road and track |
| Corbeau Sportline RRB Black (pair) | Base mount | 32in to 38in | All heights | Road and track |
| Corbeau SVR Vinyl (pair) | Base mount | 32in to 38in | All heights | Road and track |
Questions about fitting seats in a Citroen Saxo
What is the cheapest complete setup?
The Sparco direct fit frame and an Auto Style K5 shell. That is a properly mounted seat in the correct mounting points, narrow enough for the cabin, for less than a set of tyres. It is how a lot of good Saxos are set up and there is nothing second rate about it.
Can I just bolt a bucket seat to the standard runners?
Please do not. The standard runners are made for the standard seat and a bucket on top of them sits too high and moves when it should not, which is the opposite of what you bought it for. The frame is the cheapest part of this job and it is the part that makes the rest work.
Is there a roll cage for a Saxo?
Not one we catalogue against this car. If you are running a harness you need a bar behind the front seats for the shoulder straps. If you need a cage for a competition licence, ring us and tell us what you are entering and we will talk you through the options.
Which FIA approved seat fits a slim driver?
The OMP TRS-E Velour. It is listed from a 28in waist and carries FIA 8855-1999, which is a rare combination, and it mounts either base or side so it works with or without side mount brackets.
Sparco frame or OMP frame?
Either will do the job and both are base mount direct fits. The Sparco one is the cheaper of the two. If you are buying an OMP seat, take the OMP frame and the pairing is tidier. Ask us and we will confirm which suits the seat you have chosen.
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