Most Fiesta ST180 seat conversations in our showroom start with the driving position. The factory seats hold you well enough, but they perch you high in the car, and once you have felt how much sharper an ST steers with your hips dropped a couple of inches, the standard setup is hard to go back to. The other regular conversation is with drivers who find the standard bolsters a squeeze and want the support without the pinch.
A reclining sport seat is the sensible middle ground for a car people actually use all week. You keep the tilting backrest for daily driving and passengers, you gain proper side support for track evenings, and with the right frame you sit noticeably lower than standard.
The ST180 is one of the easy cars to do this on, because we stock a fitting frame for it from all three of the brands we rate. A frame is the vehicle specific base that bolts to the floor in place of the standard runners, and it is what sets your final seat height. Which one you buy decides which seats you can run, so this choice comes first.
Part SU-FO-ESMK6-ST180, £255.00 inc VAT. Pairs with Cobra 291mm runners and takes the Daytona, the Misano and the Corbeaus.
Part 00499109-ST180, £93.00 inc VAT a side, listed for RHD driver and passenger. Pairs with 345mm runners and takes the R100, the R500 and the Corbeau.
Part SB146-ST180, £224.95 inc VAT a side. A flat base that takes any seat in this guide, paired with runners matching that seat's pattern.
Every reclining seat we sell bolts down through a base mount pattern, and there are only two that matter here. Cobra recliners use 291mm x 330mm. Sparco recliners use 345mm x 271mm. They do not line up with each other, so a Cobra seat will not go onto a Sparco subframe or the other way round. The exception is Corbeau, who drill their recliners for both patterns, which is why the RRS appears in every column below. The Planted bracket sidesteps the whole question by taking any of them, as long as the runners between seat and bracket match the seat.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Cobra subframe | Sparco subframe | Planted bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 | 345 x 271 | No | Fits | Fits |
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | No | Fits | Fits |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | Fits | No | Fits |
| Cobra Misano | 291 x 330 | Fits | No | Fits |
| Corbeau SVR / RRS | Both | Fits | Fits | Fits |
The R100 is the recliner we sell more of than any other, and the Fiesta explains why. It is a compact seat that suits a compact cabin, the recline knob still clears the door card, and it leaves budget for the frames and runners. Sparco list it as suitable for all waist sizes and for drivers both over and under six foot, which matches what we see: it is a hard seat to be the wrong shape for. The open, flat base means there is no leg bolster to fight getting in and out, which also matters in a three door where the seat slides forward for rear passengers.
The R500 is the R100’s bigger brother. Taller backrest, more shoulder support, and dual density foam in the base and backrest that holds its shape better on long runs. It keeps the same open base as the R100, so it stays an easy seat to live with, and it comes in fabric or the easy-clean Sky vinyl. Pick it over the R100 if you want more upper body support for track work but are not ready for the grip of a deep bolstered seat.
The Daytona is the seat I point people at when the ST does regular track evenings. The bolsters at the shoulders and thighs are much deeper than the Sparcos’, so your body stays put and your arms do the steering. It is also hugely customisable. Cobra build each one to order through their Signature range: spacer fabric, vinyl or leather in one or two colours, contrast stitching, heating or lumbar if you want them, and you can even send Cobra your own material. If you want something a little more bespoke without speccing it yourself, the Tartan Edition pairs black vinyl outers with a tartan centre and is ready to order as it stands. The deep bolsters suit slim and medium builds best, and at 580mm across the shoulders it is a wide seat, worth knowing in a Fiesta.
If you want the best reclining seat Cobra make, this is our top premium choice. The Misano is Cobra’s flagship recliner, and the one we point at drivers who have sat in everything else and want the seat to feel like it was made for the car rather than fitted to it. It comes as the Lux and the Anniversary builds, both through the same Signature trim system as the Daytona, and despite being the biggest seat here it is also the lightest of the Cobras at 11.5kg. The bolsters are deep but the cushioning is where the money went: this is the one people refuse to get out of in the showroom.
Corbeau’s two most popular recliners are really one seat with two styling options. The base is the same on both, and it is drilled for both bolt patterns, 291mm and 345mm, which makes these the only seats in this guide that fit every frame route we sell for the ST180. The backrest is where they part ways: the SVR runs a taller, smoother modern back, the RRS the classic sculpted shape. Both come as pairs, which suits the way most people buy them, one order and both sides of the car are done. If you are over six foot, the RRS also comes in a Low Base version that buys back headroom, so ask about that one when you order.
All three frames bolt to the ST180’s factory seat mounting points, so there is no drilling on a standard floor. Torque the floor bolts properly and check seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, because a sport seat often sits the buckle somewhere new. Between seat and frame go the sliding runners, and they follow the same pattern logic as everything else on this page. Two ordering quirks worth knowing: the Sparco subframe and the Planted bracket are both listed per side, so a pair means adding two to the basket, and Cobra’s runners come as singles or as a boxed pair.
| Your seat | Runners to order | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 or R500 | Sparco sliding runner kit, £41.94 a seat | Sparco subframe or Planted bracket |
| Cobra Daytona or Misano | Cobra Premium runners, from £84.00 a seat | Cobra subframe or Planted bracket |
| Corbeau SVR or RRS | Corbeau sliding runners, £58.80 a seat, in the Retro/Sportline handle width | Any of the three routes |
One thing on Corbeau’s runner options: the millimetre figure in their listing is the handle width, not a bolt pattern, so pick the option by handle rather than trying to match it to the numbers above. The Retro/Sportline option is the one for these two seats.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Waist | Height | Weight | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco R100 | 345 x 271 | All sizes | Over and under 6ft | Not published | From £282.00 |
| Sparco R500 | 345 x 271 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | From £328.99 |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | 13.5kg | From £599.00 |
| Cobra Misano | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | 11.5kg | From £1,549.00 |
| Corbeau SVR / RRS | Both | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | From £984.00 a pair |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 3 August 2026. Where a weight says not published, the manufacturer does not give one and we will not guess it. Waist and height figures are the manufacturers’ published fitment ranges; if you are on a boundary, ask us before ordering.
Not on a standard floor. All three frames bolt to the factory seat mounting points. Torque the floor bolts properly and check the seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, because a sport seat often sits the buckle somewhere new.
No. Cobra recliners are drilled at 291mm x 330mm and Sparco recliners at 345mm x 271mm, and the two do not line up. The Corbeau SVR and RRS are the exception, drilled for both. If you want to keep your options open across brands, the Planted bracket takes any of them with matching runners.
Every seat in this guide is listed by its manufacturer as 4 point compatible, with belt slots in the backrest. If you are planning harnesses, tell us when you order and we will make sure the whole setup works together.
Both are listed per seat position, with RHD driver and passenger side options. A pair of seats means two frames in the basket. The Cobra subframe listing covers its own fitment as listed, and if anything on a listing is unclear, ask before ordering.
If the car leans further towards track use, yes, a fixed back saves weight and holds you harder. We have written up which buckets fit this car with the same frame logic applied, in our ST180 bucket seat guide. A recliner wins when the car still does the commute.
If it were my money: the R100 on the Sparco frame for a road car on a budget, because it does ninety per cent of the job for the least outlay. The Daytona on the Cobra frame if track evenings are a regular thing and you want the car built around you, in your trim. The Corbeau pair if you want both sides of the car done in one order with either backrest style. And if you simply want the best seat on this page and the budget allows, it is the Misano, no argument from anyone who has sat in one.
Every combination above uses parts that bolt straight to the ST180’s factory mounting points. If you are between two of these seats, or between sizes, get in touch with your height and waist measurement and we will talk it through before you spend anything.
Ring us on 0115 9893488 with the car and whichever way you are leaning, and we will confirm the seat, the frame and the runners as one order before you spend anything. It is a five minute conversation and it saves buying a combination that does not line up.
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