Hundreds Of Products Ready Today. Dispatch/Collection VW Beetle A5 Bucket Seat Guide
The VW Beetle A5 (2011 to 2019)
The A5 Beetle shares its floor with the Golf of the same era, and that one fact decides almost everything about putting a seat in it. It is not a special case needing something made just for it, which is good news, but it does mean being certain which Beetle you have before you order anything.
Planted cover the whole family with a single frame, SB029, listed for the Mk5, Mk6 and Mk7 cars from 2006 onwards, and the A5 Beetle sits inside that. It bolts to the original floor mounting points in place of the standard runners, and what goes on top of it is your choice.
From there it splits two ways, and the split is worth understanding before you fall for a particular seat. I am Cameron, and working out which combination gets you the seat height and the legroom you actually want is the part of this I deal with.
- One frame covers it, the Planted SB029 for 2006 on Mk5, Mk6 and Mk7 cars
- Takes side mount or base mount seats with the right brackets
- The A5 ran 2011 to 2019 and takes different kit from the earlier New Beetle
- The frame is ordered per side, so a pair means choosing driver and passenger
Start with the frame
The Planted Technology SB029 frame is the part that makes this car straightforward. Planted list it for the VW Beetle, Golf, GTI, Jetta and Rabbit on the Mk5, Mk6 and Mk7 chassis from 2006 on, so one frame covers the A5 Beetle and its Golf relatives.
A fitting frame is the vehicle specific base that bolts to the floor mounting points in place of the standard seat runners. The seat then mounts to the frame, either straight down onto it or on side mounts. Getting the frame right is what decides your final seat height and how far back you can sit.
Side mount or base mount
Both routes work on this car because the frame takes either. Which one suits you comes down to how low you want to sit and whether you need the seat to move.
Side mount
A competition shell bolts to brackets on each side, and those bolt to the frame. It is what most FIA shelled seats are designed around, and it is the route to take if the car sees track days. The Sparco steel side mounts below are the usual pairing.
Base mount
The seat bolts down through its own base. Reclining sport seats are almost all base mount, so this is the route if the car still does road miles. A sliding runner kit between the frame and the seat keeps the fore and aft adjustment.
Bucket seats for the A5 Beetle
A spread across the brands we stock and across price points, from around two hundred pounds up to the carbon shells. The fit table further down carries each manufacturer’s own published sizing so you can rule seats in and out before you ask.
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From £199.50 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £354.50 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £550.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £235.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £610.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £866.25 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £1,816.50 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £2,346.75 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
We stock a great deal more than fits on one page, and the right seat depends as much on your build and your size as it does on the car. Tell us how you use the Beetle and roughly how tall you are, and we will narrow it down properly.
Reclining seats for the A5 Beetle
If the car still does road miles, a reclining sport seat holds you far better than the original without committing you to a fixed back shell. These are base mount, so they sit on the frame with a runner kit between the two.
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From £730.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £1,317.75 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £1,795.50 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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Driver fit at a glance
Taken straight from each manufacturer’s published figures. Where a figure has not been published the cell says so rather than us filling in a guess.
| Seat | Mounting | Waist | Driver height | Shell | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OMP and Sparco | |||||
| OMP TRS-E Velour | Base or side mount | 28in to 36in | Under 6ft | Steel frame | FIA 8855-1999 |
| OMP Champ-R | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sparco Pro 2000 QRT Martini | Base or side mount | Not published | Not published | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sparco Evo QRT | Side mount | Not published | Not published | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sparco QRT-C Carbon | Side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights suitable | Carbon fibre | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Mirco, Cobra, Corbeau and Sabelt | |||||
| Mirco RS2 3D | Side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights suitable | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Cobra Monaco Pro | Base or side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Steel frame | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Corbeau Pro Series X System 1 | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sabelt GT3 | Side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights suitable | Fibreglass | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Recaro | |||||
| Recaro Pole Position ABE | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Fibreglass | Road and track |
| Recaro Classic Pole Position ABE | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Fibreglass | Road and track |
| Recaro Pole Position Carbon ABE | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Carbon fibre | Road and track |
Harnesses
Four, five and six point belts. What you can run comes down to what there is behind the seat to mount the shoulder straps to, so settle the seat first and the belts after it.
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From £100.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £205.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £229.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £245.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £270.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £370.01 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Shoulder strap mounting is the whole question with harnesses and it is not the same on every build. Send us a photo of what is behind the seats and we will tell you what will work.
Common questions about A5 Beetle seats
Which fitting kit fits a VW Beetle A5?
The Planted Technology SB029 frame. Planted list it for the VW Beetle, Golf, GTI, Jetta and Rabbit on the Mk5, Mk6 and Mk7 chassis from 2006 onwards, which covers the A5 Beetle built 2011 to 2019.
Is that the same frame as the older Beetle?
No. The earlier New Beetle is listed by Planted as 1999 to 2005 on the Mk4 chassis and takes SB027. The two are designed around different floors. Check the year of your car before ordering, and send us the registration if you are unsure.
Can I fit a side mount competition seat?
Yes. The frame takes side mounts, and the Sparco FIA steel side mounts on this page are the usual pairing. The seat bolts to the side mounts and those bolt to the frame, which is the arrangement most FIA shelled seats are built around.
Will the seat still slide?
On the base mount route, yes, with a sliding runner kit between the frame and the seat. On the side mount route it depends on the combination, so tell us the seat you are looking at and we will confirm it before you order.
Do I need two frames for a pair of seats?
The frame is ordered per side, with the seat position chosen from the product options, so a driver and passenger pair means ordering both sides.
Which seats do you actually recommend for this car?
It depends on how the car is used and how you sit in it. The fit table on this page carries each manufacturer’s published waist and height figures, which rules a lot in or out on its own. Beyond that, tell us your height and build and what the car is for and we will shorten the list.