I am a huge fan of bench seats. Everyone loves a good couch, right? Well what’s better than a couch on wheels? Automotive designers have been moving away from the bench seat for decades. Well now, the Kia EV2 is bringing back the bench. And I’m here for it.

An ode to the humble bench seat

Bench seats: we’ve all seen them in old movies, stretched across the front of massive land yachts. But if you’re a modern driver, you may never have actually sat in one. And that’s a shame. Bench seats are superior to modern bucket seats.

First, they’re just more useful. A traditional bench seat can fit three people (or even four in a pinch). Need room for a dog, a crate of records, or a car seat? No problem. Benches accommodate everything.

Then there’s comfort. Modern car seats are engineered to hold you in one, pre-determined, “correct” position. A bench seat supports you however you choose to sit. Slouch? Hunch? Throw an arm up? Snuggle close on a date? The bench has your back. Literally.

And finally, long-haul comfort. Even with bolsters and 20-way adjustments, modern car seats eventually become uncomfortable. But a bench seat? You can shift and readjust positions naturally, keeping your body fresh on a cross-country drive.

By the 1960s, bucket seats became the premium option, and by today, only entry-level pickup trucks still offer a front bench. The rest of the industry has abandoned them. But now Kia has brought one back.

Kia’s front bench seat slides in the right direction

Imagine my joy when I discovered the Kia EV2 concept car had a front bench seat. And not just any bench—a sliding front bench seat. Holy adjustability, Batman!

Why would Kia make this design choice? Well, the EV2 is a tiny electric crossover. It’s so small that it may not pass U.S. crash tests (cue sad music). In such a compact space, two separate bucket seats would be wasted engineering. Instead, Kia designed a single front bench seat, with two separate seatbacks, that slides forward and back as one unit.

This likely saves weight, simplifies the interior, and maximizes passenger space. And in a car this small, a traditional center console wouldn’t fit anyway.

The EV2 also has rear-hinged back doors (a.k.a. coach doors) for easy access to its small-but-functional back seat.

This isn’t a full return to the classic bench seat, where three people could sit shoulder-to-shoulder. But it’s a huge step in the right direction.

See the Kia EV2 for yourself in the video below, or read on to find out why its the EV we need:

We need small, efficient EVs–with bench seats

The Kia EV2 is still just a concept car, but its basic stats hint at something we desperately need in the U.S. market:

• Size: Even smaller than the already compact Hyundai Kona Electric.
• Design: High roofline and short overhangs maximize interior space.
• Efficiency: Expected to deliver high miles per kWh, crucial for real-world EV usability.

And here’s the key: tiny, lightweight, efficient EVs make perfect sense for modern families.

Most American households already own multiple cars. The gas-guzzling SUV isn’t going anywhere just yet—it’ll stick around for road trips and hauling the whole family. But for daily commutes and errands, a small, highly efficient EV with 800-volt fast charging makes all the sense in the world.

• Lower costs: Cheap to fuel, cheap to maintain.
• More reliable: No oil changes, fewer moving parts.
• Less range anxiety: If your big vehicle handles the long hauls, your commuter EV doesn’t need a huge battery.

And here’s where the bench seat really comes in handy. These small EVs aren’t just for solo commutes—if they can fit three people up front, they become infinitely more useful. Picking up the kids? Carpooling? Carrying extra gear? In a pinch, the bench seat transforms them from “second cars” into legitimate everyday workhorses.

A bench seat can also be cheaper to manufacture. With the average EV costing 40% more than comparable ICE vehicles, we need to drop the cost any way possible.

Hyundai and Kia are already leading the way with fast-charging, efficient EVs that Americans need. But if they want to make them even better, they’ll bring back the full-width bench.