Hidden Car Features: 8 Used Cars With Secret Superpowers
From seats that flip up like cinema chairs to a bike rack that slides out of the bumper, these eight used cars hide clever features that many owners never discover. Here's where to find them, and how to make sure the car you're viewing has them.
The Cazoo editorial team
Published on 06 November 2026 | 7 mins read
Most of us choose a car based on the big things, such as price, running costs and boot space. But plenty of everyday cars hide clever features that make life easier in ways you only appreciate once you've lived with them.
Many of these hidden car features were headline selling points when the cars were new, and now you can get them on affordable used cars. The catch is that they often depend on the generation, trim level or options the first owner paid for, so two cars that look identical in the listings can be quite different inside. Here are eight of our favourite surprising features, and exactly which models have them installed.
1. Honda Jazz and HR-V: Magic Seats
Honda's Magic Seats turn a small car into something unexpectedly practical. As well as the backrest folding flat in the usual way, in certain Honda models the rear seat bases flip up and lock against the backrest like stadium seats, leaving a floor-to-roof space clear behind the front seats. That makes it ideal for awkwardly shaped items like tall plants or a bike with its front wheel removed.
Magic Seats arrived with the first Jazz in 2001 and have featured on every generation since. The HR-V small SUV has them too, both on the 2015 to 2021 model and the hybrid-only version that followed. The Civic sold between 2012 and 2017 had them, but the latest Civic doesn't, and neither does the CR-V. You'll find plenty of used Honda Jazz and Honda HR-V models on Cazoo, and our Honda Jazz vs Toyota Yaris comparison shows how the Jazz stacks up against its closest rival.
2. Ford Puma: the MegaBox
Lift the boot floor in a Ford Puma and you'll find the MegaBox, a deep, 80-litre compartment lined with tough, waterproof plastic. There's a drain plug in the bottom, so muddy boots or a soggy wetsuit can go straight in and you can even hose it out afterwards.
The MegaBox has been a Puma feature since the car went on sale in 2020, including on the sporty Puma ST, and it's counted in the official 456-litre boot figure. Ford says its exact volume depends on the specification, though. The electric Puma Gen-E swaps it for an even bigger underfloor space. It's one reason the Puma features in our guide to the best small SUVs, and you can browse used Ford Puma models here.
3. Skoda Superb and more: an umbrella in the door
Skoda made an umbrella standard on the Superb in 2001, two years before Rolls-Royce did the same on its ultra-luxurious Phantom. On the 2015 to 2023 Superb, there's one tucked into each front door from SE trim upwards, and the compartment even has a drain built in so you can put it away when it’s still wet.
The idea has since spread across the range, with door-mounted umbrella compartments on the Kamiq, Karoq, Scala, Kodiaq and Enyaq, the Octavia from 2020 and the Fabia from 2022. Older small Skodas need a closer look. From 2016, the Citigo and Fabia had an umbrella in a tray under the seat on SE models and above, while it was a low-cost option on the Octavia, so not every used one has it. Check the doors, or under the seats, when you view a used Skoda Superb or any of its stablemates.
4. Renault Captur: a sliding rear bench
Most cars give you fixed amounts of legroom and boot space. The Renault Captur lets you choose. Its rear bench slides backwards and forwards on runners, so you can give tall teenagers more knee room, or push the rear bench forwards to make space for a big shop or a weekend's luggage.
The original Captur, sold from 2013 to 2019, was the first car in its class to have a sliding rear seat, fitted as standard. The second-generation car, launched in 2019, kept it, with 16cm of travel that takes boot space from 422 litres to 536 litres. And that’s not the only clever feature. Some versions of the Captur also feature seat covers that can be unzipped and put in the wash or even replaced if they get dirty or you spill a drink on them. Our Nissan Juke vs Renault Captur comparison explains how it measures up to its closest rival, and you'll find lots of used Renault Captur models on Cazoo.
5. Vauxhall Corsa, Zafira Tourer and more: a hidden bike rack
This is the closest thing to a Bond gadget on our list. FlexFix is a bike carrier built into the rear bumper that slides out like a drawer when you need it, then disappears again when you don't. There's no roof rack or towbar needed, and because it sits low down, loading is easy.
It made its debut on the Corsa launched in 2006, and was later offered on the Astra, Meriva, Mokka, Adam, Antara and Zafira Tourer. Most versions carry two bikes, while the Astra Sports Tourer and Zafira Tourer can take up to four with an adapter. It was always an optional extra, so many cars won't have it, and you'll be looking at Vauxhalls from roughly 2006 to the late 2010s. Ask the seller if FlexFix is fitted, and to show you it working, before you buy a used Vauxhall Corsa or Vauxhall Zafira Tourer if you’re a keen cyclist.
6. Ford Focus: pop-out door edge protectors
Ever opened your door in a tight car park and heard that sickening clunk? Ford's Door Edge Protector is designed to stop it. As the door opens, a plastic guard flips out to cover its edge, then tucks away again in around 60 milliseconds as you close it.
It first appeared on the Focus in 2012 and later spread to the Fiesta and Kuga. It was usually an extra-cost option, often bundled into a parking or convenience pack, so don't assume every Focus has it. Happily, it's easy to check: just open each door and watch the edge. Browse used Ford Focus and Ford Kuga models, and if you ever do catch someone else's car, our guide on what to do if you hit a parked car explains what to do next.
7. Skoda: an ice scraper in the fuel flap
Open the fuel filler flap on many Skodas and you'll find a bright green ice scraper clipped inside, so it's always handy on a frosty morning rather than lost in the door pocket or left in a drawer at home. The latest versions even have tread depth markings. There's a holder for one on every Octavia since 2013, as well as the Superb from 2015, the Fabia from 2015, and the Kodiaq, Karoq, Kamiq, Scala and Enyaq.
Some Skodas also had a rechargeable LED torch that clipped into the side of the boot, charging as you drive. Models such as the Octavia, Superb, Kodiaq, Karoq and Kamiq offered it, but Skoda dropped it from cars built from July 2020, so if you want one you'll need an earlier car, such as a pre-2020 used Skoda Octavia.
8. Volvo: built-in child booster seats
Some Volvos have a booster cushion built right into the rear seat. Pull it up and it raises a child so the seatbelt sits in the right place, then it easily folds flat again when an adult needs the seat.
Volvo fitted its first integrated booster in 1990, and two-stage versions that adjust as a child grows arrived in 2007. On the XC90 sold since 2015 it's offered for the middle seat of the second row, while cars such as the XC60, V60 and V90 had them in the outer rear seats. They were optional, so check the specific car. Volvo designed them for children of roughly 15kg to 36kg, but rules for new backless boosters changed in 2017 and many safety experts prefer high-backed seats for smaller children, so check the handbook and GOV.UK's child car seat rules before relying on one. Our ISOFIX mounting point guide helps if you're fitting a separate child seat, and you can browse used Volvo XC90 models here.
How to check a used car has the feature you want
Because so many of these features depended on trim or options, the badge on the boot won't tell you the whole story. The easiest way to find out is to look for yourself: flip the seats, lift the boot floor, open every door and peek inside the fuel flap. Our used car viewing checklist covers everything else worth checking while you're there.
If a feature really matters to your decision, ask the seller for the car's original specification before you travel. Loose items such as umbrellas, scrapers and torches often go missing, but genuine replacements are usually easy to order from a franchised dealer. And whatever clever kit a car has, run a vehicle check to make sure its history is as impressive as its party tricks.
FAQs
Which used cars have Honda Magic Seats?
Every Honda Jazz since 2001 has them, as do UK versions of the HR-V from 2015 onwards and the Civic sold between 2012 and 2017. The current Civic, CR-V and ZR-V don't.
Does every Skoda have an umbrella?
No. Many recent Skodas keep one in the front doors, but on some older small models it lived under a seat and depended on trim or options.
Find your next used car on Cazoo
Hidden features won't be the main reason you choose a car, but they can make it much nicer to live with, and now you know where to look. Browse thousands of used cars on Cazoo, or narrow your search with our range of used family cars.