What is the reason for the rear seat hump in Volkswagen cars?
2 Answers
Volkswagen rear seat hump is designed to accommodate the exhaust pipe. The reasons for the rear seat hump in Volkswagen cars: 1. Cars are divided into front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive vehicles generally don't have rear seat humps, while rear-wheel drive vehicles do. 2. Higher safety. Cars with rear seat humps are generally stiffer than flat-floor vehicles. The hump provides higher crash resistance and can help protect the occupants by absorbing some impact. The vehicle has a length, width, and height of 4933mm, 1836mm, and 1469mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 2871mm. It is equipped with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and has a maximum torque of 250 N·m.
I've noticed that the rear hump is quite common in many car models, especially in numerous Volkswagen vehicles. This is primarily because the chassis design needs to accommodate key components of the powertrain system, such as the driveshaft or exhaust pipe. Rear-wheel-drive cars absolutely require this central tunnel to allow the driveshaft to pass through, preventing damage to components from compression. Some of Volkswagen's front-wheel-drive cars also inherit this design because they use modular platforms like the MQB platform, which is designed to be compatible with various powertrain systems. The hump also enhances the overall rigidity of the body, reducing the risk of torsion and improving safety and handling. Although it may affect the comfort of the middle rear seat, this compromise is necessary for overall performance. Other brands face similar issues—for example, BMW and Mercedes have more pronounced humps. Volkswagen is working to optimize this, and newer models have slightly reduced humps, though they haven't completely disappeared yet.