Why is there a hump in the rear seat of Volkswagen cars?
2 Answers
The reason for the hump in the rear seat of Volkswagen cars is: to maintain the flatness of the chassis. Since the car chassis is equipped with an exhaust pipe or drive shaft, rear-wheel-drive vehicles typically need to transmit the engine's power to the rear wheels through the drive shaft, which structurally requires such a hump. Taking the Volkswagen Lavida 2021 model as an example, its body dimensions are: length 4670mm, width 1806mm, height 1474mm, with a wheelbase of 2688mm. The Volkswagen Lavida 2021 is equipped with a 1.4T turbocharged engine, delivering a maximum power of 110kW and a maximum torque of 250Nm, paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. It adopts a front suspension type of MacPherson independent suspension and a rear suspension type of torsion beam non-independent suspension.
I've driven several Volkswagen models and noticed that the raised hump in the middle of the rear seats is mainly to accommodate the driveshaft and exhaust pipe. Many Volkswagen models feature all-wheel or rear-wheel drive designs, requiring power transmission from the engine to the rear wheels. Without this hump, the chassis wouldn't have space for these complex mechanical components. This design has been consistent from older Passat models to the latest Golf, slightly compromising rear legroom but ensuring smoother and more stable power transmission, especially enhancing body rigidity at high speeds to prevent swaying. Additionally, Volkswagen's unified engineering philosophy emphasizes safety and durability, with this hump reinforcing the chassis structure to improve torsional resistance. However, for passengers on long trips, sitting in the middle rear seat can be slightly uncomfortable due to limited legroom.