Folding Passenger Seat

[l008com]

This is as much of a comment/idea on Trailblazers as it is every other midsize SUV out there (so I guess Grand Cherokees).

How cool would it be if they made the front passenger seat fold down like the rear seats, giving you a flat cargo surface that goes all the way from the glove box to the rear liftgate! When I think of all the times I've purchased small amounts of lumber or pipes or other long things, and had them hanging out the back as I drove home. It would be great if I could have folded that passenger seat down too!

Sure it would require a bit of engineering to make it as comfortable as a front seat while being as versatile as a back seat, but I think they could do it.
This thought occurred to me when I was buying a bunch of copper pipes at Lowes the other day.

 

[Mooseman]

It's an interesting idea. One thing to consider is that in the case of TB's, the seat belt is in the backrest so the pivot point has to be able to withstand both forward and backwards forces. Not sure if any carmaker has been able to do that with a rear folding seat to be able to port that to the front seat mechanism. Should be doable.

 

[l008com]

Couldn't they simply relocate it to the B pillar?

 

[Mooseman]

Ya but I think it's more convenient to have it in the seat back. I think most vehicles still have it in the B pillar.

 

[Reprise]

Check out the discontinued Toyota Matrix / Pontiac Vibe twins, for an implementation of this. The front seatback folds forward flat enough to be used as a work table (as it was promoted).

It was an idea I liked, and wondered why it hadn't caught on.
As it turns out, it *has* been implemented in several subsequent vehicles, including... the GMC Terrain.


(AFAICT, all of them have belts in the B-pillar.)

(On edit: ) Or, you could get a LWB TB/Envoy -- I can fit an 8ft ladder in mine, with both the liftgate & glass hatch closed.

 

[l008com]

That is exactly how I envision it, with the one difference being that it would be nice to have the height be the same as the cargo area so it would be one bit flat surface. I would be using it for transportation, not using it as a table. Although I can see how having a built in table in a work truck could itself be very useful. Just not for me personally. Maybe when they release the GMC Jimmy, it will have this feature