Abstract: Side structure for a motor vehicle includes an upper leg pusher located immediately outboard of a panel adjacent to a seat and inboard of a structural member such as a side impact beam. The upper leg pusher has a lower-stiffness portion adjacent to the rear section of the panel and aligned with an upper thigh position of the seat, and a higher-stiffness portion adjacent to the forward section of the panel, which is offset outboard relative to the rear section. When the structural component is urged inboard during a side impact event, the higher-stiffness portion of the pusher begins to urge the forward panel section inboard before the lower stiffness portion begins to urge the rear panel section inboard. The rear panel section may be located below an arm rest of a door, and the forward panel section may be forms a recessed surface above a storage pocket.

Abstract: Side structure for a motor vehicle includes an upper leg pusher located immediately outboard of a panel adjacent to a seat and inboard of a structural member such as a side impact beam. The upper leg pusher has a lower-stiffness portion adjacent to the rear section of the panel and aligned with an upper thigh position of the seat, and a higher-stiffness portion adjacent to the forward section of the panel, which is offset outboard relative to the rear section. When the structural component is urged inboard during a side impact event, the higher-stiffness portion of the pusher begins to urge the forward panel section inboard before the lower stiffness portion begins to urge the rear panel section inboard. The rear panel section may be located below an arm rest of a door, and the forward panel section may be forms a recessed surface above a storage pocket.