Grille guards protect radiators while making vehicles look tougher, but Jeep is looking to give them another purpose.
The Stellantis brand has designed a grille guard that folds down to serve as a bench. This was disclosed in a patent application submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on April 28, 2023, and published by that agency on Oct. 31 of this year.
According to the patent filing, the grille guard would be attached to the vehicle’s main structure by a bracket with a pivoting mechanism, allowing it to move from a conventional vertical position to a horizontal position for use as a bench. The design calls for a tubular structure similar to conventional grille guards, with a removable panel or panels to provide more comfortable seating.
Folded down, the grille guard would provide seating like an open tailgate, but extending from the front of the vehicle instead of the back. That’s something most other automakers haven’t considered, although Lucid plans to offered removable seats for the …