Horizontally-split rear windows on non-hybrids (photo heavy, content warning: Azteks, Murano CrossCab)

"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr) 04/30/2017 at 13:13 • Filed to: save the liftbacks, fastback, split rear window, jaguar, bertone, lamborghini, honda, mazda, pontiac, mercedes-benz, hyundai, nissan, maserati, acura, citroën, alfa romeo, zagato

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The horizontally-split rear window is a design trope that, in 2017, is associated with hybrids - the Prius (except Gen 1), Insight, Gen 1 Volt, and Ioniq all have it, and the Gen 2 Volt evokes it. However, it’s certainly not exclusive to hybrids, and I felt like writing something about the non-hybrid applications.

Fundamentally, horizontally-split rear windows are a nod to practicality. Aerodynamically-optimized designs, especially in smaller vehicles, tend to have poor rear visibility, and the horizontally-split rear window allows a second pane of glass in a vertical portion of the body, below the normal rear window. That’s the reason for its usage on hybrids - they’re aerodynamically-optimized, and therefore need it - but it’s certainly not exclusive to them. Also, most of these (with the exception of the 8th and 9th-gen Civic Hatchbacks, which are more vertical hatchbacks, the Murano CrossCabriolet, which is a convertible, and the Alfa Romeo/Zagato TZ3s) are liftbacks of some form.

Its first appearance, as far as I’m aware, was on the 1967 Jaguar/Bertone Pirana concept, based on the E-type, and designed by Marcello Gandini, although the rear glass didn’t move with the hatch:

The very next year, another Gandini design - the Lamborghini Espada - included the styling trope, bringing it to production:

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! brought up the Maserati Khamsin, from calendar year 1974/model year 1975:

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! reminded me of the Citroën SM breadvans, from the mid 1970s - seems Citroën rallied them, although I’m not sure of the provenance of this one:

TVR used a split rear window on the Tasmin (from 1980), per !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! :

Honda continued the design with the second-gen Honda CRX for model year 1988, which incorporated it into the liftgate, and was the template for all modern implementations of the idea:

Mazda released their CRX competitor, the MX-3, in MY1992, and felt that the split window was a good idea, and put a tiny window underneath their spoiler, which counts:

Also thanks to BvdV, Mazda further embiggened that idea, for what was called the Familia Neo in Japan, the 323C in Europe, and the 323 Neo in Canada, for what we in the US would call model year 1995:

1999 saw further implementation of it on concept cars - Honda had the VV concept, which was a near-production-ready version of the Insight (and a spiritual successor to the CRX HF), which would go into production that year for model year 2000, but in the non-hybrid realm, Pontiac showed the Aztek concept:

That concept eventually came to production as the Aztek, for model year 2001:

And, the same year, Europe picked it back up, with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class SportCoupé (CL203), which we received as the C230 Kompressor:

Also from Bluecold, Citroën released the C4 with a split rear window in the 3-door models, in 2002:

The 8th-generation European-market Civic, circa what we in the US would call model year 2006, was a strange implementation - it had a more vertical rear window, but used unnecessarily split rear glass to implement its rear spoiler - probably a nod to the CRX, as well:

Thanks to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I completely forgot about the 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour having a split rear window:

They also reminded me of the related 2010 Acura ZDX having one:

Thanks to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I’ve been informed that the 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet had a split rear window in its convertible top:

Bluecold also reminded me of the Alfa Romeo/Zagato TZ3s - the TZ3 Corsa (above) being a derivative of the 8C Competizione, the TZ3 Stradale (below) being a derivative of the Dodge Viper:

The Hyundai Veloster, from model year 2012, is an odd one, as it has a nearly flat roofline, but still has the split rear window thing going on - I’m suspecting an explicit attempt to evoke the CRX here:

The 9th-generation European Civic, from what we’d call model year 2012, continued the 8th-gen’s trend, but in a more pronounced manner:

Compared to previous European Civics, the 10th-generation Civic hatchback has more of a fastback profile, but still picks up that design trope of simulating one piece of glass split by the spoiler:

If I’ve forgotten any models, please post them up.

Edit: Added the Murano CrossCab.

Edit: Added the Maserati Khamsin, Mazda Familia Neo, Honda Accord Crosstour, Acura ZDX

Edit: Added the Citroën SM, the Citroën C4, and the Alfa Romeo/Zagato TC3

Edit: Added the TVR Tasmin

Rainbow > bhtooefr 04/30/2017 at 13:39

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Technically, the Murano Crosscab does it too.

bhtooefr > Rainbow 04/30/2017 at 13:44

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Dear ceiling cat.

I’ve never actually seen one with the top up...

Thanks for making me add another content warning...

Jared E > bhtooefr 04/30/2017 at 13:52

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Maserati took it to the extreme but keep kinja won’t let me upload the photo

bhtooefr > Jared E 04/30/2017 at 13:55

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What model?

dogisbadob > bhtooefr 04/30/2017 at 13:57

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Don’t the Crosstour and ZDX have it too?

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > bhtooefr 04/30/2017 at 13:57

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Nice write up of this unusual design feature!

The Maserati Khamsin had it too (sort of). In European spec:

And in US spec (kindly including a bench to sit on):

Another one that pops to mind is the Mazda 323 Coupe:

bhtooefr > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 04/30/2017 at 14:09

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I’ll count the Khamsin - after all, I counted the Pirana and the Espada.

bhtooefr > bhtooefr 04/30/2017 at 14:10

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Fun fact: So far, of the 14 production models in the list (so, ignoring the Pirana and the Aztek concept), six of them are Hondas. And, two of the 7.5-8.5 depending on how you count them production hybrids with the design trope are also Hondas...

Bluecold > bhtooefr 04/30/2017 at 14:16

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Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale (aka, a Viper, but better looking).

One could argue that the upper half of the rear window is more of a roof window, but I think it stil kinda counts.

And the Citroën SM racecar

Man those arches are nice.

Citroën followed that up with the C4.

Oh, and the Voisin Aérodyne deserves a mention!

I like this thread.

bhtooefr > Bluecold 04/30/2017 at 14:19

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Hey, seeing how I put the Veloster in, and it’s got a roof window... I’ll add the TZ3 Stradale (it was a concept, but I’ve got two other concepts), that SM, and the C4.

I’ve got no idea how to classify the Voisin Aérodyne - it’s not in the spirit , so I’m inclined to leave it out.

Jared E > bhtooefr 04/30/2017 at 14:27

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maserati khamsin

sdwarf36 > bhtooefr 04/30/2017 at 22:20

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TVR Tasmin.

kanadanmajava1 > bhtooefr 05/01/2017 at 11:18

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Early Countach LP400s have a second rear window for the rear view mirror.

Citroën XMs had a weird option. You could get a second rear window inside the car. This was useful, when the rear hatch was opened during bad weather. It of course silences some noises too.

bhtooefr > kanadanmajava1 05/01/2017 at 11:51

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OK, the Citroën is just weird. I mean, it’s a Citroën, that’s redundant, but still.

The Countach... I’m almost inclined to include that - it’s definitely in the spirit. I’ll have to remember to edit it in tonight.

mr.choppers > kanadanmajava1 05/07/2017 at 01:51

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Ah, I thought the XM extra window was standard - perhaps it was in Sweden, that’s where I lived when it was introduced.