What is the center console?
You’ve probably heard the term center console used when talking about a vehicle’s cabin before, but it can sometimes be unclear what exactly the phrase is referring to. So we thought we’d focus on that for this week’s How’s This Work, especially with all of the changes coming to what makes up a center console lately. So what does the phrase ref to? Essentially, the term represents the entire portion of the center of the vehicle that contains controls. So it starts at the dashboard and, in most modern vehicles, continues down through to include the transmission tunnel and anything else between the two front seats.
[ LAST WEEK: How do Vortex Generators work? ]
Parts of a Center Console
So we thought we’d cover some of the different things that make up a center console. While many modern vehicles have a multi-information display in the instrument panel, that is not considered part of the center console as it’s on the left side of the vehicle. The display audio screen however is the focal point of most modern center consoles. Therefore, they generally include any sort of climate controls, the navigation system if the vehicle has one, audio controls, and other instrumentation like this.
But as we mentioned, it extends down lower than just the dashboard, so it also includes things like cup holders, storage compartments, even miniature refrigerators in some vehicles. Then, if the transmission tunnel (aka your shifter) is center mounted, it too will be a part of the center console.
Hopefully this helps you understand exactly what someone is talking about the next time you hear the term center console. If you have any questions about the console at all, be sure to give us a call, we would be happy to help you out with whatever you need.
