Body and door assembly for a vehicle with expanded access opening

A method of assembling a door assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

• providing a body of the vehicle having a pair of sides, each of the sides including an A pillar, a C pillar, an upper rail extending between tops of the A pillar and the C pillar, and a rocker rail extending between bottoms of the A pillar and the C pillar, the A pillar, the C pillar, the upper rail and the rocker rail defining an access opening;
• defining a front compartment adjacent to the rocker rail along the A pillar;
• defining a rear compartment in the rocker rail adjacent to the C pillar;
• coupling a front actuator to the body in the front compartment;
• coupling a rear actuator to the body in the rear compartment;
• connecting a front linkage between a front door, the front actuator and the body near the A pillar;
• and
• connecting a rear linkage between a rear door, the rear actuator and the body near the C pillar, such that actuation of the actuators facilitates opening and closing of the front and rear doors.

A door assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

• a body of the vehicle including a pair of sides, each of the sides including:
• an A pillar adjacent to a front of the body, a C pillar adjacent to a rear of the body, an upper rail extending between tops of the A and C pillars, and a rocker rail extending between bottoms of the A and C pillars, and wherein the A pillar, C pillar, upper rail and rocker rail define an access opening therebetween;
• a front door moveably connected to the body near the A pillar and a rear door moveably connected to the body near the C pillar and each moveable between an open position opening the access opening and a closed position closing the access opening;
• and
• a front linkage connecting the front door and the body on or along the A pillar and a rear linkage connecting the rear door and the body on or along the C pillar, wherein the front and rear linkages facilitate opening and closing of the front and rear doors in response to actuation of the front and rear actuators;
• and
• wherein the rocker rail defines a front compartment adjacent to the A pillar, and a rear compartment adjacent to the C pillar, and wherein the front linkage is coupled to the body in the front compartment and the rear linkage is coupled to the body in the rear compartment.