A pillar assembly for a vehicle includes an outer panel, a reinforcement and an inner panel. The outer panel extends from a roof to a rocker. The reinforcement is attached to the outer panel and extends from the roof to a lower end that is spaced from the rocker. The reinforcement defines an opening in one side extending upwardly from the lower end of the reinforcement to a hip seating reference point level. The inner panel encloses the lower end of the reinforcement in conjunction with the outer panel. The pillar reinforces the assembly to facilitate inwardly collapsing a lower portion of the pillar to a greater extent than an upper portion of the pillar in a side impact collision.