I also have the front strut bar, a rear sway bar, and lowering springs lol and yes it has very little flex and without the trunk brace you could feel the difference. I don't believe the trunk brace will work in the hatch since its made for the sedan, and I did have to cut the trunk lining to get the rear shock brace to fit since it wasn't made for the sedan it was made for the hatch. you shouldn't need to cut anything to put the bar in the hatch.