Today on automotive market fierce competition between automakers. And only those who can quickly respond to the wishes of customers and market trends can win it.
In addition, it is necessary to offer a high-quality and multifunctional machine, but at a moderate cost. All this can be achieved by the so-called platform. Today, this concept has entered the everyday life of automobile concerns and has become very popular. What is a car platform?
car platform
car platform is a set of main components, constructive solutions, developments, as well as components for creating a car, on the basis of which various models of cars are built.
Their use is very beneficial for automakers, as it allows you to unify the release various models and even brands, which significantly reduces the cost of construction.
The car platform is not some clear and fixed set of structural elements. Different platforms have significant differences in unified solutions and auto parts.
However, there is still a set of elements that in most cases are necessarily included in the platform. Firstly, these are the components of the power structure of the car body. This includes the back and front of the bottom. After all, they not only divert impact energy in case of accidents, but are also the base for mounting other key elements of the machine - power unit, body panels, suspension, steering, etc.
architecture and design features suspensions are also unified for soplatform models. All that remains is the last adjustment and adaptation of the suspension for a specific modification of the car, including different spring thicknesses, characteristics of shock absorbers, stabilizers, etc.
A line of motors is also usually included in the platform. Therefore, most often, it is a wide range of engines - from low-power to large and "turbocharged counterparts".
Gearboxes are also included in the list of required items. Most often, manufacturers develop a pair of mechanical transmissions and several automatic transmissions, allowing them to maximize their application possibilities.
Interestingly, some concerns for their platforms develop even small details, for example, the seat frame. Because the unification of cars they have is very high.
"Life" car platform lasts differently. It all depends on the success of the design. It happens that even two generations of the same model are released on the same platform, as was the case with the fifth and sixth generation Volkswagen Golf.
(typography legend_blue) As for the Volkswagen concern, they produce more than a dozen of their cars of four brands on the PQ35 platform.
Renault makes some of its cars on the B0 platform, among them the popular Renault Logan/Sandero, Renault Duster .(/typography)
Sometimes car concerns, having received the maximum from their "brainchild", send it to subsidiaries for the production of more budget models. In general, once having developed an automobile platform, automakers are trying to "squeeze all the juice out of it." Then the unnecessary platform simply goes into oblivion.
(typography pre_red)PROS AND CONS OF AUTOMOBILE PLATFORMS(/typography)
Finally, we note the main "pluses" and "cons" of the use of automotive platforms.
The pluses include:
(typography list_number_bullet_blue)1. Significant reduction of financial and time waste for new models;||2. Opportunity to perform in several segments of the car market at once;||3. Reducing the variety of parts, due to which their higher quality is achieved;||4. More productive use of car factories.(/typography)
The cons include:
(typography list_number_bullet_red)1. Significant reduction in differences between different car models;||2. The complexity of making subsequent changes to the design;||3. Decreased perception of expensive cars;||4. If a design flaw or defect is identified, a mass recall must be carried out, covering several brands of cars. (/ typography)
car platform
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What is a platform?
A hundred years ago, the concept of a platform was clearer, because frame machines could be "dismembered" into a chassis and a body. A chassis is a frame with wheels, a powertrain, and everything that makes a car move. In fact, this trolley could be considered the platform of old machines. From above it was covered by the body, the essence, the aesthetic shell of the car. The situation became more complicated with the spread in the second half of the 20th century of load-bearing bodies, in which the power part and the outer shell are, in fact, inseparable from each other. It seemed that the concept of a platform had gone into oblivion, because in a modern car there is no “cart” as such. The car became more individual, and a different body meant a complete redesign of the structure.
In the illustrations, VW presents MQB platform in the form of a "trolley", although this is only a convention.
Showing constant geometric characteristics (uniform), the same for all
machines on the MQB platform, and variables (variable).
And yet, history went through a spiral and returned to the principle of platforms. Only today the concept of "platform" is less clear.
The concept of a platform generally went beyond a certain “metal foundation” of a car. The modern platform is, rather, a set of unified components and certain principles according to which these components are transformed when moving from one model to another. In fact, the platform is a huge array of engineering and technological information, or, if you like, a palette of colors within which creative engineers can create new cars.
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In 2012, the Volkswagen Group introduced new platform MQB is by far the most versatile in the world. Based on it, a compact Volkswagen Polo and a five-meter SUV CrossBlue for American market. The new VW Golf VII has already received the platform, Skoda Octavia III, Audi A3 and Seat Leon. All MQB cars have a number of identical characteristics, for example, the same distance from the gas pedal to the axle of the front wheels - one of the fundamental parameters of the car (although incomprehensible to the average person). The MQB platform implies a commonality of components, for example, the same door hinges, sets of suspension parts, a “personal” line of engines (EA211). At the same time, some parameters, for example, the length of the wheelbase or the height of the car, can be chosen by engineers with virtually no restrictions, while the previous platform, PQ35, was addressed to C-class cars.
The essence of the platform is in an attempt to bring the cars together technically, leaving a sufficient degree of freedom so that they do not turn out to be complete clones. A car is made up of tens of thousands of components, and many of them can be identical without compromising the overall design.
The principle of modularity is close (but not identical) to the principle of platforms. Individual components are combined into modules, for example, the front suspension on the subframe of a modern car is, as it were, “autonomous”, that is, it is a separate structure. Modules, like cubes, allow different combinations, increasing the number of models on one component base. This principle is well known to computer scientists: I bought a system unit, a motherboard, a video card, memory, disks, screwed them together, and got a “unique” computer. In fact, the modern platform is a set of cubes from which the car is then combined. Such platforms are called modular.
Soplatform vehicles may have varying degrees"sameness". The closest relatives are products of badging engineering, when the same car is sold under different brands, slightly changing the design. Example - Renault Duster and new Nissan Terrano. Another option is more common, when the cars still differ, but have comparable dimensions: for example chevrolet cruze And Opel Astra or KIA Rio And Hyundai Solaris. Gradually, the principle of co-platform goes beyond size classes: for example, BMW 5, BMW 7, BMW 5 GT, BMW 6 and Gran Turismo have a common set of cubes. Today, almost all leading manufacturers are engaged in the creation of universal platforms, for example, Peugeot-Citroen is building new models of classes C and D on the universal EMP2 platform.
Why is the "platform principle" gaining popularity?
The main goal of unification is to reduce costs, and not only production costs. The more standard components in the car, the less time engineers spend on solving routine tasks, the easier it is for technologists when launching new models, and more profitable for component manufacturers. Let's say you own a factory that makes engine brackets. What is more profitable for you: to produce a million identical brackets or four types of 250 thousand each? The rule is simple: more volume of purchases - lower price.
Unification invisible to the eye greatly facilitates production processes
The time to prepare a new model is drastically reduced, and the variety model range is growing. The abundance of crossovers, minivans and intermediate cars, like coupe-crossovers or off-road compact vans, we owe to the principle of platforms.
Until recently, most often the platforms were shared by cars similar in size and concept with different design like Peugeot 308 and Citroen C4. Recent trend: a significant expansion of the range of vehicles that share the component base. Today, half of all machines are built on 20 global platforms, but the number of platforms is decreasing, and the range of machines is growing every year.
The creation of universal platforms is a concern even for premium manufacturers, who, it would seem, are not so limited financially. So, BMW announced the creation of the 35up platform, on which all cars of the 3, 5, 7 series, as well as crossovers, convertibles and coupes based on them, will be built. At the same time, for front-wheel drive BMWs (for example, 2 Tourer) and Mini, another platform, UKL, is addressed. Volkswagen Group forces premium brands develops two platforms MSB and MLB, which will form the basis of future generations of Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bentley. Some premium manufacturers use mass brand partner platforms, for example, Lexus actively uses the achievements of Toyota, and Infiniti JX and new nissan Pathfinder are close relatives.
Moreover, there have been many embarrassments when automakers tried to neglect the principle of platforms. So, BMW, having bought the suffering English company Rover, failed largely due to the absolute dissimilarity of its products: front-wheel drive utilitarian Rovers and rear-wheel drive BMWs did not lend themselves to unification, which did not allow, following the example of Volkswagen, to integrate a mass manufacturer into the overall structure. The same logic has spurred Smart (Daimler AG), which once sported a personal and non-cloneable platform, to join forces with Renault in an effort to create a universal base for microcars.
Every major producer seeks to reduce the number of platforms on which the model range is built. In addition, manufacturers are increasingly "platform friendly", creating products under different brands on the same component bases(more often within the framework of a single corporation, but not only). A typical example is the Renault-Nissan-AVTOVAZ alliance. If you look at the top 10 sales in Russia, four places are occupied by completely different cars on the same B0 platform: Renault crossover Duster, station wagon Lada Largus, midsize sedan Nissan Almera And compact sedan Renault Logan. This available models, and their availability is largely due to the fact that they are technically close.
Are there any benefits for consumers?
Automakers are cutting costs, but the price of cars is holding up, isn't it? Isn't the principle of platforms a complete sham?
No is not. For us consumers, it is not always obvious, but modern machines more safety-packed, greener (at least on paper) and more complex than their predecessors. The exchange of components allows you to keep the cost within reasonable limits.
For example, the new platforms MQB (Volkswagen) and EMP2 (Peugeot-Citroen) made it possible to save several tens of kilograms of weight and significantly increase the use of high-strength steels in the body structure without a radical increase in the price of cars.
Moreover, the “platform effect” is felt subjectively, for example, the VW / Skoda / Seat family on the MQB platform is distinguished by an outstanding ratio of handling to comfort, and new Peugeot 308 on the EMP2 platform has earned the most flattering reviews from journalists. The results were achieved, among other things, because the unification, which reduces the cost of production, untied the hands of engineers in other areas.
Does the principle of platforms deprive cars of individuality?
Hardly. By by and large the platform is not visible to the eye and is not perceived by an external observer. You can't tell a co-platform car by its looks unless the designers have tried to give it a corporate look. The platform is wires, brackets, car floor elements, suspensions and other non-glamours.
In addition, sometimes platforms even increase technical diversity. For example, the same MQB platform implies two types rear suspension: independent and semi-independent. At the same time, the same model, say, Skoda Octavia, in different versions It has different pendants.
If cars lose their individuality, it is because of the requirements that modern transport. For example, pedestrian safety requirements oblige manufacturers to make the edge of the hood of a certain height, which forces designers to sculpt often awkward, huge grilles-mouths to disguise the massiveness of the front end. Requirements for capacity, aerodynamic efficiency, safety ultimately bring all cars closer to a certain golden mean, making them similar to each other, but platforms have nothing to do with it. On the contrary, on the same base you can build very different and bright cars, and an example of this: Mini Cooper and new bmw 2 Tourer, both on the UKL platform.
Why didn't the principle of platforms come into vogue earlier?
The platform is not only difficult, but also very expensive. The platform of a modern car costs several billion euros, but this investment pays off due to its replication.
It is clear that the more versatile the platform, the more compromises engineers must resolve. To create a city compact on the same components and full size crossover, you need, as they say, to think for yourself and for that guy.
When creating a platform, the risks of errors are high. Imagine that the engineers miscalculated with some component, which will subsequently be replicated on dozens of models. It is clear that all machines are carefully tested before being launched into a series, but since the platform is a virtual, intangible phenomenon in a certain sense, the probability of a fundamental error is always present.
In short, the principle of platforms has spread with the advent of powerful computers and modern design methods. On the other hand, the motive for the emergence of platforms is the obsessive need to reduce the cost of products.
Saab were original and technically sophisticated, but could not fit into the realities of the new day
Why platforms are bad
With an illiterate approach, the principle of platforms killed entire manufacturers that did not fit into corporate standards. The most striking example is Saab. Having fallen under the influence of General Motors, the original Swedish manufacturer found itself in a difficult situation, because Opel's utilitarian platforms did not allow Saab to realize its main trump card - technical sophistication.
Platforms sometimes make marketing difficult expensive cars, which are built on the basis of cheap ones. A premium-class manufacturer can always be thrown a stone that his car is a turned and leather-covered creation of a mass brand. However, lately, manufacturers have learned to hide the technical commonality of models and are less likely to make mistakes, such as installing a cheap instrument panel on luxury car.
But the main problem lies elsewhere. With all the flexibility that modern platforms offer, they make it difficult to build custom machines, somewhat narrowing the market range. But even here it is possible to find a way out, for example coupe toyota GT86 unified with Subaru BRZ (in fact, one model). Nevertheless, it is hardly worth waiting for the appearance of such masterpieces as the Nissan / Datsun Z-series in the new century. Today, the release of a cheap rear-wheel drive sports car is practically impossible: there simply is no suitable platform for it, which means it will not be cheap.
Hybrids and electric vehicles are gaining popularity, which further appeal to the principle of platforms and modularity. The best example is the new BMW i3, an electric car that takes us back to the roots. After all, he, like retrocars, has a very clear division into a chassis (bogie) and a body. Such a design lends itself well to unification, for example, the entire electric power unit, battery pack, supporting structure (frame), suspension can be separated into separate subassemblies. As in the old days, cars with different bodies can be produced on the same bogie.
Or another example: the iStream project of former Formula 1 constructor Gordon Murray. For several years he has been creating a universal platform for compact inexpensive cars. IN this case this is not about the development of a specific car, as in the photo, but about the whole production principle. It will allow you to create entire families of cars, and then produce them in simple factories that do not require large investments.
A huge number of automobile concerns produce millions of cars annually, however, many models that are united by a body structure or a car class are not without reason similar to one another. The fact is that, for very objective reasons, it is much more profitable for auto brands to use a ready-made “base” to create new “iron horses”. From a financial point of view, it would be much more expensive to build a platform for every car model on the planet, so, no matter how hard it is to guess, the engineering giants use ready-made and proven “bases” created together. It just so happened that the most popular car platforms are created in Japan and Germany, because the “bases” called MQB, C1, Nissan B, MC, NBC and A5 were created by the Germans and the Japanese.
In addition to the giants mentioned above, the Audi A3, SEAT Leon and the legendary seventh generation Golf were built on the MQB automotive platform. As for Skoda, this concern used MQB for both Octavia and Superb. Both cars are released in the third generation. The potential of the base has not yet been exhausted, so soon the next generations of Audi TT, Volkswagen Touran and Caddy can be expected at the nearest car dealerships. We are also waiting for the new SEAT Altea of the second generation.
Ford C1 for the most popular hatchbacks in Europe
As noted, the best car bases were developed in Europe and Asia. So in Cologne in 2003, a platform was designed, called C1, which became for a long time native to Mazda, Volvo and, of course, Ford. All three auto giants took part in the creation, the qualities of which were taken into account first of all. For the Japanese, the most important aspect was the rigidity of the body, but Volvo engineers have traditionally insisted on increased safety. Even these two factors would be enough for a quality platform, but Ford added one more characteristic. Since in the future the base was used for family minivan and SUV, the Germans insisted on improving the performance of loading and unloading operations. As a result, buyers received the following models:
- Mazda 3, Mazda 5, Mazda CX-7;
Moreover, for cars of this brand, we can offer you to order a key for Mazda. Help you deal with any problem.
- Ford Focus S-Max, Focus of the second generation, Ford Kuga;
Interestingly, in 2006 the legendary Land Rover I tested the C1 on my second-generation Freelander, slightly modifying the design, adapting it to an SUV.
Nissan B, A5 and Toyota MS are the main competitors
We will pay least attention to A5, because this platform is already outdated. When we talked about MQB, we specifically forgot to mention the A5, because all the same Octavia and Superba Skodas, as well as some Audi and Volkswagen models, were built on this base. But the MQB is already a more modern and technologically advanced design that allows engineers to solve more problems when creating cars.
As for the Nissan B, this platform has given the world more available cars. These include the second and third generation Nissan Cube, as well as the Micra, coveted by girls since 2002. In Europe, Renault actively used this base on almost all of its models, up to the Duster, which was released in 2010. In addition to the French, Nissan B was also interested in Lada, whose concern was born by Largus. By the way, the production of this model is still going on. It would be a mistake not to mention the Toyota MC, because everyone's favorite Toyota Camry and some Lexus sedans are designed on it. In 2010 alone, thanks to one Camry, about two million units were produced on this platform.
Corporations spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the development of automotive platforms. However, the payback of such projects is very high, as evidenced by the annual number of sales.
Categories: , // from 05.03.2018To occupy its niche in the automotive world, an important condition for any automaker is a quick response to changing customer needs and a quick reorientation of production to them. For example, crossovers as a class of cars appeared relatively recently, but they quickly gained popularity. The reaction of automakers is also appropriate - crossovers began to appear in the model ranges of almost all auto companies. And the automotive platform helps manufacturers quickly respond to changing needs.
Often in the presentations of new models, you can hear that it is built on a particular platform, but few know the concept of what it is. Most assume that the car platform is the basis on which it is built. new model. And this scares many people, because there are platforms that have been around for more than 10 years. And in their understanding, it turns out that the machine is made on the basis of outdated technologies. But this is far from true.
The idea and concept of the platform
In a general sense, an automotive platform is a set of specific constituent elements, which are used on several cars, and it is not necessary that they be of the same class and price category. But no one said that these components are unified.
The very idea of using a certain set of parts for different machines far from new and it appeared a very long time ago - in the era of frame cars. But then it was all somewhat simpler - the automaker produced a frame equipped with undercarriage, power plant and transmission, and then already "stretched" the body on all this. Moreover, the bodies were very different, but the frame with all the elements was one.
VAZs of the classic family can be called another representatives of the platform construction of cars. But here, to a greater extent, the base was subject to changes - as new models were released, changes were made to the body, power plant And so on. But the whole family is representatives of one manufacturer and all models are very similar to each other.
Now machines are made on the basis of one platform different brands and in almost any bodywork - hatchback, sedan, station wagon, crossover, SUV with a body carrier.
Ford Focus and Mazda3 based on the Ford C1 platform
In the modern sense, an automobile platform is a set of the most optimal design, design and engineering solutions used in the manufacture of automobiles.
For example, if it is one of the most common and optimal for use, then why invent something or modify it before installing it on a specific car. But here it is worth considering that each model has its own ground clearance and suspension stiffness, so the manufacturer himself makes the settings for its operation.
And so they do with a number of components of the car. That is, to create one or another part of different cars, a single construction principle is used (an example is the same MacPherson strut), but some design changes. This is the concept of car platforms.
Elements
The platform includes a certain list of constituent elements, but it is somewhat conditional, since the automaker himself decides whether to use any element or replace it.
In general, it is believed that the vehicle platform device includes:
- Bottom - as the basis of the bearing part;
- Running gear elements (suspension, steering, brake system);
- Wheelbase;
- The layout of the car (installation locations and location of the power unit, transmission).
As you can see, the elements that make up the platform can be called neutral. That is, they do not affect the stylistic decisions that automakers use. This allows you to build cars of different brands, classes and price categories on the basis of one platform.
Platform Usage
But as noted, the platform is a conditional phenomenon, and each automaker decides to what extent to use it. For example, there is the concept of "badge engineering", which implies that different companies produce, in fact, the same car, but under its own brand. The models will be called differently and even look somewhat different, but almost all the elements between them are unified.
A striking example of "badge engineering" Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT86
But still, most companies, especially those producing premium models, try to uniqueize their cars as much as possible in order to maintain interest in them.
This does not mean that they do not use platforms, just that they make some adjustments to the design. As a result, two cars built on the same platform will not have a single unified part. The platform in this case means only the use of a single principle for the manufacture of certain components, although they themselves are structurally different.
Positive and negative sides
There are many benefits to using automotive platforms to release cars, but they are mostly beneficial only for automakers. But there are also those that benefit the motorist.
The advantages of using a single basis for the production of different cars include:
- Reduction of costs and time for setting up the release of new models, which reduces the cost of a car;
- Ensuring the interaction between production facilities different manufacturers, which allows you to transfer production between plants with minimal re-equipment;
- Increasing the productivity of factories through standardization;
- Improving the quality of the final product by reducing the range of components;
- Possibility on the basis of one platform to produce different models to reach larger segment market.
But the disadvantages of using this concept are also significant, which play against manufacturers. These include:
- Car likeness. Distinctive Features between cars as a result of using a single basis to become less and less. In the pursuit of conformity with market trends, automakers sacrifice the individuality and uniqueness of their models;
- Impossibility of making global change into the elements of the platform, since as a result of this they will become incompatible with each other;
- The need to comply with the layout laid down in the platform;
- Impact on the cost of the final product. Because of the platform, companies will not be able to establish the real cost of a car, it will turn out to be reduced due to the similarity with another car. This is especially true for premium cars (for example, why overpay for Lexus if you can buy Toyota, which is the basis for the first brand);
- Finding any defect in constituent parts platforms can lead to the recall of all cars on which they are built.
So, the use of the platform, on the one hand, allows you to constantly replenish the market with new models, but on the other hand, they are becoming more and more similar to each other.
Therefore, some manufacturers of premium cars, if they use a platform, then they themselves developed and used only for their models in order to preserve the individuality of the brand.
Recently, another type of platform has appeared - modular. It is even closer to the strategy used on frame cars (one base and different bodies), but adjusted for modern technologies and trends.
The practice of using key components and assemblies developed both for global models within one automobile concern, and for machines of completely different manufacturers, has been used relatively recently, but every year more and more developers cars, announcing their new products as absolutely unique models, in fact, they use the basic platform of other designers.
It would seem that such an approach has only advantages in terms of creating new cars, if not for one "but". So, in the platform that has become the basis for the development of tens and even hundreds of cars, some kind of flaw will come to light, and this will result in huge financial losses for several automakers at once. Take, for example, the so-called Volkswagen concern - a scandal that occurred after it turned out that over 11 million copies diesel cars, manufactured around the world, were equipped with electronics that underestimated the number of harmful substances many times in the exhaust. In addition to the multibillion-dollar fines, Volkswagen lost a significant portion of its share price, not to mention the uncalculated damage to the German brand's credibility.
The use of new solutions on currently used platforms eliminates the installation of defective elements, because this can lead to a real disaster even for the most famous automakers. To be fair, it should be noted that modern cars are designed with particular emphasis on a high level of component reliability, making quality control one of the milestones design, development and serial production of machines. However, even the most famous brands are not immune from mistakes.
As the principle of using a single platform for several machine models continues to be introduced more and more widely, it will be all the more interesting to get acquainted with models that have already left or continue to leave the assembly line today.
GM E2XX from $21,680
The E2XX platform is a second-generation development that replaced the Epsilon platform developed by the concern. It was developed to reduce total weight car, including already produced models, without changing their main specifications. Subsequently, the machines built on the basis of the E2XX changed engines and updated the interior. As a rule, before being discontinued, a successful automotive platform undergoes modernization, and sometimes not the only one. So, on the basis of the E2XX base, two more derivatives were developed - C1XX and P2XX, of which the second is an extended version of the original version. It was the P2XX platform that was the basis latest version Chevrolet Impala and Buick LaCrosse 2017 model year.
Another feature of most modern car platforms is that, in addition to the original sedans, more expensive and functional crossovers are also constructed on their basis. All the same E2XX served as the basis for such new products as the Chevrolet Traverse, Cadillac XT5 or Buick Enclave.
Volkswagen Group D1 from €70,000
The fourth generation of the D-platform from the VAG concern was used to create the flagship model of the Volkswagen brand - executive sedan Phaeton. It must be said that the Phaeton, recently taken out of production, was the largest and expensive car model Volkswagen series. When developing the D4 platform, German designers used the most successful technologies of the D3 platform.
Another, no less outstanding model, designed on this platform, was premium sedan Bentley. But if the price tag for the most expensive car in the Volkswagen line, which was rather an exception in the general series with mass models German manufacturer, began with a mark of 100 thousand euros, then starting price Bentley, considered the closest "relative" of Phaeton, started at €200,000.
By the way, in addition to borrowing the Volkswagen platform, engineers also used engines on their cars, the developments of the VAG concern - under the hood Continental models GT installed the same 8-cylinder V-motors, which were equipped with Audi models.
Volkswagen Group MQB from $19,895
Today, the MQB platform is called the prospect of the next few years in the design of cars under Volkswagen brand. And we are talking about both compact urban hatchbacks and roomy sedans. Very soon, MQB will replace the three platforms currently used by Volkswagen engineers. And only such models as Amarok pickup, the Touareg mid-size SUV and the Crafter van will be based on a different base. As for the MQB platform, it is primarily used for the most affordable Polo hatchback of the entire Volkswagen model range, new generation which has noticeably increased in size, compared with the previous generation machine.
Perhaps most of all, the unification of car bases is striking when comparing completely different cars located in opposite directions. price categories. In addition to the Polo, already sold in Europe, the Skoda Octavia, the latest version of the Volkswagen Golf, as well as a more serious car, the Audi TT RS roadster, are being put on the MQB platform. It is noteworthy that new Golf in Europe is sold for €18.850, while the price of the "related" Audi TT, built on single platform, will exceed €69 thousand.
Volkswagen Group MLB2 from $34,900
Another example from VAG is the MLB2 Evo platform. The presented development is a clear example of how automotive engineers can integrate common components for completely different cars. upgraded version MLB2 Evo used to create premium SUV. But, perhaps, few people can come to mind, looking at Audi sedan A4 latest generation and the prestigious Bentley Bentayga, whose cost exceeds the A4 mail by six (!) times, that these two models, unlike each other, are based on the same platform. And this is despite the fact that almost all components of the body and other structural elements of cars are different.
Ford CD4Ford CD4 from $22,120
Another well-known developer that regularly releases universal platforms for creating different cars is the Ford concern. In particular, today many models of the Lincoln brand are based on the Ford platform, and this approach suits the management of both companies. It is obvious that the period Ford motor owned brands such as British Aston Martin, Swedish Volvo or british jaguar-, benefited the American concern, because it was during this period of time that one of the most successful developments of the engineers of the "blue oval" fell. So, for example, the last of Ford's most famous developments, the EUCD platform, was used not only for the previous generation Ford sedans Mondeo, but also for several Volvo models.
The EUCD platform became the basis for the popular S60 and S80 sedans, as well as for the V60 and V70 models. Subsequently, having experienced a major upgrade, this platform became the basis for creating the most popular Crossover Range Rover Evoque.
