List of Volkswagen Group platforms

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The German automotive concern, Volkswagen Group has, since the 1970s, developed a series of shared automobile platforms for their motor vehicles. [1] [2]

Contents

Originally, these were identified using a simple alphanumeric system. The first letter prefix indicates the car classification or physical size (A, B, C or D - for 'traditional' cars); followed by a number to enumerate different generations of the same class. However, more recent platforms have formally departed from this convention, although the older alphanumeric codes continue to be used informally.

These platforms may be used by one or more marques of the Group.

Platform codes

Original system

Volkswagen Group alphanumeric platforms
platform nameused fornotable examplescomments
A00 city cars Volkswagen Lupo, SEAT Arosa This platform never developed any subsequent evolutions or generations.
A0 series supermini cars Audi 50, Volkswagen Polo, SEAT Ibiza, SEAT Córdoba, Škoda Fabia As of 2014, in its sixth generation.
A series [2] small family cars
/ compact cars 		Audi A3, Audi Q3, Audi TT, VW Golf, VW Jetta, VW Eos, VW Tiguan, VW Touran, VW Scirocco, SEAT León, SEAT Toledo, SEAT Altea, Škoda Octavia The most prolific platform, six generations.
B series [2] mid-size cars Audi 4000, Audi 80, Audi 90, Audi A4, Volkswagen Passat, SEAT Exeo, Škoda Superb Another prolific platform, now informally in its ninth generation.
C series [2] extended mid-size executive cars Audi 5000, Audi 100/200, Audi A6, Audi A6 allroad quattro Eight generations to date.
D series full-size luxury cars Audi V8, Audi A8, Bentley Continental GT, Volkswagen Phaeton Six variants from five generations. Confusingly, the D series includes models using both conventional steel monocoque construction, or the very different aluminium Audi Space Frame construction.
T series vans Volkswagen Transporter rangethe early generations were retroactively named, the T1 is the oldest "platform", based on the original Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle.

Note that some designations in common use are ambiguous; i.e. in some cases the same platform designation is used for different models that do not share a common platform. An example would be the B6 designation - this is used to identify the 2001-2005 Audi A4 (and the related Audi S4), which uses a longitudinal engine and transmission placement with a pressed steel front subframe; however it is also used to identify the sixth-generation Volkswagen Passat, but this uses a transverse engine and transmission placement with a very different cast aluminium alloy front subframe.

Joint-venture platforms

Platforms developed by Volkswagen Group as joint ventures with other manufacturers have designations which do not conform to the above scheme. These include:

Volkswagen Group joint-venture platforms
platform nameused fornotable examplescomments
B-VX62 [2] multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) Volkswagen Sharan (7M), SEAT Alhambra (7M), Ford Galaxy Joint-venture with Ford Motor Company.
LT/T1N series light commercial vehicles Volkswagen LT range, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Second and third generations are a joint-venture with Daimler AG.

PL/PQ platforms

Volkswagen Group has previously introduced an alphanumeric nomenclature for car platforms. The platform code is composed as follows:

An additional + suffix indicates a long-wheelbase variant.

Volkswagen Group PL/PQ platforms
platform codeused fornotable examples
PQ12 (NSF) ultra-compact city cars Volkswagen Up, SEAT Mii, Škoda Citigo
PQ24 [2] supermini cars Volkswagen Polo (9N), Volkswagen Gol MK5 - Third Gen.(2008–present, PQ24/25 hybrid) [3] SEAT Ibiza (6L), SEAT Córdoba (6L), Škoda Fabia (6Y), Škoda Fabia (5J), Škoda Roomster
PQ25 [2] supermini cars Volkswagen Polo (6R), SEAT Ibiza (6J), Audi A1
PQ26 supermini cars Volkswagen Polo (6C), SEAT Ibiza (6P), Skoda Fabia (6V)
PQ34 [2] small family cars
/ compact cars		 Audi A3 (8L), Volkswagen Golf Mk4 (1J), Volkswagen Bora/Jetta (1J), SEAT León (1M), SEAT Toledo (1M), Škoda Octavia (1U)
PQ35 [2] small family cars
/ compact cars		 Audi A3 (8P), Audi Q3 (8U), Volkswagen Golf Mk5 (1K), Volkswagen Jetta Mk5 (1K), Volkswagen Golf Mk6 (5K), Volkswagen Eos, Volkswagen Scirocco Mk3, Volkswagen Tiguan, SEAT León (1P), SEAT Toledo (1P), SEAT Altea, Škoda Octavia (1Z), Škoda Yeti
PL45 [2] mid-size cars Audi A4 (8D), Volkswagen Passat (3B), Volkswagen Passat GP Lingyu
PL45+ [2] mid-size cars Volkswagen Passat Lingyu, Škoda Superb (3U)
PQ46 [2] mid-size cars Volkswagen Passat (3C), Volkswagen Sharan (7M), Škoda Superb (3T)
PL46 [2] mid-size cars Audi A4 (8E B6)
PQ47 [2] mid-size cars Volkswagen CC (7N B7)
PL47 [2] mid-size cars Audi A4 (8E B7), SEAT Exeo
PL62 [2] full-size luxury cars Audi A8, Bentley Continental Flying Spur, Bentley Continental GT/GTC, Volkswagen Phaeton
PL64 [2] full-size luxury cars Audi A8, Bentley Continental GT, Volkswagen Phaeton
PL71 [2] sport utility vehicles (SUVs) Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg
PL72 [4] sport utility vehicles (SUVs) Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg (7P)

Modular component systems

In 2007, Volkswagen Group introduced a more flexible "modular component system" architecture on which to base future platforms. Four such component systems were planned: [5] However, models developed from these modular component systems may also be identified by PL/PQ platform designations.[ citation needed ]

Electric car platforms

Other

The first generation of the Volkswagen Amarok (2H) is based on a specially developed chassis, while the second generation (NF) is based on and utilises the T6.2 platform in cooperation with Ford and shares many of the same parts as the second-generation Ford Ranger (P703/RA). [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen</span> German automobile manufacturer

Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into the global brand it is known as today post-World War II by the British Army officer Ivan Hirst, it is known for the iconic Beetle and serves as the flagship brand of the Volkswagen Group, the largest automotive manufacturer by worldwide sales in 2016 and 2017. The group's biggest market is China, which delivers 40 percent of its sales and profits. Its name is derived from the German-language terms Volk and Wagen, translating to "people's car" when combined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Passat</span> Car model series

The Volkswagen Passat is a nameplate of large family cars (D-segment) manufactured and marketed by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen since 1973 and alson marketed variously as the Dasher, Santana, Quantum, Magotan, Corsar and Carat — in saloon, estate, and hatchback body styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi 80</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the Audi subdivision of the Volkswagen Group across four generations from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a saloon, and station wagon — the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant. The coupé and convertible models were not badged as members of the range, but used a derivative of the same platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quattro (four-wheel-drive system)</span> Sub-brand by Audi that designed for its all-wheel-drive cars

Quattro is the trademark used by the automotive brand Audi to indicate that all-wheel drive (AWD) technologies or systems are used on specific models of its automobiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout</span> Term used in automotive technology

In automotive design, a front-engine, front-wheel-drive (FWD) layout, or FF layout, places both the internal combustion engine and driven roadwheels at the front of the vehicle.

The Volkswagen Group A platform is an automobile platform shared among compact and mid-size cars of the Volkswagen Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VR6 engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The VR6 engine is a six-cylinder engine configuration developed by Volkswagen. The name VR6 comes from the combination of German words “Verkürzt” and “Reihenmotor” meaning “shortened inline engine”. It was developed specifically for transverse engine installations and FWD vehicles. The VR6 is a highly compact engine, thanks to the narrower angle of 10.5 to 15 degrees between cylinder banks, as opposed to the traditional V6 angles ranging from 45 to 90 degrees. The compact design is cheaper to manufacture, since only one cylinder head is required for all six cylinders, much like a traditional inline-6 engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transaxle</span> Combined transmission, axle and differential in one assembly.

A transaxle is a single mechanical device which combines the functions of an automobile's transmission, axle, and differential into one integrated assembly. It can be produced in both manual and automatic versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferdinand Piëch</span> Austrian industrialist (1937–2019), head of Volkswagen

Ferdinand Karl Piëch was an Austrian business magnate, engineer and executive who was the chairman of the executive board (Vorstandsvorsitzender) of Volkswagen Group from 1993–2002 and the chairman of the supervisory board (Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender) of Volkswagen Group from 2002–2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Direct-shift gearbox</span> Type of dual-clutch transmission

A direct-shift gearbox is an electronically controlled, dual-clutch, multiple-shaft, automatic gearbox, in either a transaxle or traditional transmission layout, with automated clutch operation, and with fully-automatic or semi-manual gear selection. The first dual-clutch transmissions were derived from Porsche in-house development for the Porsche 962 in the 1980s.

The Volkswagen Group B platform is a mid-size automobile platform from the Volkswagen Group. It has been used for saloon cars/sedans, estate cars/station wagon, and coupés - under the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT and Škoda marques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Group MLB platform</span> Motor vehicle platform

The Volkswagen Group MLB platform is the company's platform strategy, announced in 2012, for shared modular construction of its longitudinal, front-engined automobiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Group MQB platform</span> Motor vehicle platform

The Volkswagen Group MQB platform is the company's strategy for shared modular design construction of its transverse, front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout automobiles. It was first introduced in the Volkswagen Golf Mk7 in late 2012. Volkswagen spent roughly $8bn developing this new platform and the cars employing it. The platform underpins a wide range of cars from the supermini class to the mid size SUV class. MQB allows Volkswagen to assemble any of its cars based on this platform across all of its MQB ready factories. This allows the Volkswagen group flexibility to shift production as needed between its different factories. Beginning in 2012, Volkswagen Group marketed the strategy under the code name MQB, which stands for Modularer Querbaukasten, translating from German to "Modular Transversal Toolkit" or "Modular Transverse Matrix". MQB is one strategy within VW's overall MB program which also includes the similar MLB strategy for vehicles with longitudinal engine orientation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive industry in Germany</span> Overview of the automotive industry in Germany

The automotive industry in Germany is one of the largest employers in the world, with a labor force of over 857,336 (2016) working in the industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Passat (B5)</span> Motor vehicle

The B5 version of the Volkswagen Passat, based on the Volkswagen Group B5 platform, was launched in 1997 in North America and Europe as well as during March 1998 in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Slovakia</span>

The Volkswagen Bratislava Plant is an automotive factory and co-located test track owned by Volkswagen Group in Bratislava, Slovakia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Group MEB platform</span> Modular electric car platform

The Volkswagen Group MEB platform is a modular car platform for electric cars developed by the Volkswagen Group and its subsidiaries. It is used in models of Audi, Cupra, Škoda, and Volkswagen, along with Ford through partnership. The architecture is aimed to "consolidate electronic controls and reduce the number of microprocessors, advance the application of new driver-assistance technology and somewhat alter the way cars are built" by the VW Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Group MSB platform</span> Motor vehicle platform

The Volkswagen Group MSB platform is the company's strategy for shared modular design construction of its longitudinal, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout automobiles. It was developed by Porsche for vehicles with longitudinally mounted engines and gearboxes and four-wheel or rear-wheel drive. It has been in use since 2016 and was introduced with the second generation Porsche Panamera.

The Volkswagen Group Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) is a modular car platform for electric cars being developed by the Volkswagen Group. SSP was announced in July 2021, as part of Volkswagen's "New Auto" strategy, to have a "single battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform across all the group's brands". SSP is planned to be introduced in 2029, and intend to succeed the MEB and PPE platforms. It is also expected to replace Volkswagen's internal combustion engine platforms. As with MEB it is expected that the platform will also be offered to other car manufacturers.

The Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) was developed for the Volkswagen Group under the leadership of Audi. It is considered a further development of the ‘Modularer Längsbaukasten (MLB)’ platform and can therefore be regarded as the third generation of this platform after MLB and MLB Evo. It made its debut in 2024 with the Audi A5 (B10).

References

  1. ↑ "Europe's slight rise & anticipated decline - Auto by the Numbers - car sales, production in Western Europe - Illustration - Statistical Data Included". Automotive Design & Production, April 2002 by Mark Fulthorpe / Gardner Publications, Inc. / Gale Group. CBS Interactive Business UK. 2002. Archived from the original on 28 December 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Im Fokus: Volkswagen - Kernkompetenz: Sparen" (PDF). Automobil-Produktion.de (in German). CSM Worldwide. March 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  3. ↑ Novo Gol - Mudanças para continuar na liderança Archived 2009-12-16 at the Wayback Machine (in Portuguese)
  4. ↑ "VW Touareg (7P) - Ross-Tech Wiki". wiki.ross-tech.com.
  5. ↑ "VW's (Volkswagen Group) four-platform future uncovered". Autocar . Haymarket Media Group. 27 November 2007. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  6. ↑ First Details On Porsche’s Modular Standard Platform (MSB) – MotorAuthority.com
  7. ↑ VW group's unique platform sharing architecture – F1Technical.net
  8. ↑ Der Baukasten für die Zukunft Archived 2012-03-14 at the Wayback Machine Volkswagen.de
  9. ↑ "Porsche / VW Group Platforms | Issue 272 | Excellence | The Magazine About Porsche". Excellence. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  10. ↑ "J1 performance platform". electrichasgoneaudi.net.
  11. ↑ Julian Rendell. Skoda electric vehicle under development Archived 2016-06-16 at the Wayback Machine . Autocar . Published on March 16, 2016.
  12. ↑ "VW's EV platform ready for Skoda, Seat brands". 10 January 2017.
  13. ↑ "VW's Porsche And Audi Will Develop Joint EV Platform To Slash Costs". insideevs.com.
  14. ↑ "First EVs on Audi and Porsche's PPE platform coming in 2021". motorauthority.com.
  15. ↑ "Volkswagen ID.Golf Postponed To 2029 As More Delays Mount: Report". InsideEVs. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  16. ↑ Pappas, Thanos (2024-07-15). "VW To Postpone Launch Of Next-Gen EVs Due To Software Problems". Carscoops. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  17. ↑ "Ford, Volkswagen Sign Agreements for Joint Projects On Commercial Vehicles, EVs, Autonomous Driving | Ford of Europe | Ford Media Center". media.ford.com. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
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