Acar platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components, over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types ofcars, often from different, but somewhat related,marques.[2] It is practiced in theautomotive industry to reduce the costs associated with the development of products by basing those products on a smaller number of platforms. This further allows companies to create distinct models from a design perspective on similar underpinnings.[2] A car platform is not to be confused with aplatform chassis, although such a chassis can be part of an automobile's design platform, as noted below.
A basic definition of a platform in cars, from a technical point of view, includes underbody and suspensions (with axles) — where the underbody is made of the front floor, rear floor, engine compartment, and frame (reinforcement of underbody).[3] Key mechanical components that define an automobile platform include:
Platform sharing is a product development method where different products and the brand attached share the same components.[4] The purpose with platform sharing is to reduce the cost and have a more efficient product development process.[5][6] The companies gain on reduced procurement costs by taking advantage of the commonality of the components. However, this also limits their ability to differentiate the products and imposes a risk of losing the tangible uniqueness of the product. The companies have to make a trade-off between reducing their development costs and the degree of differentiation of the products.[4]
Platform sharing is a practice commonly employed by various brands within a corporate group. The fundamental components of a shared platform typically include the chassis and the drive unit. The extent to which different automobile or motorcycle models utilize the same components can vary, leading to different degrees of structural equality and platform similarity:
The remaining vehicle parts are categorised into "head" parts and system parts:
Platform sharing facilitates the efficient production and development of vehicles by leveraging common components across different models, thereby reducing costs and enhancing operational efficiency.
One of the first car companies to use this product development approach wasGeneral Motors in 1908.General Motors used a single chassis for certain class of model across most of its brands likeChevrolet,Buick,Pontiac andOldsmobile. Later, Chrysler Corporation would do the same forPlymouth,DeSoto andDodge cars.Ford followed the same principle for Ford andMercury in US markets.The chassis unit was common with many shared mechanical components while the exterior styling and interior trims were designed according to its individual brand and category.
In recent years formonocoque chassis, platform-sharing combined with advanced and flexible-manufacturing technology enabled automakers to sharply reduce product development and changeover times, while modular design and assembly allow building a greater variety of vehicles from one basic set of engineered components.[7] Pictured below is theNissan MS platform, where designs including 5-door hatchback, sedan, compact SUV and minivan were built on a common floor panel and many shared functional assemblies such as engine, transmission and chassis components.
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Many vendors refer to this asproduct or vehicle architecture. The concept of product architecture is the scheme by which the function of a product is allocated to physical components.[8]
The use of a platform strategy provides several benefits:[3]
The car platform strategy has become important in new product development and in the innovation process.[9] The finished products have to be responsive to market needs and to demonstrate distinctiveness while – at the same time – they must be developed and produced at low cost.[3] Adopting such a strategy affects the development process and also has an important impact on an automaker's organizational structure.[3] A platform strategy also offers advantages for the globalization process of automobile firms.[10]
Because automakers spend the majority of time and money on the development of platforms, platform sharing affords manufacturers the ability to cut costs on research and development by spreading it over several product lines. Manufacturers are then able to offer products at a lower cost to consumers. Additionally,economies of scale are increased, as is return on investment.[2][11]
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Originally, a "platform" was a literally sharedchassis from a previously-engineered vehicle, as in the case for theCitroën 2CV platform chassis used by theCitroën Ami andCitroën Dyane, as well as theVolkswagen Beetle frame under theVolkswagen Karmann Ghia. These two manufacturers made different category of vehicles under using the same chassis design at different years though the primary vehicle was still in production.
In the United States, platform sharing has been a common practice since the 1960s. This was whenGM used the same platform in the development of thePontiac LeMans, theBuick Skylark, theChevrolet Chevelle, and theOldsmobile Cutlass.
In the 1980s,Chrysler'sK-cars all wore a badge with the letter "K" to indicate their shared platform. In later stages, the "K" platform was extended in wheelbase, as well as use for several of the Corporation's different models. In the same decade, Fiat andSaab jointly developed cars using theType Four platform to compete with the German-dominated Europeanexecutive car segment.
General Motors used similar strategies with its"J" platform that debuted in mid-1981 in four of GM's divisions. Subsequently, GM introduced its "A" bodies for the same four divisions using the same tread width/wheelbase of the "X" body platform, but with larger bodywork to make the cars seem larger, and with larger trunk compartments. They were popular through the 1980s, primarily. Even Cadillac started offering a "J" body model called theCimarron, a much gussied-up version of the other four brands' platform siblings.
A similar strategy applied to what is known as the N-J-L platform, arguably the most prolific of GM's efforts on one platform. Once more, GM's four lower-level divisions all offered various models on this platform throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s.
The 1988Fiat Tipo was one of the first European cars utilizinga modular platform, also used for theFiat Tempra.[12][13]
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Japanese carmakers have followed the platform sharing practice withHonda'sAcura line,Nissan'sInfiniti brand, and Toyota'sLexus marque, as the entry-level luxury models are based on their mainstream lineup. For example, theLexus ES is essentially an upgraded and rebadgedToyota Camry.[14][15][16][17] AfterDaimler-Benz merged withChrysler, Chrysler engineers used several M-B platforms for new models including theCrossfire which was based on the M-BSLK roadster.[18] Other models that share platforms are the EuropeanFord Focus,Mazda 3, and theVolvo S40.[19]
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Differences between shared models typically involve styling, includingheadlights, tail lights, and front and rearfascias. Examples also involve differingengines anddrivetrains. In some cases such as the Lexus ES that is a Toyota Camry, "same car, same blueprints, same skeleton off the same assembly line in the same factory", but the Lexus is marketed with premium coffee in thedealership's showroom and reduced greens fees atPebble Beach Golf Links as part of the higher-priced badge.[20]
Platform sharingmay be less noticeable now; however, it is still very apparent. Vehicle architectures primarily consist of "under the skin" components, and shared platforms can show up in unusual places, like theNissan FM platform-matesNissan 350Z marketed as asports car andInfiniti FX positioned as aSUV. TheVolkswagen A platform-mates such as the sports-orientedAudi TT and the economy-focusedVolkswagen Golf also share much of their mechanical components but are visually entirely different. Both theVolkswagen Group andToyota have had much success building many well-differentiated vehicles from manymarques, from the same platforms. One of the least conspicuous recent examples is theChevy Trailblazer andChevy SSR; both use the GMT-360 platform.
In automotive design, thetop hat[clarification needed] is one or more vehicle upper body structures that can share a common platform. The upper body could vary from a crossover to a sedan or coupe thereby creatingeconomies of scale andproduct differentiation.[22]
Used luxury cars can be great buys, if you ignore all the hype, know how to separate symbol from substance, and are smart enough to know that most of the high-end models don't give you much more than their lower-priced entry-level versions. For example, the Lexus ES 300 is a Toyota Camry with a higher price.
Leveraging the expense of developing the unseen structural elements—everything that supports the bodywork, mounts the powertrain and suspension, and provides the vehicle's crash protection—across several different vehicles allows manufacturers to generate sufficient sales volume to deliver economies of scale. This reduces costs, maximizes profits, and if done right can allow a family of vehicles to be built on the same assembly-line equipment.
The most upscale Toyota Camry, the V6 XLE, and the entry-level Lexus ES 300 are clones, but the price difference between them is over $4500. For that you get a more finely finished interior on the Lexus and the promise of better service...
Toyota Camry XLE V-6 has exactly the same engine and shares many of the same body specifications with the Lexus ES 300. Comparably equipped, except for minor items
... are automotive twins, as are the Toyota Camry and Lexus ES 300.
Take the Lexus ES. It boasts the sexy panache of style and elegance that no other sedan can compare to. Except for the quotidian Toyota Camry, that is. Same car. Same blueprints, same skeleton off the same assembly line in the same factory, ...
