Everyone knows about the common platform sharers, i.e.
Golf = Leon = A3 = Skoda
Mondeo = X-type
Fiesta = Puma
VW = Cayenne
VW Phaeton = Bentley
Porsche 928 = VW LT van (engine only)
(anyone else spotting a VW theme emerging?...) But are there any lesser known sneaky platform sharers, and more interestingly, how far back does this sort of thing go? Is this one of the reasons that cars have got so much better in recent year, as more R&D money can be spent on a part as it will be going in more models, rather than loads of seperate companies developing stuff independednly, each spending less?
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Definitely since the 60's
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Chrysler 300C - old version of Merc E-Clas that was then stretched a bit
MTC
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Porsche 928 = VW LT van (engine only)
Err, no.
924.
Not many VW LTs running round with a V8 under the hood.
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Saab 9-5= Vauxhall Vectra (stretched though)
old Saab 9-3 (and the 900)= Vauxhall Cavalier/ Vauxhall Calibra
new Saab 9-3= GM platform used for other stuff
Subaru are somehow involved with Saab and their floorpans too.
Can't see as it matters though, as floorpans make very little difference to the car as a whole in spite of the cliches that one hears. Handling, comfort, safety, etc is after all primarily down to other factors
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Only in terms of the basic chassis, and even that modified I believe, but:
Fiat Tipo = Alfa 145/6 = Fiat Coupe
And several others too I think.
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I can think of a few others:
Ford Mondeo = Mazda6 = Ford S-Max
Ford Focus mk2 = Mazda 3 = Volvo S40 = Volvo V50 = Ford C-Max=Mazda5
Chrysler Crossfire = Mercedes SLK (old shape)
Mazda MX-6 = Ford Probe
Cheers
DP
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BL used the 1800/2200 doors on several other models, e.g the Maxi. Plus of course their famous badge engineering. "No honest, it's an Austin and tons better than that Morris rubbish".
GM sold several variations on the Chevette theme across the world - Chevrolet Chevette, Isuzi something, Opel Kadett. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_T_platform
Another GM one is the J car - Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2, and lots of American stuff including a Cadillac (Cimarron i think). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_J-body
The Ford Ka is a derivative of the Fiesta as well. Ford are up to speed as the Focus shares a platform with the Volvo S40 / V50 and Mazda 3.
And there's also the Citroen and Peugeot variations - 306 and ZX, 106 and Saxo, 405 and Xantia etc. More recently, the 107, C1 and Toyota Aygo.
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Some Peugeot had air-cooled 2CV motors years ago.
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I think you see 'platform sharing' as a bit of a cop-out, but actually most of the examples are floorpan sharing. The floorpan is one of the biggest pressing used on a car, so it's the most expensive to tool and produce. As a panel that's never seen, it surely makes sense to use an existing part?
Would you expect every manufacturer to design and produce their own wiper blades? Or tyres? Or connectors for the wiring harness?
They're just using economy of scale to a new degree, but whereas you'd save a few thousand dollars and a month's development in tooling up for wiper blades, you'll save hundreds of times that amount for sharing a floorpan pressing.
It's a bit like sharing engines - would the consumer be prepared to pay if the 1.8 engine in the Golf was different to the 1.8 in the Jetta?
Sometimes, even in this cost driven world, things do slip through the net. Everyone in the 70s wondered why Triumph engineered their own V8 engine for the Stag when the Rover V8 would have done instead. But fast forward 25 years and VW produced a 2.8 litre V6 which was completely different to Audi's 2.8 V6!
What's important to remember, is that just because cars share a platform, they're not the same - not just look different but they will feel different from the driver's seat.
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Totally agree with you - I don't think it's a cop out in cases where there are just some shared bits but in some cases they seem to take it a bit far (X type) or the cars are mainly mechanically identical (golf / a3) and then it's less about economy of scale and more about clever marketing / hoping that people don't find out - for example, all my friends who aren't into cars look dumbfounded when I tell them about the mondeo / jag thing and ususally say something alonf the lines of "why would anyone buy one once they knew that?!!" So my question is really about discovering other very similar cars that have a big difference in selling price.
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I think you see 'platform sharing' as a bit of a cop-out, but actually most of the examples are floorpan sharing. The floorpan is one of the biggest pressing used on a car, so it's the most expensive to tool and produce. As a panel that's never seen, it surely makes sense to use an existing part?
In fairness I think you have over simplified it. Platform sharing is a much more accurate desription of it. Pressing the floor pan is failry cheap and easy. Designing a platform is much more expensive and involved. The platform extends up into the turrets for the mcpherson struts and the subframes and outriggers at the front with all the suspension and mounting points. along the level of the sills inside the rear arches to the rear outriggers
calling it a shared floorpan is inaccurate. well it is the way VW do it anyway. Platform sharing even extends to the completely interchangeable wiring looms between makes.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Some Peugeot had air-cooled 2CV motors years ago.
Not quite.
The Citroen LN was effectively the Peugeot 104 (3 door) but with the 652cc twin-cylinder air-cooled engine from the Citroen Visa (enlarged from the 602cc in the 2CV). The Citroen LNA used the 954cc 4-cylinder water cooled Peugeot 104 engine.
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405 & Xantia didnt share a platform.
106 & Saxo got there platform ( stretched a bit ) from the Citroen AX
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With major parts remeber most car manufacturers have engines that are built on shared engine blocks. Not to sure of who uses which, but many blocks are used by multiple car builders.
--
Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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But you can go back to badge engineering as well and there were people then who would buy a car with a Morris badge rather than an Austin because it was a better,more reliable car!!
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Thought I'd throw in my 3 pen'orth(?)
SAAB 9000
Alfa 164
Fiat Croma
Lancia Thema
from the mid eighties
S6 1SW
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The future is not specifically platform sharing, rather line sharing as per the Ford S-Max, Galaxy and new Mondeo etc being built on the same line so as demand changes model to model (even brand to brand, Jag etc) the line can adapt.
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Is the new VW Crafter (what a stupid name!) and the new MB Sprinter from the same plantform/parts? Looks v. similar from the A frame back to me.
DB
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Lotus Elise / Vauxhall VX220 (???)
Aston Martin DB7 / Jaguar XK8
Peugeot / Citroen - various models
Latest Land Rover Defender has Ford Transit engine in place of old TD5
What is more unusual is the cars that DIDN'T share any major components with others. A case here was the Rover P6 2000 / 2200 model (1963-1977) This was a ground-up new model when introduced and none of its components were handed on to its successor, the SD1.
The P6B 3500 was the only exception - this model was an afterthought after Rover had played about with its own 5 and 6 cylinder OHC engines in prototypes, and its Buick-designed V8 found its way into all sorts of things from the Morgan Plus 8 to the Range Rover.
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Kia Cerato / Cee'd / Sportage / Hyundai Tucson / Coupe / Elantra all share the same platform.
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Kia Cerato / Cee'd / Sportage / Hyundai Tucson / Coupe / Elantra all share the same platform.
And Hyundai Matrix. And Kia Carens as well I believe.
The Korean company is an unsung master of eeking the last drop of value out of each platform.
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Ford Focus/Volvo S40-V50
VW Polo/Skoda Fabia (not the new one)
Fiat Grande Punto/Vauxhall Corsa (I think)
Smart Fourfour/Mitsubishi Something
There's at least one Kia/Hyundai too
The new Audi ?C8 shares a lot of DNA with the Lambo Gallardo too.
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Kia/Hyundai - er, as Jase said above... :-)
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Suzuki Wagon R - Vauxhall Agila.
Daewoo Nexia - Mk2 Astra
Daewoo Espero - Mk3 Cavalier
Peugeot Partner - Citroen Berlingo
Ford Galaxy - SEAT Alhambra - VW Sharan
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I agree with TVM's view above and would go on to say that any car company that owns more than one brand shares components and platforms so the big ones will be Ford, VAG, GM, Daimler Chrysler. I am not a big fan of it myself as other than badges what differentiates the car - surely they are all the same with just a tweak of damper settings etc.
Where I think it can back fire on a company is when you get Skoda outperforming all the more expensive VAG brands for insatnce in driver surveys for what is the same car as the more expensive VW's and Audi's.
Having said that - in a market driven by badge/snob appeal rather than engineering excellence then it's no suprise the more expensive brands will continue to sell.
In fairness to VW it does work for the more intelligent consumer in that the Skoda Octavia is as good as a Golf and the Phaeton is as good as a Bentley or A8, so you get the engineering without the badge or price.
In response to the original OM of course you have cross sharing now with aygo, C1 and107 and I think Toyota and Daihatsu share alot.
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