The

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

automotive concern,

Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...

has, since the 1970s, developed a series of shared automobile platforms for their motor vehicles. 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

marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

s of the Group.

Platform codes

Original system

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 A subframe is a structural component of a vehicle, such as an automobile or an aircraft, that uses a discrete, separate structure within a larger body-on-frame or unit body to carry certain components, such as the engine, drivetrain, or suspen ...

; however it is also used to identify the sixth-generation Volkswagen Passat, but this uses a

transverse engine A transverse engine is an engine mounted in a vehicle so that the engine's crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the direction of travel. Many modern front-wheel drive vehicles use this engine mounting configuration. Most rear-wheel drive vehicles ...

and transmission placement with a very different

cast Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...

aluminium alloy An aluminium alloy (or aluminum alloy; see spelling differences) is an alloy in which aluminium (Al) is the predominant metal. The typical alloying elements are copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon, tin, nickel and zinc. There are two principa ...

front subframe.

Joint-venture platforms

Platforms developed by Volkswagen Group as

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and economic risk, risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four rea ...

s with other manufacturers have designations which do not conform to the above scheme. These include:

Current system

More recently, Volkswagen Group have introduced a new alphanumeric nomenclature for car platforms. The platform code is composed as follows: * A letter, P, indicating a ''passenger car'' platform * A letter indicating the configuration of the

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...

: ** Q indicates a ''

'' (''Quer'' in German) ** L indicates a '' longitudinal engine'' (''Längs'' in German) * A digit indicating the platform ''size'' or ''class'' * A digit indicating the ''generation'' or ''evolution'' An additional + suffix indicates a long-

wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...

variant.

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: However, models developed from these modular component systems may also be identified by PL/PQ platform designations. * MQB: ''Modularer Querbaukasten'', or "modular transverse component system", for

d, small to medium-sized cars. *

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

: ''Modularer Längsbaukasten'', or "modular longitudinal component system", for medium-sized and larger (front- or all-wheel drive) longitudinal engined models. * MSB: ''Modularer Standardantriebsbaukasten'', or "modular standard drive train system", for front-engined (rear- or all-wheel drive) cars (the titular "standard" drive train). * MMB: ''Modularer Mittelbaukasten'', for

mid-engine In automotive engineering, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles, but behind the front axle. History The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of ...

d or rear-engined

sports car A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...

s. Currently used by the

Porsche 992 The Porsche 992 is the internal designation for the eighth and current generation of the Porsche 911 sports car, which was introduced at the Porsche Experience Center, Los Angeles on November 27, 2018. Specifications The 992 uses rack-and-pinio ...

911 and the Porsche 982 718. * MSS: ''Modulare Aufhängungslösung'', or "Modular Suspension Solution", for Modular Sports Car System * MNB: ''Modulare Nutzfahrzeugbaukasten'', for light commercial vehicles (VW Crafter/MAN TGE).

Electric car platforms

*J1: ''J1 Platform'' underpins the Porsche Taycan and Auto e-Tron GT. It is derived from the MSB platform. * MEB: ''Modularer Elektrobaukasten'' is an electric car platform developed by Volkswagen Group.Julian Rendell
Skoda electric vehicle under development
. '' Autocar''. Published on March 16, 2016. * PPE: ''Premium Platform Electric'' for larger electric car models co-developed by Audi and Porsche. * SSP: ''Scalable Systems Platform'' is planned to be introduced in 2026.

Other

The

Volkswagen Amarok The Volkswagen Amarok is a pickup truck produced by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles since 2010. It is a body-on-frame truck with double-wishbone suspension at the front and leaf springs at the rear. The Amarok range consists of single cab and ...

pickup truck has no known platform code.

References

External links

Volkswagen Group corporate website
{{Volkswagen Group brands *