Epsilon is
General Motors
General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
'
mid-size front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of internal combustion engine, engine and transmission (mechanics), transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature ...
automobile platform. The architecture was a multi-division project of GM North America, Opel and Saab, and debuted in the 2002
Opel Vectra and 2003
Saab 9-3. Since this platform falls squarely in the center of the worldwide automobile market, GM plans to produce a great many Epsilon vehicles with over a dozen variations. , it was GM's highest volume worldwide platform. Even after the dissolution of the GM/
Fiat
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...
partnership, both companies retain the rights to continue developing Epsilon-derived models.
A total of 16 different models have made use of the GM Epsilon platform, some of which remain in production 19 years after the platform debuted.
Features
GM's Epsilon platform replaced the
N platform in the
US, and replaced the
GM2900 platform elsewhere. Vehicles of this platform generally carry the symbol "Z" in the fourth digit of their
VINs.
When the platform debuted, there was talk of an "Epsilon Wide" derivative, which was supposed to have provided the underpinnings for the
Buick LaCrosse and
Saab 9-5. However, the program was cancelled and the LaCrosse was put on the
W platform, and the 9-5 was given a quick refresh for the 2006 model year.
The Epsilon platform is a midsize front-driver promising a 200 percent improvement in rigidity, with aluminum suspension components—MacPherson struts in front and a four-link independent arrangement in the rear, and four-wheel disc brakes. Many of the Epsilon vehicles use the
Ecotec Inline-four engines and both the
High Value and
High Feature V6 engines.
The refreshed 2008 SAAB 9-3 debuted with an advanced version of all-wheel-drive it dubbed XWD, finally giving a definitive answer to rumors about the platform's ability to support AWD, which had been around since the debut of the platform.
The
Lambda
Lambda (; uppercase , lowercase ; , ''lám(b)da'') is the eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiced alveolar lateral approximant . In the system of Greek numerals, lambda has a value of 30. Lambda is derived from the Phoen ...
and
Theta Premium crossover platforms are derived from Epsilon.
Vehicles
Vehicles based on the Epsilon I platform:
* Regular
** 2002–2009
Opel Vectra C saloon and liftback
** 2002–2009
Vauxhall Vectra saloon and liftback
** 2002–2009
Holden Vectra
** 2002–2009
Chevrolet Vectra
** 2003–2011
Saab 9-3
** 2004–2007
Chevrolet Malibu
** 2006–2009
Cadillac BLS
* Extended
** 2002–2009
Opel Vectra C Caravan
** 2002–2009
Vauxhall Vectra Caravan
** 2003–2008
Opel Signum
** 2004–2007
Chevrolet Malibu Maxx hatchback
** 2008–2012
Chevrolet Malibu
** 2005–2010
Pontiac G6
** 2005–2011
Fiat Croma
** 2007–2010
Saturn Aura
Cancelled vehicles which would have used this platform:
* 2006 midsized
Buick
Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...
Epsilon II
A new version of the Epsilon, dubbed Epsilon II, debuted in 2008. It is adaptable for
front and
all-wheel drive
An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand.
Types
The most common forms of all-wheel drive are:
;1x1 : All unicycles Reflects one axle with ...
applications. In long wheelbase format, Epsilon II supports
US EPA Large Cars, allowing GM to replace the
G and
W platforms. The architecture was developed by
Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Gr ...
in Rüsselsheim, Germany. Many safety features and AWD fitment modifications were done by Saab.
Current and announced vehicles built on Epsilon II:
*
SWB
** 2008–2017
Opel Insignia,
Vauxhall Insignia
An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body.
An insignia, which is typically made of metal or fabric, is a standalone sy ...
,
Holden Insignia VXR,
Buick Regal,
Chevrolet Vectra (saloon, hatchback, estate) (
SWB)
** 2012–2016
Chevrolet Malibu, Holden Malibu (
SWB)
*
SL LWB
** 2010–2016
Buick LaCrosse/Alpheon (
SL LWB)
** 2010–2012
Saab 9-5 (
SL LWB)
** 2012–2019
Roewe 950 (
SL LWB)
*
EL LWB
** 2012–2019
Cadillac XTS (
EL LWB)
** 2014–2019
Chevrolet Impala (
EL LWB)
Concept vehicles built on Epsilon II:
* 2007
Buick Riviera
* 2007
Opel GTC Concept
E2XX
E2XX is a moderately updated version of Epsilon 2 platform,
consistent with other platform revamps, such as the D2XX based on Delta II.
The E2XX platform targets weight reductions and longer wheelbases.
Vehicles
Vehicle built on E2XX:
* 2016–2025
Chevrolet Malibu
* 2017–2022
Opel/Vauxhall Insignia,
Buick Regal 2018–present (since 2020 China only),
Holden Commodore (ZB) 2018–2020
* 2019–present
Cadillac XT4
* 2021–present
Buick Envision
* 2023–present
Cadillac GT4
P2XX
P2XX is the longer variant of the E2XX platform.
Vehicle built on P2XX:
* 2017–2023
Buick LaCrosse
C1XX
C1XX is the crossover variant of the E2XX platform, replacing the
Theta Premium and
Lambda
Lambda (; uppercase , lowercase ; , ''lám(b)da'') is the eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiced alveolar lateral approximant . In the system of Greek numerals, lambda has a value of 30. Lambda is derived from the Phoen ...
platforms.
Vehicles built on C1XX:
Two-row mid-size:
* 2017–present
Cadillac XT5
The Cadillac XT5 (short for Crossover Touring 5) is a luxury vehicle, luxury crossover SUV manufactured by General Motors. It was introduced at both the Dubai Motor Show and LA Auto Show in November 2015. The XT5 replaced the Cadillac SRX crosso ...
* 2019–present
Chevrolet Blazer
Three-row mid-size:
* 2017–2023
GMC Acadia
* 2018–2020
Holden Acadia
* 2019–present
Buick Enclave (China)
* 2020–present
Chevrolet Blazer (China)
* 2020–present
Cadillac XT6
Full-size:
* 2018–2024
Buick Enclave
* 2018–2025
Chevrolet Traverse
Footnotes
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gm Epsilon Platform
Epsilon
Epsilon (, ; uppercase , lowercase or ; ) is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet, corresponding phonetically to a mid front unrounded vowel or . In the system of Greek numerals it also has the value five. It was derived from the Phoenic ...