Have you ever wondered how automotive brands and groups can afford to produce so many different types of vehicles and still make profits these days? The answer is platform and component sharing, which drastically reduce development and production costs, as the same architecture can be clothed and modified to suit a variety of body styles and needs. It also allows for cars to be made on the same lines.
On the other hand, if something goes wrong with one of the shared components – think recall, then automakers can face equally massive problems…
Still, that’s where the industry is heading. For example, the VW Group made a crucial move in common architectures with the modular MQB platform that is quite flexible, allowing the use of different wheelbases and even suspension modules, and now, we learn that BMW and Mercedes are going ahead and reducing their number of vehicle architectures too.
BMW, which has also taken a significant step in powertrain component sharing, even among diesel and petrol units, is said to use of only two modular architectures. One will be employed on the group’s front-wheel drive (FWD) models, and the other on all of its rear-wheel drive (RWD) cars, sans the i3 and i8 that are not part of this plan, according to an Autonews Europe report citing BMW Group board member for R&D, Herbert Diess.
Today, the Bavarians have five basic architectures: the new FWD platform for the MINI and FWD BMW 2-Series AT; one for the 1-, (current) X1, 2- and 3-Series cars, a bigger one for the 5-, 6- and 7-Series plus the Rolls-Royce Ghost, one for the X3 and X4 crossovers, and another for the X5 and X6 crossovers, reads the report.
Diess pointed out that vehicle architecture consolidation allows for a broad range of models. “We could not have such a product portfolio if we had not established architectures for our front-wheel Mini and smaller BMWs and the rear-wheel-drive architecture,” he said.
The BMW Group executive added that, along with platforms, the vehicles will also share the same electronic systems and components. “There is a cost disadvantage for the smaller cars but it allows us to bring all of the technical features we have in the 3, 4, 5 and 7 series down into the Mini and smaller cars,” Diess said.
Mercedes will reportedly follow a similar course, but instead of two modular architectures, it will have four, down from nine just five years ago. These include the MFA for FWD cars and crossovers; the MRA for RWD vehicles as well as crossovers like the next GLK; the MHA for mid-size and large crossovers and SUVs, including the next ML, and the MSA for sports cars, such as the SL and SLK roadsters.
It was mentioned in the analysis from Autonews that the S-Class sedan and coupe “use some but not all components” of the MRA platform. Also, keep in mind that, when companies refer to FWD and RWD architectures, these include the use of AWD systems.
Speaking to the publication about Benz’ new platforms, Thomas Weber, the company’s head of worldwide R&D, said that cost savings will be “huge” and will allow the company to bring a multitude of new vehicles to the market. “It would not be possible without this approach,” Weber said.
By John Halas
Story References: Autonews Europe
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