Volkswagen to adopt Audi’s MLP platform strategy
Volkswagen, one of the few car companies that manages to maximize the amount of vehicles it can produce from a single platform will now further enhance it’s ability with Audi’s modular MLP platform. The first car based on Audi’s MLP platform is the Audi A5 together with it’s high-powered S5 cousin.
As it already is, Volkswagen manages to squeeze plenty of cars out from a single platform - the base Volkswagen Golf platform has spawned the Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Eos, Skoda Octavia, Seat Leon, Audi A3, and the upcoming Volkswagen Tiguan. The combination of the new ability to share modules vertically in a product range - subcompact up to luxury limo, as well as horizontally across different marques - Skoda up to Audi, will allow Volkswagen to produce a high number of cars from one platform, thus taking less manpower and engineering time. Genius, really.
The first Volkswagen to use MLP will be the 7th generation Volkswagen Golf which will arrive around 2012, two generations away. The current Volkswagen Golf is the Mark5, with the Mark6 due in 2008.
I wonder how Audi/Volkswagen’s MLP compares to Lotus Engineering’s Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA). Which is more flexible, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each? It would be very interesting to know.
March 13, 2007 @ 9:07 am
Hi Paul, I heard the Golf MK6 has been launched and gonna make a debut very soon. Is this true? I have seen the pix of MK6 that looks half like an Audi.
March 13, 2007 @ 9:14 am
audi has definitely brought the mass production of vehicles to a new level with the MLP.
i think the main difference with MLP and VVA is application and cost. VVA for sure will be more expensive, and probably only better suited for low volume niche vehicles. Its an all aluminum design, therefore lighter, stronger, but more dificult and expensive to manufacture.
March 13, 2007 @ 9:14 am
how versatile? flexible? i think it depends on human brain 2 ‘manipulate’ it! haha
March 13, 2007 @ 9:29 am
2.08 am post:P Is this the same like toyota-s sharing platform with the fortuner-innova-harrier-hilux thing?
March 14, 2007 @ 9:07 am
“toyota-s sharing platform with the fortuner-innova-harrier-hilux thing?”
its not the same.. if you notice the toyota platform sharing, those vehicles are roughly in the same size category.
the MLP and VVA are ’scaleable’. They can be shortened, lengthened or widened to accomodate various classes of vehicles.
May 13, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
[...] on test. The new Audi A4 is supposed to be based on Audi’s new MLP platform, which stands for Modular Platform for longtitudinally mounted engines. The first car to use the MLP platform was the new Audi A5 Coupe, and it’s brother the S5 [...]
May 28, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
[...] new MLP platform promises better handling due to a more balanced positioning of the engine, which might be what it [...]