The
Volkswagen Group B platform is a
mid-sizeA mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
automobile platformAn automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques....
from the
Volkswagen GroupVolkswagen Group is a German automobile manufacturing group, currently the third largest automobile maker in the world, and the largest in Europe...
. It has been used for saloon cars/sedans,
estate cars/station wagonA station wagon is a passenger automobile with a body style similar to a sedan, or saloon, but with the roofline following the full, sometimes extended rear cargo area and sometimes an extra row of sometimes rear-facing seats, ending with a more vertical door than on a hatchback.Also sometimes...
, and
coupéA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
s - under the
Volkswagen Passenger CarsThe Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft , also known as Volkswagen Group or as VW, is an automobile manufacturer and mobility organisation based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany and is the pioneer brand within the Volkswagen Group, which contains the car brands Audi AG, Bentley Motors Ltd.,...
,
AudiAUDI AG, is a German company which produces luxury cars under the Audi brand, . It is part of the Volkswagen Group. The name Audi is based on a Latin translation of the surname of the founder August Horch, itself the German word for “listen!"Audi is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany.It...
,
SEATSEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded in 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , with initial Fiat assistance, and now a wholly owned subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group. Its headquarters are at Martorell near Barcelona, Spain...
and
ŠkodaŠkoda Auto , also known as Skoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic, Škoda became a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 1991, which also contains the car brands Volkswagen, Audi AG, Bentley Motors Ltd., Automobiles Bugatti SA, Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A., SEAT,...
marqueA marque is a brand name, especially in the automobile industry. For example, Chevrolet and Buick are marques of their maker, General Motors . A company may have many marques: GM has used more than a dozen in the North American market alone.-Differentiation:There are huge economies of scale in...
s over the years.
Volkswagen Group now uses a revised platform naming system. Under this system, a platform code is composed as follows:
- The 1st character - a letter, P: indicating a passenger car platform
- The 2nd character - a letter: indicating the orientation of the engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases, which are produced by the combustion, directly applies force to a movable...
: Q indicates a transverse engineA transverse engine is an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the length of the vehicle. This is also sometimes called an east-west engine...
(Quer in German), or L indicates a longitudinal engineIn automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
(Längs in German)
- The 3rd character - a digit: indicating the size or class of platform (and therefore also the car)
- The 4th character - a digit: indicating the generation or evolution
- The 5th character - an optional sign, +: indicating an extended or long-wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel, and the center of the rear wheel...
version
1974-1988.
The
Volkswagen Group B platform is a
mid-sizeA mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
automobile platformAn automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques....
from the
Volkswagen GroupVolkswagen Group is a German automobile manufacturing group, currently the third largest automobile maker in the world, and the largest in Europe...
. It has been used for saloon cars/sedans,
estate cars/station wagonA station wagon is a passenger automobile with a body style similar to a sedan, or saloon, but with the roofline following the full, sometimes extended rear cargo area and sometimes an extra row of sometimes rear-facing seats, ending with a more vertical door than on a hatchback.Also sometimes...
, and
coupéA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
s - under the
Volkswagen Passenger CarsThe Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft , also known as Volkswagen Group or as VW, is an automobile manufacturer and mobility organisation based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany and is the pioneer brand within the Volkswagen Group, which contains the car brands Audi AG, Bentley Motors Ltd.,...
,
AudiAUDI AG, is a German company which produces luxury cars under the Audi brand, . It is part of the Volkswagen Group. The name Audi is based on a Latin translation of the surname of the founder August Horch, itself the German word for “listen!"Audi is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany.It...
,
SEATSEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded in 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , with initial Fiat assistance, and now a wholly owned subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group. Its headquarters are at Martorell near Barcelona, Spain...
and
ŠkodaŠkoda Auto , also known as Skoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic, Škoda became a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 1991, which also contains the car brands Volkswagen, Audi AG, Bentley Motors Ltd., Automobiles Bugatti SA, Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A., SEAT,...
marqueA marque is a brand name, especially in the automobile industry. For example, Chevrolet and Buick are marques of their maker, General Motors . A company may have many marques: GM has used more than a dozen in the North American market alone.-Differentiation:There are huge economies of scale in...
s over the years.
Volkswagen Group now uses a revised platform naming system. Under this system, a platform code is composed as follows:
- The 1st character - a letter, P: indicating a passenger car platform
- The 2nd character - a letter: indicating the orientation of the engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases, which are produced by the combustion, directly applies force to a movable...
: Q indicates a transverse engineA transverse engine is an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the length of the vehicle. This is also sometimes called an east-west engine...
(Quer in German), or L indicates a longitudinal engineIn automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
(Längs in German)
- The 3rd character - a digit: indicating the size or class of platform (and therefore also the car)
- The 4th character - a digit: indicating the generation or evolution
- The 5th character - an optional sign, +: indicating an extended or long-wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel, and the center of the rear wheel...
version
B1
1974-1988. An
AudiAUDI AG, is a German company which produces luxury cars under the Audi brand, . It is part of the Volkswagen Group. The name Audi is based on a Latin translation of the surname of the founder August Horch, itself the German word for “listen!"Audi is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany.It...
derived platform, the first
Volkswagen PassatThe Volkswagen Passat is a family car built by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Slotting between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta, and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat has been badged variously as Dasher, Santana,...
was nearly identical to the
Audi 80The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It initially shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat, and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant...
(Audi Fox in US), sharing much of its mechanical systems, including its
longitudinal engineIn automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
placement.
- VW Passat B1 / VW Dasher
The Volkswagen Passat is a family car built by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Slotting between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta, and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat has been badged variously as Dasher, Santana,...
(Typ 32, 1974-1981; 1975-1988 in Brazil)
- Audi 80
The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It initially shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat, and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant...
(Typ 80, 1973–1976)
- Audi 80
The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It initially shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat, and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant...
(Typ 82, 1977–1978)
BX
1980-1993. The BX platform, developed Volkwagen's
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
ian subsidiary (
Volkswagen do BrasilVolkswagen do Brasil Ltda. is a subsidiary arm of Volkswagen Group, established in 1953.-Brazilian developed Volkswagens:Many of its models were designed especially for Brazil:*Brasilia*SP1 & SP2*1500/Variant/Variant II*Karmann Ghia TC...
), again borrowed heavily from the Audi 80 (Fox/4000) of the day. The BX platform was used for the Brazilian
Volkswagen GolThe Volkswagen Gol is a low cost subcompact car designed in Brazil and sold by German automaker Volkswagen since 1980. It is Volkswagen's entry-level car in the South American market, beneath the other superminis, the Fox and Polo. It has uninterruptedly been the best-selling car in Brazil since...
, Voyage (Gacel or Senda - In Argentina, and Fox in the U.S.), Parati (Amazon in U.S.), Saveiro (pickup) and Furgão (van) models. The Gol/Fox was quite unique in that it started life with a four-cylinder
Volkswagen air cooled engineThe Volkswagen air cooled engine is one of the most widely used and versatile internal combustion engines in the world. Variations of this engine were produced by Volkswagen plants around the world from 1936 until 2006.-Development:...
(borrowed from the
Volkswagen BeetleThe Volkswagen Type 1 is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003. It used an air cooled rear engined rear wheel drive ....
), and eventually ended up with a more modern watercooled engine, being sold in the US for the first time as a 1987 model. The VW BX family was restyled in 1987 and 1991.
B2
Still an Audi derived platform, this time based on the Audi 80/4000, again, including its
longitudinal engineIn automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
placement and, on some European models, the quattro
four-wheel driveFour-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
system, rebranded Syncro for Volkswagen cars. The Santana (facelifted) is still produced to this day in some countries, as is the
Volkswagen GolThe Volkswagen Gol is a low cost subcompact car designed in Brazil and sold by German automaker Volkswagen since 1980. It is Volkswagen's entry-level car in the South American market, beneath the other superminis, the Fox and Polo. It has uninterruptedly been the best-selling car in Brazil since...
.
- Volkswagen Passat B2 (Typ 32B, 1981-1988; 1982-1988 in the US where it was sold as the Quantum)
- Audi 80 and 90 (Typ 81, 1979–1987)
- Audi 4000CS quattro
The Audi 4000 quattro was a passenger car, manufactured by Audi of Germany from 1984 to 1987...
(Typ 85, 1984–1987)
- Audi Coupé (Typ 85, 1981–1987)
- Audi Quattro
The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March....
(Typ 85, 1981–1991)
- Audi Sport Quattro (1984–1987)
- Volkswagen Gol
The Volkswagen Gol is a low cost subcompact car designed in Brazil and sold by German automaker Volkswagen since 1980. It is Volkswagen's entry-level car in the South American market, beneath the other superminis, the Fox and Polo. It has uninterruptedly been the best-selling car in Brazil since...
generation 2 to generation 4 (1994-present)
- Volkswagen Santana (1984-2006)
B3
The B3 Volkswagen Passat was the first B platform car to be called Passat in the United States. The B3 was also the first Passat with an independently designed platform, it did not share parts with
AudiAUDI AG, is a German company which produces luxury cars under the Audi brand, . It is part of the Volkswagen Group. The name Audi is based on a Latin translation of the surname of the founder August Horch, itself the German word for “listen!"Audi is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany.It...
models. Instead, the design borrowed heavily from the Volkswagen Group A2 platform.
- Volkswagen Passat B3 (Typ 35i, 1988-1993; 1990-1994 in US)
- Volkswagen Corrado
The Volkswagen Corrado is a hatchback coupé developed by German automaker Volkswagen and built by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany between 1988 and 1995.Conceived as a successor to the successful Scirocco, it is a three-door hatchback with a 2+2 seating layout...
(1988-1995, hybrid platform with A2)
The "B3" designation is also used to refer to the "
Typ 89" version of the
Audi 80/90The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It initially shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat, and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant...
produced from 1987 to 1992 and the "
Typ 8B" Audi Coupé and S2. However these are
not based on the same platform as the "B3" Passat.
B4
The B4 Passat was a face lifted B3 (receiving its own generation number is controversial), remaining nearly mechanically identical, but with entirely new sheetmetal, and an updated interior design.
- Volkswagen Passat B4 (Typ 35i, 1993-1996; U.S. 1995-1997)
The "B4" designation is also used to refer to the "
Typ 8C" version of the Audi 80 and RS2 produced from 1991 to 1994. However these are
not based on the same platform as the "B4" Passat.
B5 (PL45)
The B5 platform employs a
longitudinal engineIn automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
placement, which differs from the Volkswagen Group A platform which have been traditionally
transversely mountedA transverse engine is an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the length of the vehicle. This is also sometimes called an east-west engine...
. This platform (also known as
PL45) was introduced with the first-generation
Audi A4The Audi A4 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG since late 1994. The initial generation A4 succeeded the four previous generations of the Audi 80...
and the 1996 Volkswagen Passat. B5 platform cars can be equipped with a multilink front suspension and a
TorsenTorsen is a type of limited slip differential used in automobiles. It was invented by American Vernon Gleasman and manufactured by the Gleason Corporation. Torsen is a contraction of Torque-Sensing...
centre differential for quattro or
4motion4motion is a registered trademark of Volkswagen Group , used for naming specific cars which utilise four-wheel drive systems, used exclusively on Volkswagen Passenger Cars-branded automobiles....
branded
four-wheel driveFour-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
systems. A long-
wheelbaseIn both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel, and the center of the rear wheel...
derivative of this platform - originally designed for the Chinese market and being used in the 1999 Volkswagen Passat Lingyu, but ultimately being used for its rebadged version under the Škoda brand, the 2002 Škoda Superb - is referred to as
PL45+.
In 2001, the B5 Passat received a facelift, referred to as "B5.5".
B5 / PL45
- Audi A4 (Typ 8D, 1996-2002)
- Audi S4 (Typ 8D, 1997-2002)
- Volkswagen Passat B5 (Typ 3B, 1996-2001)
- Audi RS4 Avant (Typ 8D, 2000-2001)
- Volkswagen Passat B5.5 (Typ 3BG, 2001-2005)
B5 / PL45+
- Volkswagen Passat Lingyu
The Volkswagen Passat is a family car built by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Slotting between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta, and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat has been badged variously as Dasher, Santana,...
B5 (1999-present; long wheelbase version for Chinese market)
- Škoda Superb
The Škoda Superb is a large family car primarily built by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto as its flagship car. The versions produced from 2001 to date are based on the platform of the Volkswagen Passat, but are elongated by , and shares its major mechanicals and powertrain with the Passat,...
(Typ 3U, 2002-2008)
B6
The designation "B6" is used to identify the "
Typ 8E" Audi A4/S4 produced from late 2000 to 2005. The platform used by these models is formally known as the
PL46 platform.
Confusingly, the current generations of Volkswagen's
PassatThe Volkswagen Passat is a family car built by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Slotting between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta, and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat has been badged variously as Dasher, Santana,...
are also
colloquiallyA colloquialism is an expression not used in formal speech, writing or paralinguistics. Colloquialisms are also sometimes referred to collectively as "colloquial language". Colloquialisms or colloquial language is considered to be characteristic of or only appropriate for casual, ordinary,...
referred to as "B6", given that they are Volkswagen's sixth generation mid-sized saloon. However this generation of the Passat uses the PQ46 platform for its sixth generation, a slightly enlarged version of the
Golf Mk5The fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5 , built on the Volkswagen Group A5 platform was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October 2003 and went on sale in Europe one month later. To commemorate this, Wolfsburg was renamed "Golfsburg" for a week. It reached North American markets in June...
and
Jetta Mk5The Volkswagen Jetta is a mid range family automobile, produced by German automaker Volkswagen Group for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars marque since 1979...
's PQ35 platform.
B6 / PL46
- Audi A4 (Typ 8E/8H (saloon: 8E2, Avant: 8E5) / 8H7 (Cabriolet), 2001-2005)
- Audi S4 (Typ 8E/8H (saloon: 8E2, Avant: 8E5) / 8H7 (Cabriolet), 2003-2005)
B6 / PQ46
- Volkswagen Passat (Typ 3C, 2006-)
- Volkswagen Passat CC
The Volkswagen Passat CC is a 4-door coupé version of the Volkswagen Passat. It debuted in January 2008 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit...
(Typ 3C8, 2009-)
- Skoda Superb
The Škoda Superb is a large family car primarily built by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto as its flagship car. The versions produced from 2001 to date are based on the platform of the Volkswagen Passat, but are elongated by , and shares its major mechanicals and powertrain with the Passat,...
II (Typ 3T, 2008-)
B7
The Audi A4, S4 and RS4 has a "B7" generation, from 2005 to 2008. However, this seventh generation of the car was a minor revision of the PL46 platform, but with major revisions to
engineThe internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases, which are produced by the combustion, directly applies force to a movable...
ranges,
suspensionSuspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose – contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
revisions, updated chassis and consumer electronics, and restyled bodywork. The B7 A4/S4 retains the
Typ 8E/8H numbers of the B6 A4/S4, though with different suffixes.
B7 / PL46
- Audi A4 (Typ 8EC (saloon), 8ED (Avant), 8HE (Cabriolet), 2005-2008)
- Audi S4 (Typ 8EC (saloon), 8ED (Avant), 8HE (Cabriolet), 2006-2008)
- Audi RS4 quattro (Typ 8EC (saloon), 8ED (Avant), 8HE (Cabriolet), 2006-2008)
- SEAT Exeo
The SEAT Exeo is a new mid-size car, and flagship model built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A., from December 2008 onwards...
(derived from B7 Audi A4) (2009-)
MLB/MLP (B8)
The
MLB (
Modularer Längsbaukasten ) or
Audi MLPThe Audi MLP is the English language name used by Audi AG, for its Modulare Längsbaukasten automobile platform, sometimes also informally referred to as the B8 platform...
(Modular Longitudinal Platform), sometimes referred to as the
B8 platform, is noteworthy for placing the front
differentialA differential is a device, usually but not necessarily employing gears, capable of transmitting torque and rotation through three shafts, almost always used in one of two ways. In one way, it receives one input and provides two outputs; this is found in most automobiles...
ahead of the
clutchA clutch is a mechanism for transmitting rotation, which can be engaged and disengaged. Clutches are useful in devices that have two rotating shafts. In these devices, one shaft is typically driven by a motor or pulley, and the other shaft drives another device. In a drill, for instance, one shaft...
, allowing the front
axleAn axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. In some cases the axle may be fixed in position with a bearing or bushing sitting inside the hole in the wheel or gear to allow the wheel or gear to rotate around the axle. In other cases the wheel or gear may be fixed to the axle, with...
to be moved forward 4 inches. This causes an increase in
wheelbaseIn both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel, and the center of the rear wheel...
and a slightly more rearward weight distribution for better
vehicle dynamicsVehicle dynamics refers to the dynamics of vehicles, here assumed to be ground vehicles.For two-wheeled vehicles see Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics.For the dynamics of air vehicles see Aerodynamics....
.
- Audi A5
The Audi A5 is a executive or full-size car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi since 2007. It is essentially the two-door coupé and cabriolet versions of the fourth generation A4 saloon and Avant....
(Typ 8T, 2007-)
- Audi A4
The Audi A4 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG since late 1994. The initial generation A4 succeeded the four previous generations of the Audi 80...
(Typ 8K, 2008-)
- Audi Q5
The Audi Q5 is a compact crossover SUV which was released by German automaker Audi for the 2009 model year. It is built using the new Audi MLP platform which debuted in the 2007 Audi A5 coupé. The Q5 is the second Audi model in the "Q" range, after the full-size Q7...
(Typ 8R, 2009-)
External links