Volkswagen AG has announced a major change in the way it will engineer its future models. It will involve the development of four new architectures that will be made available to all of the marques across the company’s portfolio in a bid to cut costs, grow sales and eventually eclipse Toyota as the global leader.
This new approach to manufacture will allow Volkswagen AG to build cars more quickly, shave up to a year off development times and reduce costs by between 25 and 40 percent in a bid to boost group sales to 10 million by 2018 from the 5,7 million in 2006. Some six million units will be underpinned by the company’s transverse –engine architecture (dubbed MQB) for small-lower-medium and –upper-medium models
“MQB is planned for a broad application, from small cars up to and including upper-medium,” Hackenberg told in a recent interview. “The first model to emerge can be expected in 2010.”
Hackenberg did not specify how many models would be based on the MQB architecture, but other company sources suggest that MQB will form the logical base for replacements of at least 20 small, lower-medium and upper-medium models, plus additional new niche models. Among the models eligible for MQB are Polo, Golf, Jetta, Beetle, Touran, Caddy, Eos and Passat; Audi’s A3 and TT; Skoda’s Fabia, Roomster, Octavia and Superb; and Seat’s Ibiza, Cordoba, Leon, Altea and Toledo.
A second volume architecture called MHB will underpin VW’s New Small Family rear-engine minicar range, recently previewed by the company’s range of Up concept vehicles.
Volkswagwen is developing another modular architecture for mid-engine sports cars within the company stable, such as the Audi R8 and Lamborghinis. Such a platform could even form the basis of a more-affordable model from Bugatti.
Hackenberg’s tenure at Audi saw the development of the group’s fourth architecture, MLB, which has a longitudinally mounted engine for front-drive and all-wheel-drive applications – the first products of which are already on the road in the shape of Audi’s A4 and A5 models. Hackenburg has also pointed out that the MLB platform could also be used for the largest models in the group, including the A6, A8 and even potential replacements for the current line of Phaetons and Bentleys.
A senior analyst at CSM Worldwide, points out that the modular architecture will not only save Volkswagen money, but will also allow the company to quickly expand its lineup with niche vehicles in response to market trends. VW’s new system will also speed up production by varying basic structures, while engine positions, crumple zones and axle layouts remain fixed.
So, if you thought that Volkswagen AG’s line up was already diverse, you’d better prepare for a veritable deluge of new and niche models by 2018.
