The Volkswagen Group's MQB platform celebrates a decade of success...

A few years ago a good friend made me this reflection: "All cars sold today look the same. They are appliances with wheels». I laughed and told him yes, the brands had standardized their production processes a lot and in many cases they had lost part of their identity. All this without going into the task since "the fault" that they are all so similar lies with the proliferation of modular platforms You know that they are?

To summarize and simplify a lot: It's the foundation of a car and the more flexible and scalable it is, the easier it will be to apply to all types of vehicles. One of the most notorious and well-known examples is in the MQB platform that Grupo Volkswagen launched on the market in 2012 on the Golf VII. Now this base celebrates a decade of life and, in addition to being extended to the entire Bavarian consortium, it has smaller and cheaper derivations.

More than 32 million vehicles have been manufactured on the Volkswagen Group's MQB platform in a decade...

Before explaining what is the milestone celebrating the MQB platform We will tell you the reason for his birth. With it, the Volkswagen Group "retired" the three bases for small and medium-sized vehicles that articulated the ranges of their respective brands. It was about the PQ25 (Ibiza, Polo or Fabia), PQ35 (Leon, Golf, Octavia or A3) and PQ46 that it was a derivation of the previous one and that it was extended by models such as the Alhambra, Passat CC, Superb or Sharan.

In summary: on a single platform it would develop the same models that previously required three. The cost savings and the standardization of the production processes would result in a unit profitability that would make it profitable in a handful of units. Well, now a decade of his birth is celebrated and Volkswagen celebrates it high. There is no more to indicate that they have already manufactured more than 32 million vehicles on it.

The modern MQB-A0 platform of the new Seat Ibiza in depth

If we take a look at the official press release published by Volkswagen we can read the statements by Ralf Brandstätter. According to the CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars…

“The introduction of the MQB ten years ago was a crucial step” […] “The MQB not only serves as the technological matrix for our transverse engine combustion engine models, but it is also the backbone of our economic efficiency and resilience as MQB-based vehicles make a significant contribution to financing the brand's "Accelerate" strategy that includes electric mobility, digitalization, new business models and autonomous driving."

As of today, the MQB base has two variants. On the one hand there is the MQB-A0 used by the Ibiza, Polo or Fabia. Second, as a sub-derivation of this, we have the MQB-A0 IN. It is basically the same but it has been fine-tuned for the models that Skoda has created for India. Furthermore, although it is not the same, has served as the basis for creating the MEB for electrical. In short, a round business that all manufacturers have imitated...

Congratulations MQB platform…

Source - Volkswagen