Everything You Need To Know About Volkswagen’s MQB A0 Platform

When Volkswagen introduces the motoring world to its new MQB A0 small car platform, the German car giant will be aiming to put its customers and its products above everything else. In fact, the company’s development boss, Dr Frank Welsch, has pointed out: “We are still Volkswagen, but we want people to be more excited about our cars [and] we want to appeal to younger people. But with the qualities that our customers love, too.”

Everything You Need To Know About Volkswagen’s MQB A0 Platform

This guide sets out exactly why there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the MQB A0 platform’s introduction:

Volkswagen’s MQB platform

To truly understand Volkswagen’s MQB A0 platform, it makes sense to first become familiar with the German manufacturer’s MQB platform. Short for Modular Transverse Matrix, this particular strategy has already seen Volkswagen looking to standardise its vehicle components and production processes alike. As a result, the manufacturer was able to begin producing a variety of vehicles from a host of its different brands on the same assembly line, though with the assurance that quality remained at the highest level possible and extremely competitive costs remained.

There are four main features which have allowed the MQB platform to garner plenty of attention across the motoring industry…

1.      Reduced pollution and fuel consumption

Vehicles which have been produced using the MQB platform have seen their emissions reduced significantly. This is due to entirely redeveloped engine families, which are regularly trimmed to achieve lower CO2 figures through start-stop recuperation systems as standard, the innovation of active cylinder management in four-cylinder engines, EU-6 certification and a CNG option.

2.      More eye-catching vehicle designs

By designing vehicles produced on the MQB platform with the forward relocation of the front wheels, substantially balanced proportions have been accomplished. All vehicles also boast optimised use of space for the occupants.

3.      The weight spiral has been reversed

Thanks to a blend of ultra-modern production principles and materials, the reversal of the weight spiral of vehicles manufactured using the MQB platform has been achieved. When it comes to being behind the wheel of a vehicle built on this platform, this means increased driving pleasure while also enjoying lower fuel consumption.

4.      More comfortable and safer vehicles

Covering everything from driver assistance technology to elements associated with vehicle safety and infotainment, it has been estimated that 20 innovations have been seen since the MQB platform made its way onto the small car scene. These developments were previously only developed onto higher vehicle segments.

The first vehicle to be manufactured using the MQB platform was the Volkswagen Golf. However, it should be acknowledged that the strategy has formed the basis of 58 vehicles over the years — representing around eight million sales. This is not just cars with the Volkswagen badge either, but also those from Audi, SEAT and Skoda.

Volkswagen’s MQB A0 platform

Volkswagen has now welcomed a fresh variant of its MQB platform to the motoring world — the MQB A0 platform. It is set to boast all of the following credentials:

  • Deliver both weight and cost benefits to the cars produced using the platform.
  • Introduce advanced driver assistance technologies to small cars, which have never been seen on these types of vehicle.
  • Vehicles as diverse as the Volkswagen Polo and the five-metre-long Volkswagen Atlas SUV can now be built using the MQB platform, with length differences of over one metre taken into account.

In the closing months of 2017, motorists will be able to realise the MQB A0 platform for themselves, as it will underpin the new Volkswagen Polo. Following this, the MQB A0 platform will be used on new editions of the SEAT Ibiza and Skoda Fabia. It will also play a key part in the introduction of a series of smaller SUVs from the Volkswagen Group.

Article provided by Inchcape Volkswagen, a new and used Volkswagen dealership with locations across the UK, specialising in service and repair of Volkswagen cars.