Question of the Day: Where Does Badge Engineering Stop and Platform Sharing Begin?

By Jonny Lieberman
April 3, 2008 -

There's an interesting discussion taking place below the 2011 Audi A3 post from earlier today. I mentioned that for the money (figure right near $40K), I'd take a Subaru STI as opposed to an up-kitted A3 even with the V6, the AWD and the DSG. One of the main reasons is that when you boil the small Audi down, you're left with a VW Golf. Er, Rabbit. However, many of you argue, "so what?" And, as there are no stupid questions, so what indeed? Who cares what underpins the car. The A3 is (somehow) more than a Golf with a nice interior. By that logic, what was wrong with the Cadillac Cimarron? I'm being serious. GM took their basic economy car (Chevy Cavalier), added some leather and slapped some gold badges on the back. Pretty much what Audi does when turning a Rabbit into an A3. Yet one works, and one doesn't. I wonder why? You?

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57 Responses to “ Question of the Day: Where Does Badge Engineering Stop and Platform Sharing Begin? ”

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Vega :
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:56 pm

The A3 only uses the same axles, engines etc. but has not one piece of sheet metal and not one interior bit in common with the Golf. So it’s not the same. And that difference also happens to be the difference between badge engineering and platform sharing.

Not that VW isn’t guilty of badge engineering. The old Passat and the first generation Skoda Superb come to mind…
Ingvar :
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:02 pm

If the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf are simply badge-engineered versione of the same car, then all of these cars must share the same fate, as they share the same platform:

2003 Audi A3 (8P)
2003 Volkswagen Touran
2004 Volkswagen Caddy
2004 SEAT Altea
2004 VW Golf/VW R32/Rabbit Mk5
2005 Skoda Octavia II
2005 Volkswagen Golf Plus
2005 SEAT Toledo III
2006 VW Jetta/Vento/Bora V
2006 SEAT León II
2007 VW Eos
2007 Audi TT II
2008 Volkswagen Tiguan (compact crossover SUV)
2010 Audi Q3

And does the Volkswagen Touran pseudo-mpv have much in common with the Audi TT? Not? Well, then they are not badge-engineered, but platform-sharing. Audi A3 shares as much with the Golf as all of these cars share with each other. In my view, it’s the perfect form of platform-sharing. None of the cars look alike, none of the cars are made for the same customer-base, none of the cars are niched the same way, none of the cars are priced the same. That they could be manufuctured on the same line at the same time is simply astounding.

And for badge-engineering, the GM J-car is the perfect example. From Chevrolet Citation to Cadillac Cimarron, it is basically the same car, looking the same, sharing the same underpinnings, greenhouse, body-panels. Just stick different fronts and end to each other and different sticker-prices on the window. Done! And hey presto, four different cars.
carguy :
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:02 pm

It’s platform sharing if you do it like Ford with the C1 (Volve S40, Mazda3, Euro Focus), its badge engineering like they do it with the Fusion and Milan.

One is making use of a shared basic layout the other is just adding different trim or panels.

Badge engineering is nearly always bad but even platform sharing can get suspect too when an upmarket vehicle shares the platform of a more mass market car. While this hasn’t hurt Toyota/Lexus (because their customers don’t care and most likely also don’t like to drive) it has been somwhat of a stigma for the VM Golf/Audi TT.
John R :
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:03 pm

Not to mention the Cimarron handled and went just as well as a Cavalier. Like a pig. The Golf and its variants both VW and Audi are very competent driver’s cars.

So I imagine if the platform is good some apologies can be made.
Perkins :
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:10 pm

Good:
- Chevy Cobalt and HHR
They share a platform and drivetrain, dramtically reducing development costs while presenting two very different products to the market

Bad:
- Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5
They share everything save the front and rear facias, presenting no real product differentiation or other compelling reason to chose one over the other
windswords :
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:15 pm

Hey, what’s a matter with you guys. Only American companies badge engineer. Foreign companies would never do that!
Edward Niedermeyer :
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:15 pm

GTI and A3 cost about the same and are based on the same platform. Does anyone think they are the same car? VW does it well because it only shares across two brands. Each version of a given platform has to offer something very different. Thats something you can’t say of most GM brand engineering.

(A4-Passat and HHR-Cobalt are the exceptions that prove this)
brownie :
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:17 pm

Here’s the difference: If my mom can tell that two related cars share parts, that’s badge engineering. If only the lunatics who discuss cars on the interwebs can tell, that’s platform sharing.
DearS :
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:17 pm

I don’t care if the A3 had a better interior (wood please) and engine (RS V8?)and was called a Bentley, they can call it a VW or an Audi if they want. Badges and brands make no difference. A car is a car, contrary to what the marketing of it says. I look for substance.
Domestic Hearse :
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:21 pm

Jonny,

If, by your logic, one cannot choose the A3 since it’s a platform sharing cousin of the VW Golf, then what am I to make of your WRX?

That it somehow isn’t deep down, a souped up, pedestrian Impreza?