Toyota Car Platforms and Structure Explained

 The inner workings of a car are quite an enigma, especially if you get granular and delve into the finer points. What makes a car tick can get involved and tricky, but focusing on one part or section at a time can help clear through all the engine noise. Today, at Toyota of Orlando, we're walking you through the finer details of what car platforms are. You may have heard this term before but might not know much about it. Don't worry, we're here to break it down for you!

What is a Car Platform? 

When referring to Orlando Toyota cars, the platform or structure is a set of underpinnings on which a vehicle is built. This term can refer to chassis design, aesthetic features, engineering points, or how production is conducted. For the most part, automotive brands use Orlando car platform as a practice for minimizing expenses when producing models that are similar. In fact, a a lot of automotive brands (even competitors) will share platform specs. This is the reason why you'll often seen "clones" or other re-badged models out there. Take the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ, Mazda 2 and Toyota Yaris Hatchback, and more for example. 

While car platform design can encompass a variety of features on an Orlando Toyota car, it often deals with the technical aspects of a car's design. This can include items like: 

• The front and rear axles and the wheelbase (distance between axles). 
• Types of suspension used in the front and rear of the vehicle. 
• Where the engine is placed, what type is to be used, and parts of the powertrain. 
• Steering mechanisms and parts of the power steering. 
• And the floor pans along with chassis and other integral foundation parts. 

Pros/Cons of Car Platform Use

Creating new vehicles is quite an undertaking for automotive brands. Designs must be drawn up, assembled, thoroughly tested, and then certified for production with numerous steps in between each process. Car platform sharing for building Orlando Toyota cars is one of the auto industry's most convenient tools. A group of automotive brands alliance for certain vehicles in their lineup, share ideas, and collaborate on construction. Obviously, the models that are produced are unique to their brand, but the bones remain largely the same. 

One of the first automotive brands to use this practice was General Motors (GM) back in 1908. This practice brings many benefits like: 

• Vehicles produced using car platform sharing are tested by a wide variety of engineers from different companies before they're produced under various monikers. 
• Production is made much cheaper and therefore vehicles will have lower price tags for consumers. 
• Platforms can become reliable for drivers even if they don't know it. Orlando Toyota cars that share architecture often feel familiar when they're driven. 

But, like anything, car platform sharing isn't without it's issues. Many critics of the practice claim a lack of variety in the automotive market with many vehicles bearing too much resemblance. Issues do happen and an issue with a platform shared model could mean widespread recalls. 

Toyota's New Global Architecture (TNGA)

Toyota is an automotive brand that makes car platform sharing efficient and effective by offering models that share components but differentiate enough that the copycating goes largely unnoticed. Since 2015 Toyota has been using their widely acclaimed platform, TNGA, to construct over 50% of its vehicles. For Toyota, this Orlando car architecture encompasses things like seat frames, airbags, pedals, shifters, and steering system. This platform use gives the appeal of variety while still standardizing some aspects and allowing for unique options for consumers. 

The Dynamic Force Engine was developed alongside this car platform and has been used commonly in a variety of Orlando Toyota cars. 

Still have questions about car platforms or interested in driving a new Toyota? Visit Toyota of Orlando today at 3575 Vineland Road today!