Five wildly different cars made from the same box of bits

Monday, 21 May 2018

VW Group's MQB platform can be stretched every which way (except for that bit at the front).

The MQB platform is the (literal) backbone of the Volkswagen Group. Not only do small and medium SUVs like the Seat Ateca, Skoda Karoq and Volkswagen Tiguan sit on it, so do a range of hatches (VW Golf and Polo, Seat Leon, Audi A1 and A3), sedans (VW Passat and Jetta, Skoda Octavia) and even small people movers (VW Touran and Golf Sportsvan).

Just to see how far the company can stretch this versatile platform, today we take a look at the five most diverse cars to use it.

Audi TT

Starting life on the same PQ34 platform as the Audi A3 Mk1, VW Golf Mk4 and the New Beetle, the TT followed through on to the PQ35 with its second incarnation - along with the rest mentioned here - and the MQB for its latest, unlike the latest Beetle which still uses an older platform.

The latest TT is easily the sportiest thing on the MQB platform, particularly in brilliantly violent TT RS guise, and with its stupidly powerful 294kW/480Nm turbo five-cylinder engine, easily the quickest too.

Yes, this VW Atlas seven-seat SUV is based on the same underpinnings as a tiny Polo.

* Skoda sharpens Superb with Sportline

Superb is the longest vehicle on the MQB platform. And it's really long.

* Seat comes to the party with Ibiza

* Volkswagen graduates from art class**

Volkswagen Atlas

Seat Ibiza is basically a Spanish Polo. Not according to Seat though.

The Atlas is the largest vehicle to sit on the MQB platform (yep, it's bigger than a Skoda Kodiaq), but according to VW it is only a mid-sized SUV.

Well, mid-size in purely American terms, that is, because the Atlas goes directly up against the Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango, Hyundai Santa Fe and Mazda CX-9 in the US, none of which we would consider 'medium' in NZ.

The Atlas is a seven-seater SUV and is powered by either a 175kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol four or a 206kW/361Nm 3.6-litre petrol V6 and is sold in the US, Canada and Mexico, as well as China and the Middle East as the VW Teramont.

Skoda Superb

The biggest thing about the Skoda is literally the 'biggest thing' about it, namely, its thoroughly massive boot and rear legroom. In a car that sits on the same platform as a Volkswagen Polo!

Okay, so 'platform' these days doesn't mean a hard chassis that can't be stretched, but it is still pretty strong sign of the MQB's flexibility that both extremes can be accommodated.

The superbly (sorry) comfortable Superb is powered by a range of turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines ranging in power from 132kW up to 206kW. Corporate Cabs loves it so much, they're buying 40 of them.

Seat Ibiza

The Polo's diminutive Spanish cousin outpoints the Volkswagen by not only offering the most powerful three-cylinder engine variant (85kW/200Nm) as standard here in NZ, but also by not being a Volkswagen.

Not that there is anything particularly wrong with that, it's just that the Seat brand is undoubtedly cooler and, well, less pretentious.

The Ibiza also happens to be a handsome little thing, with its sharp, chiselled lines and it has a far better name (sun-soaked party island associations and all that).

You can also add the pounding Beats audio system for $1000 to make it even more like its island namesake. And destroy your relationship with your neighbours…

Volkswagen Arteon

The 'in no way is it a direct replacement for the CC' VW Arteon is, umm, pretty much a direct replacement for the CC (previously known as the Passat CC) four-door 'coupe' in VW's line up.

One of the largest, lowest and most luxurious cars on the MQB platform, the Arteon is only sold in NZ as a single high-spec R-Line model, complete with a 206kW/350Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol turbo engine.

Impressively quick, comfortable and accomplished, the Arteon is deeply impressive, deeply sexy and very much like a sleek coupe version of the Skoda Superb. Which probably isn't what they were aiming for, but it sure isn't a bad thing.