Mercedes-Benz distils platform strategy

Geneva International Motor Show

Customers may never be able to see or feel the difference but Mercedes-Benz is changing the way it designs and build its cars. Instead of nearly a dozen different chassis across the iconic brand's range, just three architectures will eventually underpin all future Mercedes passenger car models.

The three all-new platforms are the foundation upon which Mercedes-Benz will remain a viable autonomous company into the next two decades. The three-platform strategy is still a work-in-progress but according to Mercedes-Benz board member in charge of vehicle development, Dr Thomas Weber, they will underpin the brand's entire future model ranges from small cars through to high-tech sportsters.

The three platforms are MFA (Mercedes Front-wheel [drive] Architecture), MRA (Mercedes Rear-wheel [drive] Architecture) and an as-yet-unnamed sportscar platform.

The first MFA production cars will be unveiled later this year, while the last of the abovementioned platforms will debut in 2012 in the all-new SL sports/roadster range and will be an all-aluminium construction.

Both the MFA and MRA are more conventional steel monocoques.

All three platforms are designed to work within Mercedes' developing module system. This system groups around 90 component sets into modules such as front and rear suspension, electric architectures, engine/transmission sets and the like. The use of modules with the platform strategy will significantly reduce cost and time to market for new models, Dr Weber said.

Dr Weber outlined the strategy to a small group of Aussie journalists at this week's Geneva show. To our knowledge it is the first time the brand has discussed the strategy so extensively and openly.

Mercedes' MFA platform will debut later this year in the next generation B and A-Class models. While the all-new B-Class will retain the mini-MPV style proportions of the current car, the new A-Class will be more conventional in appearance and packaging. Both will use conventional 'east-west' transverse powertrain orientation.

The two vehicles can follow quite different routes because of the flexibility of the new architecture, Dr Weber explained.

Unlike the previous generation A and B-Class, Mercedes will not be limited by the necessity to accommodate a sandwich floor construction in all versions, nor use bespoke inclined engine/transmission sets in the new car. Low and high floor variants will be constructed, effectively package protecting the platform for alternative powertrain variants such as fuel cell, battery electric and range-extended battery electric.

In the low-floor A-Class variant, Mercedes will be able to challenge directly more conventional premium small cars such as MINI and the A1/A3. Dr Weber says at least four distinct variants will be struck from the platform. The first of these will debut at this September's Frankfurt motor show.

The more conventional construction will have price and dynamic benefits, says Weber. It will also make Mercedes quicker to market and allow wider leverage of smart engine technologies in both petrol and turbodiesel versions.

Expect AMG to seek to leverage the new platform to take on the likes of Audi's S3 and VW Golf GTI.

The MRA platform was only given the green light around two-years ago, says Weber. It will debut in the next generation C-Class. By our reckoning that makes its on-sale date around 2015.

Eventually the 'north-south' longitudinal MRA architecture will underpin both rear and all-wheel drive models from C through to S-Class and including M and GL variants. The good news for markets like Australia is that it will open the way for right-hand drive versions of models like the GLK midsized softroader.

The development of the current C-Class and its pairing with the E-Class was a proof of concept exercise for the new platform strategy, Dr Weber stated. The volume the two models and their variants generate is around 700,000 units per annum – more than enough to generate significant economies of scale.

Dr Weber is adamant the platform strategy is key to Mercedes ability to compete against larger aggregated car groups moving forward. He says that combined with the module strategy, the harmonisation of platforms will save the carmaker "billions of dollars".

"Stand alone production volumes are not the only consideration [when considering viability]," Dr Weber stated. "Behind this you have to consider revenues, the value [of the components and cars] and the like. Just considering the volume of Golfs and the like is not relevant in the case of our brand."

Mercedes has had a working group considering the "perfect light weight construction" for the new SL for around five years. It's understood this group has consulted with both Jaguar and Aston Martin through the process. Dr Weber would not, however, confirm this.

"This is not for discussion at Geneva," he said.

He says the all-aluminium platform for the new SL will eventually be paired with the SLK and perhaps other as yet to be finalized sports models. It will not, however, be an SLS clone. That architecture, Weber says, belongs to an "iconic" model and "can be specific".

He says the next generation SL will be "at least 100kg" lighter than the current generation.

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