Toyota reveals new global car platform

Japanese car maker, Toyota, has taken the unusual step of revealing the bare bones that it will build its future on.

Called the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), the new state-of-the-art platform has been engineered for both front- and rear-wheel drive applications and promises to make Toyotas of the future more efficient and better to drive.

The headline news is the new platform is lighter and between 30 to 65 per cent more rigid than its existing platforms with a lower centre of gravity.

It has been reported that the Japanese carmaker currently relies on over 100 platforms and sub-platforms to underpin all its vehicles but, by 2020, more than half of all Toyotas sold will be built solely on the new TNGA architecture.

This, Toyota says, will dramatically increase component sharing and reduce costs.

British car magazine, Autocar, is reporting that TNGA vehicles of the future will go as far as sharing the front and rear crash systems, suspension, powertrains, radiators, steering systems, climate control, steering and even seat frames. Although, the latter can be mounted at five different heights allowing the TNGA cars to range from everything from a supermini to an MPV.

The first TNGA model will be a front-wheel drive medium sized car that, thanks to its shared underpinnings will be around 40 per cent cheaper to develop - although, according to Autocar, Toyota was quick to add that out of that 40 per cent cash back - 75 per cent would be reinvested to make the car better than the opposition.  

It’s not known where Toyota plans to invest all the money it saves, but pundits have reported Toyota could leap ahead of its rivals when it comes to autonomous driving aids, better interiors and more advanced infotainment systems.