????大眾汽車的MQB系統固定了發動機模塊的位置，前輪中心與控制踏板之間的距離也是固定不變的。大眾汽車所選擇的踏板與前軸距離使得前懸非常短，這有利于運動性能的發揮。“使用這些比例作為基礎，我們可以調整其他參數，比如車身寬度。”大眾汽車美國分公司產品營銷與戰略副總裁雷納?米歇爾說，“由于汽車的大部分都是相同的，因此我們能夠將世界各地的生產過程標準化，以便宜得多的價格購買工具，并減少對工廠的投資。”

????米歇爾表示，新架構的應用范圍將擴大到目前正在開發的大眾小型車，包括大眾Polo和斯柯達法比亞。上世紀八九十年代，大眾汽車先后收購了西班牙汽車廠商西雅特和捷克汽車廠商斯柯達。大眾汽車還擁有賓利、蘭博基尼和布加迪。米歇爾說，MQB平臺的另一個優勢是能夠適應多種新的可替代能源引擎，比如插電式油電混合動力引擎和電池驅動引擎，此外還有許多的汽油和柴油引擎。

????這種靈活性為汽車廠商在未來多年里必須應付的各種不確定因素提供了預防措施。“對燃油經濟性、碰撞標準、車身堅硬度和性能的要求越來越高，這導致成本飆升。”米歇爾說，“我們無法通過定價來彌補這些成本，因此我們必須找到節省開支的方法。沒有模塊化（架構）的話，我們就無法盈利。”

????譯者：牽牛絮

????VW's MQB system establishes fixed points for where the engine is mounted and a fixed distance from the center of the front wheels to the control pedals. The distance VW chose from pedals to front axle allows a very short front overhang, which facilitates sporty styling. "Using these proportions as the base, we can adjust other variables, such as the width of the car," said Rainer Michel, VW's vice president of product marketing and strategy in the U.S. "And since so much of the car is the same we can standardize manufacturing processes around the world, buy tools much cheaper and lower our investment in plants."

????Michel said the new architecture will be extended on smaller VW models now in development, including the VW Polo and Skoda Fabia. VW, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, acquired Seat, a Spanish automaker, and Skoda, a Czech automaker. It also owns Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti. Another MQB advantage, he said, will be its ability to accommodate a number of new alternative engine options, such as plug-in gas-electric hybrids and battery-powered electrics, in addition to a range of gas and diesel engines.

????This kind of flexibility is insurance of sorts for unpredictable factors auto makers must contend with over the span of years. "The increasing requirements of better fuel economy, tougher crash standards, body rigidity and over performance create a hell of cost," said Michel. "And we can't recover those costs through pricing so we have to find ways to economize. Without modular [architecture] we couldn't be profitable."