Just been thinking about a post yesterday on the what van thread where it was said that renault trafic/vauxhall vivaro/nissan primastar were are all made in the same plant with the same engines and only minor cosmetic differences.

Ones I know of:
Mazda 121/Ford Fiesta
Ford Maverick 4×4 just re-badged Nissan Terrano
Citreon C1 and 2 others, a peugeot and some other I can’t remember on top gear

So what other cars/vans etc are effectively the same?

touareg and cayenne

vauxhall vivaro/renault trafic
citroen dispatch/pug expert

A3 Octavia Golf Leon

Vauxhall Monterey – Isuzu Trooper
Fiat Ducato = Peugeot Boxer = Citroen Relay
Skoda Octavia = Lada Niva
Ford Galaxy = VW Sharan = Seat Summatorother

(old) Ford Galaxy/VW Sharan/Seat Alhambra

jag x-type/ford mondeo
VW golf/audi A3/seat leon/skoda octavia
etc etc
very very few cars are unique!

VW golf/audi A3/seat leon/skoda octavia But the Octavia is a much bigger car, is it not the fabia or whatever its called, I would have thought octavia/passatt/a4 same.

There are also the ‘family motors’. These use the same floorpan but different bodywork to make cars.

Latest Fiat 500 & Ford Ka
Focus & Mazda 3
Mondeo & Jag (Not sure if this is still the case)
Just about every VW & Skoda & Seat have some relationship in their chassis of one model or other
PSA Group cars

Even a Mercedes Sprinter and VW Crafter van are the same chassis and body. Just remodelled front end and different drivetrain

Its cheaper for two or three manufacturers to split development three ways than to all design one each.

Can we keep this to things that really are the same but with a different badge? Not things that ‘share some common parts’ – so the Saab 9-3, for example, is not a rebadged Vectra.

The Skoda equivalent of the Passat is the Superb

Saab 9-3, for example, is not a rebadged Vectra.

No that’ll be the 9-5

higgo – Member

Can we keep this to things that really are the same but with a different badge? Not things that ‘share some common parts’ – so the Saab 9-3, for example, is not a rebadged Vectra.

you’ll have to ask danger – it’s his thread!

Yeah most of these don’t count – in the OP the Mazda 121 was literally a Fiesta with Mazda badges on it…

Ford Fiesta

Mazda 121

Old toyota Hi-Lux and VW Taro, they were exactly the same vehicule re-badged.

VW golf/audi A3/seat leon/skoda octavia But the Octavia is a much bigger car, is it not the fabia or whatever its called, I would have thought octavia/passatt/a4 same.

Nope. the octavia is built on the golf platform. The only reason it’s bigger is the ‘saloon style’ gives a bigger boot.

p.s. volvo s40 and v50 are also the same platform as the focus/c-max/mazda 3.

Surely it’s Golf/Jetta(Bora)/Touran/TT/A3/Octavia/Leon. I think there’s more in the Seat range, but not sure which ones.

Renault Master / Vauxhall something. If we are allowing vans in the thread?

As far as the audi/VW thing goes, the TT and Beetle are also built on the same chassis as the Golf et al.

I think its Golf Jetta Eos Beetle Scirocco A3 TT Leon Altea Toledo Octavia that are all built on the same chassis, actually the beetle is still based on the old golf so that probably doesn’t count.

back to the old skool…………

2CV’s in a million and one guises (twin engined 4×4 anyone?)

MG midget/AH sprite

MGB/Triumph spitfire?/loads of classic Alfa’s

Mazda 6/Ford Mondeo/Ford S-max/Volvo s70?
Mazda 3/Ford Focus/Volvo c/s50?
Kuga/Volvo
Fiat Grand Punto/Citroen/Peugeot
Ford Ka/Fiat 500

The 2CV only really had a few derivatives – Dyane, Mehari, Bijou, Ami was on a different chassis and running gear. The twin engined 4×4 you mentioned was a Sahara but it was still a 2CV really. Oh and there were 2cv and Dyane vans/pick-ups. And since they were all still made by Citroen it doesn’t really count.

The Fiat 500 shares 80% of its parts with the Fiat Panda. Ergo so does the Ka (lots).

The Fiat Panda is a real and true hidden gem.

Fiat Panda = Seat Marbella

Vehicles that are based on the same floor pan doesn’t make them remotely similar!

A bit like comparing two bikes built with identical frames, one specced for more XC use, the other more freeride/DH based, would give you 2 very different bikes…

Metro = Rusty Bucket

Vehicles that are based on the same floor pan doesn’t make them remotely similar!

But driving a leon/golf/A3, if you had your eye’s shut*, could you actually tell the difference. The old leon even had the same dashboard as the A3 so no needs to shut your eyes in that one.

*don’t try this anywhere (disclaimer for the numpties out there)

Porsche 911 and Skoda Estelle maybe? Well they are both rear engined!

Morris Oxford and Austin Cambridge. Literally only the badge was different. The first Minis could be bought as either a Morris 7 or Austin Mini

Not a Land Rover Defender. (Santana)

Also not a Land Rover Defender. (Morattab)

Nor this one. (Otokar)

As mentioned truly the same is different to same families. While most VAG stuff is similar and share components very little of it is truly the same. The superb is a stretched passast chassis. The octavia is a standard golf chassis (I believe) but with much bigger over hangs to increase the size.

The ones that are the same are more common in the van world. Peugeot, citroen and fiat share a whole range as do nissan/renault/vauxhall. Mercedes sprinter and vw crafter/lt35 are made in the same factory but have different engines/gearboxes fitted as well as minor appearance changes.

Mazda Bongo = Ford Friendee/Freda.

The VAG ones aren’t really the same car as such, but based on the same platform.

I have Leon Cupra (mk1) and have driven the equivalent Golf (1.6 and GTi), and there was definitely a difference in feel/handling… except the identical 6sp gearbox which really was identical, including all the same characteristic notchiness, especially upshifting when wellying it.

Saab 9-3, for example, is not a rebadged Vectra.

No that’ll be the 9-5

the 9-5 has nothing in common with the Vectra. they are built on different platforms

the 9-5 on the GM2900 platform (like the Cavalier was) and the 9-3 and vectra uses the Epsilon

otherwise back on topic.

Citroen Berlingo/Peugot Partner
Citroen C1, Peugot 107, Toyota Aygo – all built in the same toyota factory.
Citroen/Pug vans.

Reckon Filthy is right with all the VAG group stuff. Floorpan sharing is the key part as it defines wheelbase, suspension type/positioning, engine/gearbox location etc and is a huge investment for the manufacturers.
Also
Passat/A4
Boxter/Cayman/front end of 911

Oldie – Talbot Horizon / Dodge Omni / Plymouth Horizon ALL = CR@P

Wasn’t the Lancia Thema also built on the same floorpan as the Old Saab 9000?

I believe the new Jag XF is built on the new Mondeo floorpan, x-type uses the old one?

The previous Skoda Superb model was effectively a rebadged, Chinese VW Passat with some rhinoplasty.

And last years Torro Rosso F1 car was a rebadged Red Bull.

Rover 25 / Allegro
Rover 45 / Princess

New Mondeo is same as Mazda I think.

Ibis Mojo is also a Raleigh Descender underneath.