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| GM Delta platform | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | General Motors |
| Production | 2002–present |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Compact (C) |
| Body style(s) | 2-door coupe 2-door convertible 3-door hatchback 4-door sedan 4-door SUV 5-door hatchback |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | GM J platform GM R platform GM T platform GM Z platform |
| Successor | For Opel & Vauxhall: PSA EMP2 platform For GM: GM VSS-F |
Delta was a General Motors compact front-wheel drive automobile and crossover SUV platform, originally developed by Opel Group. Delta was a successor to the Opel T platform; it also replaced J platform and the Z platform used by the Saturn S-Series. The platform debuted in the 2003 Saturn Ion. Vehicles of this platform generally carry the letter "A" in the fourth character of their VINs.
Delta uses an independent suspension in front and Twist beam type in the rear. The Ecotec engine is widely used, as are a 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual transmission.
Former vehicles based on this platform:
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Delta II was General Motors' global compact car platform, developed by Opel in Germany. It was the successor to the GM Delta platform. Internally it is simply known as a new Global Compact Vehicle Architecture or GCV.
The platform features a torsion beam (marketed as compound crank) rear suspension with optional Watt's link which improves vehicle handling; such configuration is used with the Opel Astra, Buick Verano, Cadillac ELR, Opel Cascada and higher trim-levels of the American-market Chevrolet Cruze.
This suspension is usually described as semi-independent, meaning that the two wheels can move relative to each other, but their motion is still somewhat inter-linked, to a greater extent than in a true independent rear suspension (IRS). This can mildly compromise the handling and ride quality of the vehicle. For this reason, some manufacturers have changed to different linkage designs. As an example, Volkswagen dropped the torsion beam in favour of a true IRS for the Volkswagen Golf Mk5, possibly in response to the Ford Focus' Control Blade rear suspension.
As noted, certain GM brands and models have continued to use the suspension setup, known variously as twist beam, torsion beam or compound crank suspension. This is at a cost saving of €100 per car compared to multi-link rear suspension.[1] The version used on the 2009-on Opel Astra and the 2011-2016 Buick Verano uses a Watts linkage at a cost of €20 to address the drawbacks and provide a competitive and cost effective rear suspension.[1] The Renault Mégane and Citroen C4 also have stayed with the twist beam.[2] The twist beam has been shown to suffer less from bush wear, than fully independent multi-link suspension, thus resulting in a virtually maintenance free rear suspension.
GM chose this compact vehicle architecture for its first Voltec application, the Chevrolet Volt. Production began in November 2010 with the first Chevrolet Volts delivered to retails customers in December 2010.[3]
Production vehicles based on Delta II platform:
General Motors introduced its new global platform named D2XX flexible platform in August 2012. The new platform was mainly engineered by GM's former German subsidiary OpelinRüsselsheim.[7] According to GM the company invested US$220 million for the all new D2XX platform.[citation needed]
The platform was developed for compact vehicle architecture, replacing both Delta II and the midsize crossover GM Theta platform.[8]
Vehicles that use the new platform included:
In 2015 Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), GM's joint development center with SAIC, revealed their own simplified variant of D2XX, known as the "GM-PATAC K" platform (rather than "K" so as to distinguish it from the former GM K platforms).[10] The following vehicles use this variant of the platform, none of which are sold in the United States:
