[wparsons]

Originally Posted by Calum

GM didn't shatter those brands because of badge engineering, they were shattered because of BAD badge engineering. Many companies use the same platform over and over. The golf platform typically underpins a dozen different cars and VAG has shown no signs of going anywhere.

By having the TC, Matrix, and the Corolla, xD and Yaris, Camry and Solara, they greatly broaden their customer base for a much smaller outlay of money.

I'd be surprised is you could name a mainstream car company that doesn't re-use platforms.

There's a big difference between platform sharing (like golf/jetta/TT/Tiguan/etc) and just slapping a different bumper and badges on the exact same car. GM went the route of trying to sell you three flavours of the same crap, VW does it efficiently.