[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I think what is messing with people's heads is the interpretation of the term "platform". They think that means it is a common chassis or structure with a different body plopped on top of it when that isn't even close to the reality.

I struggled on how to describe it but Wikipedia does a pretty good job:
"A car platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of cars, often from different, but related marques."

When viewed from this definition it is easier to understand how so many different cars can share a platform even though they can be radically different.

What makes you think that Subaru has a common platform now and it didn't have one in the past?