List of GM platforms
The American-based international automotive conglomerate General Motors underpins its many vehicle models with various platforms. These platforms are established sets of axles, suspensions, and steering mechanisms which fit various bodies and powertrains from various marques that GM owns.
From the early twentieth century, a Latin letter-based naming scheme was used to designate platforms, which were aimed at vehicles under different brands that served similar niches of the market. For example, the B platform was the base for fullsize, rear-wheel drive sedans and wagons from 1926 to 1996. This platform underpinned vehicles made by Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Marquette, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile. During the 1970s and 1980s, GM introduced many new front-wheel drive platforms for the first time, such as the FWD C platform introduced in 1985. Despite being mechanically very new and different, it kept the same name as the RWD C platform for the sake of consistency, as most of the models remained the same, such as the Oldsmobile 98. For most of these platforms, the platform name is the fourth character of a vehicle's VIN, with a notable exception being trucks, for which the it is the fifth character.
At the outset of the twenty-first century, General Motors' approach to platforms changed, and so did the nomenclature they use. Platforms themselves are now referred to by GM as "architectures", and are now named according to the English-language names of letters from the Greek alphabet, such as the subcompact Gamma platform. Today, many of the since-discontinued Latin letter platforms are informally called "bodies", such as "J-body", which refers to the J platform. In the 2010s, GM once again began to change platform nomenclature, this time to a four-character format: platform-generation-XX. An example of this is the D2XX, from the second generation of the Delta platform, hence the "D" and "2".
All but three platforms listed here use a front-mounted engine, and those exceptions are noted in the 'layout' column.
In production
As of April 2020, GM produces cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles of multiple different sizes on 19 different platforms: 7 of which are inherently RWD, with the rest being FWD. All but 5 of these have four-wheel drive variants as well.| Example Image | Name | Layout | Introduced | Vehicles Underpinned | Notes |
2016 Chevrolet Camaro | Alpha I | RWD/AWD | 2012 |
| This generation of the Alpha platform remains in production solely for the Camaro, which will be succeeded in 2023 by a model upon VSS-R. |
| 2020 Cadillac CT5 | Alpha II | RWD/AWD | 2019 |
| The successor to the Alpha I platform. |
| 2019 Chevrolet Bolt | BEV2 | FWD/RWD/AWD | 2016 |
| The successor to the P II platform. |
| 2019 Chevrolet Blazer | C1XX | FWD/AWD | 2017 |
| A crossover-focused derivative of the E2XX platform. |
| 2020 Chevrolet Corvette | C8 | RWD | 2020 |
| Indirect successor to the P I platform. |
| 2018 GMC Terrain | D2XX | FWD/AWD | 2012 |
| The successor to both the Delta II and Theta platforms, in accordance with GM's newest nomenclature. |
| 2017 Vauxhall Insignia | E2XX | FWD/AWD | 2016 |
| The successor to the Epsilon II platform. |
| 2018 Chevrolet Spark | G2XX | FWD/AWD | 2015 |
| The successor to the Gamma II platform, in accordance with GM's renaming of most of their platforms in "_ _ XX" format circa 2015. |
| 2017 Chevrolet Sonic | Gamma II | FWD/AWD | 2010 |
| This generation of the Gamma platform is the first to have been developed by GM Korea, as the first generation was developed by Opel.Also used for the GMC Granite and Cadillac Urban Luxury concept cars. |
2019 Chevrolet Tracker | GEM | FWD | 2016 |
| A new low-cost platform focused on developing market regions, designed by Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, GM's joint development center with SAIC.Also called Global Emerging Markets. |
2011 Chevrolet Montana | GM4200 | FWD | 1982 |
| This platform remains in use solely for the Montana, which is only sold in Mexico and South America.It is GM's longest-running platform that is currently in use. |
2016 GMC Canyon | GMT 31XX | RWD/AWD | 2012 |
| Also called the GMT 700 platform. |
| 2008 GMC Savana | GMT 610 | RWD/AWD | 2003 |
| Mechanically very similar to its predecessor, the GMT 600 platform. |
| 2019 Chevrolet SIlverado | GMT T1XX | RWD/AWD | 2018 |
| The successor to the GMT K2XX platform. |
| 2016 Cadillac CT6 | Omega | RWD/AWD | 2016 |
| The successor to the Zeta platform.Also used for the 2015 Buick Avenir concept car. |
2019 Buick LaCrosse | P2XX | FWD/AWD | 2017 |
| An extended wheelbase derivative of the E2XX platform. |
| 2019 Chevrolet Monza | PATAC K | FWD | 2015 |
| A low-cost derivative of the D2XX platform designed by Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, GM's joint development center with SAIC. |
| 2018 Buick GL8 | U IV | FWD/AWD | 2010 |
| The successor to the U III platform.This platform remains in use solely for the GL8, which is sold only in China. It is the only one of GM's Latin-letter platforms still in use. Also called the SGM258 platform. |
2020 Buick Encore GX | VSS-F | FWD/AWD | 2019 |
| The eventual consolidated successor to the Gamma II, G2XX, E2XX, D2XX, P2XX, PATAC K, U IV, GM4200, and GEM platforms.Slated to underpin all FWD GM cars plus subcompact crossovers by 2025. |
The GM nomenclature works as follows:
1st position is the platform:
- A – Alpha
- C – Chi
- D – Delta
- G – Gamma
- E – Epsilon
- P – Premium Epsilon
- Y – Corvette
- L – Lambda
- K – Trucks
2nd position is the platform generation.
3rd position is the body style:
- A – Convertible
- B – Coupe
- S – Sedan
- J – Hatchback
- K – CUV?
- L – Long Wheel Base Sedan
- M – Minispace
- U – Crossover/CUV
- Y – SUV/Truck
4th position is the Brand:
- B – Buick
- C – Chevrolet
- G – GMC
- H – Holden
- L – Cadillac
- M – Citroën
- O – Opel/Vauxhall
5th position is an optional qualifier: for example the Sales market area:
- S – sales market China
- N – sales market North-America
- I – electric/hybrid
For example, E2UB-N is the Crossover Buick for the North-American market in the second generation of the Epsilon platform.
Historical applications
As of April 2020, GM has produced cars, trucks, and SUVs of multiple different sizes on 107 different platforms: 55 of these with Latin letters, 12 with English spellings of Greek letters, and 40 others. Also, 64 of these platforms are inherently RWD, while the rest are primarily FWD. Furthermore, 50 of these have four-wheel drive variants as well.Latin-letter platforms
Others
----Future platforms
In 2015 GM announced their intention to shift all of their vehicles to four platforms by 2025. The following are those platforms, including the already-launched VSS-F:| Name | Layout | Introduction | Vehicles to be Underpinned | Notes |
| VSS-F | FWD/AWD | 2019 |
| The eventual consolidated successor to the Gamma II, G2XX, E2XX, D2XX, P2XX, PATAC K, U IV, GM4200, and GEM platforms.Slated to underpin all FWD GM cars plus subcompact crossovers by 2025. |
| VSS-R | RWD/AWD | 2023 |
| The eventual consolidated successor to the Alpha and Omega platforms.Slated to underpin all RWD GM vehicles by 2025. |
| VSS-T | RWD/AWD | 2025 |
| The eventual consolidated successor to the GMT platforms.Slated to underpin all GM body-on-frame SUVs and trucks by 2025. |
| VSS-S | FWD/AWD | 2024 |
| The eventual consolidated successor to the D2XX and C1XX platforms.Slated to underpin all GM crossovers by 2025. |
It is currently unknown whether GEM or a similar low-cost platform will be continued in some form as a subset of VSS.