What are the advantages of a unibody structure?
2 Answers
The advantages of a unibody structure include high safety factor and smooth driving. Here are the detailed introductions: High safety factor: Vehicles with unibody structures do not have a rigid frame, but only reinforce parts such as the front, side panels, rear, and floor. Components like the engine, front and rear suspensions, and part of the transmission system are assembled at the designed positions on the body. The body load is transmitted to the wheels through the suspension system, making the integrated body safer. Smooth driving: A unibody structure means the entire body is integrated, with the suspension directly connected to the body. Almost all sedans use a unibody structure. If you open the engine hood, you will find the front suspension connected to the inner side of the front fender. The advantage of such a body is very smooth highway driving, as the entire body is integrated, with low natural frequency vibration and minimal noise.
I found the biggest advantage of unibody construction is the exceptional stability while driving! The entire body is integrated like an eggshell, with significantly less body flex during high-speed cornering. I had a profound experience during a recent test drive of a certain family sedan—the steering feedback was incredibly precise, and even vibrations from road seams were thoroughly filtered out by the chassis. It's also about 15% lighter than body-on-frame designs, naturally making it more fuel-efficient. The underbody is very flat, so rear middle passengers don’t have to sit with their legs apart. Of course, there are drawbacks too—doors might squeak after frequent rough road driving, but for city commuting, there’s really nothing to complain about.
