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Automotive vocabulary · Body Structure and Safety

Unibody

Meaning in automotive, with examples

/ˈjuːnɪˌbɑːdi/nounCommon term

In automotive, unibody means: A construction in which the body and the frame are one welded structure that carries all the loads. Almost all modern passenger cars and crossovers are built this way.

In Turkish: monokok gövde, yekpare gövde, taşıyıcı gövde

How it is used

Usually contrasted with body-on-frame, where a separate body sits on a ladder frame, as on many pickups and large off-roaders. Unibody is the common US term; in Europe engineers often say monocoque or self-supporting body.

Example sentences

  1. A unibody is lighter and stiffer than a body-on-frame design.

  2. Because it has a unibody, the SUV drives more like a car than a truck.

Common collocations

  • unibody construction
  • body-on-frame
  • ladder frame
  • monocoque
  • chassisThe base frame of a vehicle together with the systems mounted on it, such as suspension, steering and brakes. In engineering it often means everything under the body that makes the car ride and handle.
  • body-in-whiteThe stage of car production at which the sheet metal parts of the body have been welded together, before painting and before the engine, trim and other parts are added.
  • crumple zoneA part of the vehicle body, usually at the front and rear, designed to fold in a controlled way during a collision so that it absorbs energy and protects the passenger cell.
  • spot weldingA welding method in which two electrodes press sheets of metal together and pass a strong current through them, melting a small spot that joins the sheets. A car body has thousands of spot welds.

More terms: Body Structure and Safety

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