You are probably wondering what exactly a “twinned vehicle” is.

Well, I can tell you. Twinned vehicles are essentially the same under the skin, but sold under different brands.

This is an illusion that manufacturers can create with the goal of killing two birds with one stone: expanding their market reach and avoiding the higher costs of engineering an entirely new vehicle.

The two vehicles will most likely be marketed as unique vehicles identified by simple changes of the badge, the grille and other superficial styling details

This twinned vehicle reality is made possible by many brands under one corporate parent. A classic example of this is General Motors. They have successfully accomplished efficiencies by using carbon copies of its cars across many brands.

However, in today’s market of world customization, the company is tailoring its vehicles to appeal to different customers. Therefore, the engineering of one vehicle might be very similar to another, but the overall design and features might be very different and appeal to different audiences.

It’s important to be aware of this actuality when purchasing a vehicle for a few reasons: pricing, resale value and vehicle warranty coverage. If you are able to identify vehicle twins then you will be able to see through the marketing spin and make a smarter purchase. You will also create more flexibility and bargaining leverage for yourself at the dealership.

Below is a list of twin/triplet/quadruplet vehicles to get you started:

Cars

Chevrolet Corvette/Cadillac XLR

Chevrolet Cobalt/Pontiac G5

Chevrolet Malibu/Saturn Aura/Pontiac G6

Dodge Avenger/Chrysler Sebring

Dodge Charger/Chrysler 300

Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable/Lincoln MKS

Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan/Lincoln MKZ

Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky

Toyota Camry/Lexus ES350

Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe

Hyundai Accent/Kia Rio

Minivans

Hyundai Entourage/Kia Sedona

Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan

SUVs

Buick Enclave/Chevrolet Traverse/GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook

Chevrolet Equinox/Pontiac Torrent

Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon/Cadillac Escalade/Hummer H2

Chevrolet Trailblazer/ Saab 9-7x/GMC Envoy

Dodge Durango/Chrysler Aspen

Ford Expedition/Lincoln Navigator

Ford Explorer/Mercury Mariner/Mazda Tribute

Ford Edge/Lincoln MKX

Hyundai Tucson/Kia Sportage

Jeep Compass/Jeep Patriot

Jeep Liberty/Dodge Nitro

Nissan Armada/Infiniti QX56

Toyota Land Cruiser/Lexus LX570

Toyota 4-Runner/Lexus GX470

Trucks

Chevrolet Avalanche/Cadillac Escalade EXT

Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon

Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra

Dodge Dakota/Mitsubishi Raider

Ford Ranger/Mazda B-Series

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