Abstract: In a drive unit for motor vehicles, the axes of rotation of the main shaft of an engine and an input wheel of an intermediate transmission are arranged in line with one another in relation to one of two parallel geometrical main axes, and the axes of rotation of an output shaft, couplable to a differential, of a gear-change transmission of epicyclic design, of a transmission member connected fixedly in terms of rotation to the output shaft and belonging to an epicyclic transmission and of the output wheel of the intermediate transmission are arranged in line with one another in relation to the other main axis. The input shaft of the gear-change transmission can be driven from the main shaft. The output wheel can be brought into drive-connection with another transmission member of the epicyclic transmission which has the transmission member connected fixedly in terms of rotation to the output shaft.