For vehicle design optimization, automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) want the ability to have early stage assessment of vehicle performances and face potential design issues. This thesis work has been developed in collaboration with Siemens Digital Industries Software in order to develop a methodology for the concept design of beam-like structures and joints in a vehicle Finite Element (FE) model, with the aim of enabling accurate simulations of the Body in White (BiW) and overcoming current limitations on Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) models already in the initial phases of the car design process. The development and application of the vehicle advanced CAE tools in the automotive sector is a certified approach to predict the various functional performance attributes (crashworthiness, ride and handling, noise, vibration & harshness, etc.) and adapt the design based on the outcome of virtual simulations and their relation to targets and requirements.