| BMW UKL platform | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | BMW |
| Parent company | BMW Group |
| Production | 2014–present |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Subcompact car Compact car |
| Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel-drive Front-engine, all-wheel-drive |
The UKL platform (Untere Klasse, "lower class" in German) [1] is a modular automobile platform developed by German car manufacturer BMW. It is a modular architecture to suit a range of front-wheel-drive and all-wheel drive models.
The objective of the front-wheel-drive UKL platform is to offer smaller models with a large interior space, with enough room for passengers in the rear seats and large cargo space. These objectives are only possible to achieve by mounting transverse three or four-cylinder engines. [2] At the time of release, BMW announced that any model under 4.5 m (177 in) in length and smaller than a 3 Series will make use of the UKL platform. [3] According to Ian Robertson, BMW sales and marketing chief, "One of the big advantages of UKL is that we are able to launch a lot of products almost simultaneously because we are doing the engineering at once." [4]
The platform has two derivatives: the UKL1 and UKL2. The first production vehicle to use the UKL platform is the 2014 Mini Hatch. [5] Another UKL platform derivative is the FAAR platform which was announced in 2017. It is designed with pure ICE, hybrid and electric powertrains in mind. [6]
Vehicles using platform (calendar years):
The UKL2 platform is the larger version of the UKL platform. It debuted with the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer in 2014. The platform supports wheelbase length of 2,670 mm (105.1 in), and extendable to 2,780 mm (109.4 in) for long-wheelbase models. [2]
Vehicles using platform (calendar years):
The BMW Group, is a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945 creating engines for aircraft that were used in the Second World War.
VDL Nedcar is an automotive manufacturing company in Born, Netherlands. Since December 2012 it has been owned by the Dutch industrial conglomerate VDL Groep. Previous owners were Mitsubishi Motors and Volvo Cars. The company had its origins in a DAF car factory which opened in 1968. VDL Nedcar is the largest automotive factory in the Netherlands, with a production capacity of 240,000 vehicles a year. It produced about 120,000 cars in 2020. It is also the only manufacturer of production vehicles in the Netherlands. VDL Nedcar produced its millionth vehicle, a Mitsubishi Space Star, on 4 October 2000. VDL Nedcar currently is closed, because the contract with BMW Group is not been renewed.
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The BMW X1 is a compact crossover SUV produced by the German automaker BMW since 2009. The first-generation X1 was based on the E90 3 Series and offered rear-wheel drive layout as standard. At its introduction in 2009, it was positioned as the smallest SUV in BMW line-up, below the X3 prior to the launch of the smaller X2. The X1 essentially is aiming a wider range of customers due to its smaller size, increased efficiency, and a lower price tag due to the all-wheel drive layout (xDrive) being optional.
BMW X may refer to the following BMW crossovers, SAVs, and SACs:
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The BMW 2 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars (C-segment) manufactured by BMW since the year 2014. The 2 Series was created when BMW spun-off the 2-door models of the BMW 1 Series into a separate series.
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