| 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 first production vehicle to use the UKL platform was the 2014 Mini Hatch.
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 UKL platform was developed into the UKL1 and UKL2 platforms under FAAR umbrella with pure ICE, hybrid and electric powertrains in mind. [5] [6]
Vehicles using platform (calendar years):
Vehicles using platform (calendar years):
