Uncategorized

Chassis of the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer, the first model that debuted the platform UKL front-wheel-drive

was nothing new to BMW, as that in the decade of the 90 have already developed prototypes in a configuration of front-wheel drive based on the 3 Series E36, but were rejected, and chose to trim the platform L2 of the 3 Series Compact.

The C-segment is one of the most competitive in the market, if not the most of all, and for this reason the manufacturers offer more and more products and models is very specific. This was one of the issues that BMW raised the time to plot your strategy of front-wheel-drive.

But also considered other issues of the utmost importance, and affecting completely to your 1-Series, the only compact with propulsion and configuration that the customer type of this market is not considered because they are looking for flexibility and versatility, so in that aspect the Series 1 is very limited compared to the competition. In fact, the propulsion only works on the Coupes and Rafter because the demand for more space for the legs of rear passengers and more space in the trunk is smaller.

In UKL2, the BMW X1 and the MINI Countryman at the same level by their hybrid versions plug-in and all-wheel drive xDrive. At UKL1, MINI Hatch and Cabrio

setting an example within the same German group, if the MINI has been a model of propulsion, just would have space in the rear seats and the boot capacity already or we could talk about. Another matter also important is the price: models of propulsion are more expensive, and a customer of these segments is not willing to pay more.

The strategy UKL has given the reason to the manufacturer, is not only making more cost-effective to the british, -the first Contryman contributed to an increase in sales, but BMW earn money with the customization and optional, not with the sales model itself– but being able to compete with Mercedes and Audi.

But after a little bit of history, let’s focus on the front wheel drive platform UKL, also known as “UnterKlasse”; in Spanish, “Subclass”. Really, you’ve always been able to read that UKL is front wheel drive but really it was conceived also as propulsion. In fact, on some occasions, and in some media, you may have read “UKL1” given the fact these two names.

Comparative analysis of the platform UKL and HPLC, the latter with a hole in the bulkhead larger for the tunnel transmission of the versions of propulsion

it May seem strange, but the compact equipped with a hybrid system plug-in are defined on this architecture, and there is a special variant of the UKL1 for that BMW decided to use another name only by the fact that its electric motor is mounted on the rear shaft and to be operated without the combustion engine moving the wheels of this axis, in reality yes you can say that is propulsion.

that Is to say, the middle section of the modular platform UKL is variable to be able to integrate the additional components of the total traction or, in some cases, propulsion and only when the active mode is a pure electric or in versions xDrive when the power is sent to rear axle only in specific situations.

The modular platform UKL architecture is modern, with three distances between the different axes and two different heights on the you can build models with lengths ranging from 3.8 meters to 4.4 meters. It has three structural modules, with the forward bulkhead and the engine compartment, the floor of the passenger compartment and the rear section, a front engine in a transverse position and front wheel drive.

The 2.780 mm of the BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer is the distance between the axles maximum that allows the architecture UKL

But every scheme has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, the traditional division of weights which boasts BMW is not accurate in any of their models. Really, the mass balance is 49/51 in the models of propulsion, and 51/49 in the front wheel drive models. We have invested in full and is an achievement to have gotten it, but that does not mean that they are more docile on the road.

Depends on what type of client can be an advantage or a disadvantage, but there is a very important difference in this front wheel drive platform and is is not intended to mount engines of six-cylinder in-line and, in fact, not be in the models front-wheel drive UKL, nor in the M135i that will be the most powerful.

Makers of the brand have announced on many occasions that it will not offer an M version in the next generation of the 1 Series, like the M2. Why? Because the designations “40i” are limited to models equipped with blocks of six cylinders, as is “50i” is equated with blocks V8.

the objective of the platform UKL front-wheel-drive is offering models with a large interior space, with a good ability to boot and with enough room for passengers in the rear seats and these qualities in a model of the compact segment is only possible if mounted engines of three or four cylinders, since it completely removes the tunnel as a transmission larger than usual.

–