BMW’s front-wheel-drive platform introduced in 2014 was called UKL.
UKL comes from the German term “Untere Klasse,” meaning “lower class.” BMW developed the modular architecture for smaller vehicles, where a transverse engine and front-wheel-drive layout could create more cabin and cargo space than the company’s traditional longitudinal, rear-wheel-drive arrangement.
The first production vehicle based on UKL was the third-generation Mini Hatch, launched in 2014. BMW subsequently used related UKL architecture for models such as the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and BMW X1, with some applications offering all-wheel drive. UKL therefore describes a platform family, not simply a synonym for front-wheel drive.
FAAR is a later BMW Group front-wheel-drive architecture that evolved from the UKL concept and became associated with newer vehicles. CLAR, by contrast, is BMW’s modular architecture primarily associated with larger rear-wheel-drive-based cars. “FWD” describes a drivetrain layout, not the platform’s proper name.