With the upcoming arrival of the Neue Klasse lineup, the era of massive “kidney grilles” at BMW appears to be coming to an end. While other polarizing design choices, such as large wheel arches or angular loops, seem here to stay, the end of oversized grilles is a victory for many purists. However, for BMW’s design leadership, this phase was not a mistake, and the Chinese market is said to be the main reason.
The Justification from BMW’s Design Director
When asked during the launch of the new iX3 SUV about the potentially “too radical” nature of the grilles, Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of Design for the BMW Group, firmly disagreed. “No, because it depends on which part of the world you are in,” he stated. “In some areas of the world, like China, it’s fine; people still ask for large grilles. So that’s the tricky situation you find yourself in as a global brand.”
Criticism Without Impact on Sales
Van Hooydonk assured that BMW had “taken note of all the negative feedback” surrounding the controversial designs of models like the M3, 7 Series, or XM. However, this controversy was never reflected in sales figures. “Quite the opposite,” he emphasized. According to him, consumer sentiment was even positive, which did not prompt the manufacturer to react or backtrack.
An Explanation That Raises Questions
This explanation, however, leaves one puzzled. On one hand, it seems to attribute the responsibility for this aesthetic choice to the tastes of Chinese customers. Yet, an observation of current trends in the Chinese automotive market shows a strong appetite for clean designs, sleek shapes, and distinctive lighting signatures, quite similar to Western trends.
A Change of Course with the Neue Klasse
Despite the absence of negative consequences on sales, BMW has decided to make a significant shift with its future Neue Klasse lineup. Adrian van Hooydonk explains this turnaround as an aesthetic necessity: “the risk of not changing enough would be much greater than changing too much.” The design of the Neue Klasse, already visible on the upcoming iX3, thus represents a new direction, welcomed as a step in the right direction to bring BMW back toward a more consensual design.