The design of newly released BMW models over the past few years has been controversial. The massive front grille design with lights around the rim has been criticized rather than pleased by many. It was also called ‘pig nose’ in the Korean market.
However, good news was delivered to those who were not satisfied with BMW’s new design on the 29th (local time). Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of Design at BMW, expects future BMW vehicles to have a cleaner look.
BMW’s head of design said in an interview with foreign media, “We do not ignore the opinions of consumers.” He said, “The radiator grill will not be as intrusive as it is now,” raising expectations for the new design.
In 2022, BMW sold 2.1 million vehicles worldwide, with 177,000 sold in BMW M alone. This figure is slightly down compared to last year, and the controversial design may also have had an impact on sales.
“We believe that in our work we must continually add new elements to the design. We can’t keep repeating what we have. Sometimes we need to break away from the old and try new things. Because we also want to be successful in 10 years,” he added.
“The design team is pretty clear about what they’re doing, and they’re not experimenting to see what’s popular with the masses,” he said. It’s all intentional,” he said.
As for the grille, the head of design said BMW has done everything from vertical, very slim to wide and low, so basically it has plenty of resources to back it up, and I think it can do what it wants in the future.
“The important thing is that our designs will be cleaner in the future,” he said. The grille will be designed according to the ratio of the entire vehicle or according to the expression we want to provide.
However, it is not yet known when the new design will be applied. For the time being, it is expected that there is a high possibility that the existing design will be maintained.