by Stephen Rivers
- BMW will retain sedans and wagons due to U.S. demand and loyal buyers.
- Neue Klasse design favors subtle surfaces and smaller kidney grilles.
- M cars will stay expressive but adopt more timeless, restrained styling.
Over the last two decades, BMW has been no stranger to debate over its styling as very few models have earned near-universal praise. The clever, futuristic i3 and swoopy i8 are two of the rare exceptions. Yet their clean, balanced aesthetic never truly filtered down to the broader lineup. Instead, Munich leaned hard into oversized, buck-toothed grilles and aggressive surfacing on key models like the 4 Series and M3. That era, it seems, is finally winding down.
More: BMW’s Smallest SUV Is Getting A Neue Klasse Look
The second-generation iX3 and its Neue Klasse underpinnings are almost here. As that day draws closer, BMW design bosses are clearly charting a course toward more restraint. In fact, it sounds like they’re embracing wagons, sedans, and more subtle elegance that once defined the brand.
A Shift in Design
In an interview with GoAuto, Oliver Heilmer, BMW’s head of design for compact cars, Neue Klasse models, Mini, and BMW M, explained that “Everything is becoming more calm. It doesn’t have to be too in-your-face in terms of expression. It can be way more subtle. That is, maybe, the era we are in from a BMW perspective.”
He says the kidney grille will remain the brand signature, but future models will play with size and proportion in a way that isn’t shouting for attention. “If there will be a [model] in future that we feel, in terms of presence, we are going to need a bigger representation of the kidney, we will do it,” he said. “But the core of the brand, the iX3, i3, is closer to [a] reference to what we had in the ’60s, where we said it doesn’t have to be that ‘loud’ for this type of car.”
Long Live The Wagon And Sedan
Just about as important, Heilmer says, BMW isn’t about to abandon the sedan and wagon. In fact, he called the latter the “core of the brand,” and cited renewed interest in wagons in the USA. Put another way, we can likely expect to see new touring versions of the 3 Series, 5 Series, i3, and M5 PHEV.
“A couple of years ago, you might have thought the sedan is something that might disappear,” he said. “But it’s quite stable to be honest. Now it’s something where we are setting a statement. We have said BMW is standing for sedans. A small, sporty, elegant, midsized sedan is the core of the (BMW) brand.”
When the topic of BMW’s pledge to release 40 new models by 2027 came up, Heilmer acknowledged that SUVs will make up a sizable share. Even so, he stressed that the lineup will also feature plenty of lower-slung cars, designed to appeal both to loyal customers and to younger drivers who might be ready to move on from bulkier crossovers.
“It depends on markets,” Heilmer told the Australian outlet. “Different markets are reacting differently to proportion. We always try out different kinds of shapes. (BMW) is always testing if the customer’s taste is changing. For instance, what we have learned is that the station wagon is becoming more popular in the United States. And then we are reacting (to) it.”
M Division Tones It Down Too
BMW’s M division will also adopt the calmer Neue Klasse look, though design chief Adrian van Hooydonk says they’ll remain expressive. “There will be a certain restraint in the designs that we started so many years ago with i3 and i8,” he told Top Gear, adding that cleaner styling “will probably last longer. It’s good for resale value, and it also extends the lifecycle of our product.”
For all of those who called on BMW to get its design language straight, it seems the brand is listening.
