This Is The Reason BMW No Longer Makes Cars That Look The Same, Cleaner Design Is The Key

JAKARTA - BMW is making a massive overhaul in its design language. The automotive giant from Bavaria announced that it will launch more than 40 new models in the next two years. All of them will adopt the revolutionary "Neue Classe" design philosophy, but with one promise: each car will have a different character and appearance.

According to BMW's Head of Design, Adrian van Hooydonk, this strategy is designed to ensure that every product has a strong identity and does not just look like a "mini" version of another model "an approach he calls "Russian talent". The first production car to carry this radical design language is the latest iX3.

Neue Classe's philosophy emphasizes cleaner lines, removes excessive chrom elements, and introduces a new interpretation of BMW's signature kidney culling. There are two iconic versions of the culling: vertical goal and flaring for SUV models, as well as broader and flater grips for sedan models.

Van Hooydonk explained that the reason behind this strategy is competition.

"We want to give each of our own products a character, and that is more important now than ever," he said, quoted from Autocar, Monday, September 8.

"It's not enough just to be a BMW in the segment; you have to be the best, and you have to be aware of what the market needs and what competitors will do," he added.

The massive launch will include new models, such as i3 scheduled for next year, as well as massive facelifts on existing conventional EV and engine models. All will be made to reflect this new design language, ensuring a smooth transition across BMW product portfolios.

Even for high performance models of the BMW M division, this new design language will be applied. Although it will carry a cleaner aesthetics, van Hooydonk insists that the M model will remain "more expressive" to reflect its performance and dynamics. He even mentioned BMW i8 as one of the sources of clean design inspiration but still character.

A cleaner and more lasting design is expected to make BMW products have longer visual durability, which in turn will have a positive impact on the resale value and extend the product life cycle, profitable for both the company and consumers.