BMW Tetap Teguh Dengan Design Gril Besar, Pasar China Alasan

JAKARTA - Over the years, BMW's grip design has been the subject of heated debate among automotive enthusiasts and industry watchers. The large grid on models like X7 and Series 7 sparked scathing criticism in cyberspace. However, this German automotive giant doesn't seem to care. As it turned out, the sales figures spoke otherwise.

In an exclusive interview with CarExpert at the launch of iX3 reported by Autoblogging, Saturday, September 13, BMW's Head of Design, Adrian van Hooydok, responded firmly to the criticism.

"There was no negative reaction from the customer," he said. He admitted that the company recorded all negative comments, but this was not reflected in the sales figures. In fact, what happened was the opposite.

Van Hooydonk menjelaskan bahwa strategi desain ini didorong oleh preferensi pasar terbesar mereka: China

With more than 826,000 vehicles sold in 2023, China accounts for about 32 percent of the total BMW Group sales.

"In certain areas in the world, like China, this is a good thing; people are still asking for a big grip," he explained.

In addition to aesthetic reasons, van Hooydonk also revealed that the larger grip serves to accommodate more sensors and technology.

"Also put in this front more sensors than ever. Of course, our car is getting smarter. They can drive further autonomously," he added.

The first Neue Classe model, BMW iX3 2026, shows a slight shift with a more normal size gril. However, van Hooydonk insists that BMW will continue to offer varying gril sizes, depending on specific models and market needs. His steadfast stance reflects the reality of the market: what the biggest market wants, that's what it will get.