BMW explained the era of giant ‘nostrils’: demand dictated by China
By ForGeeks
The Bavarian automaker has revealed why it has produced models with an enlarged grille in recent years. According to BMW Group chief designer Adrian van Hooijdonk, the reason was customer preference in China, where large «nostrils» are extremely popular.
The BMW Group’s chief designer, Adrian van Hooijdonk, said the reason was the demand in China.
Chinese market and bold design
In an interview with CarExpert Australia, van Hooijdonk said such decisions were not radical: «it all depends on what country you are in». In China, large grilles were in high demand, and BMW took that into account in the design.
An interview with CarExpert Australia, van Hooijdonk said the decision was not radical.
Despite criticism of the exterior of the M3, 7 Series, X7 and XM models, the brand’s sales were not declining — on the contrary, they were growing. So the company saw no reason to change course. The exception was the XM crossover, which was reported to be in weak demand as early as 2023.
New Neue Klasse style
In 2023, BMW unveiled the Vision Neue Klasse concept, ushering in a new design language for the brand. Since then, the company has said it will eschew hypertrophied vertical «nostrils» in favor of more understated solutions.
The first production model in this style was the iX3 electric crossover. It gets a revised «grille» with vertical «teeth» in the center, a compromise between brand recognition and modern trends.
