Article Summary
- BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk reveals that some of the early i3 design sketches had the vertical grille.
- It works on the iX3 because it has a taller front section.
- For the 3 Series, the design team went instead with the horizontal kidneys to better suit the sedan’s lower, sportier stance.
BMW has been designing cars for nearly a century, and we can’t even fathom how many sketches were left on the proverbial cutting room floor. Some secrets do emerge years, if not decades, later. However, in most cases, we don’t know the full story behind the creative process. But every now and then, the design team does spill the beans about a freshly launched product.
Case in point, BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk has shared a tidbit about the new i3. The electric 3 Series Sedan had a different grille in some of the early sketches. Speaking with journalists at the official debut this week, the design supremo said his team experimented with a vertical grille. However, the company ultimately went in a different direction. In the end, the tall and narrow kidneys were deemed unfit for the car’s front end.
“We tried it on the 3 Series as well. In the design phase, we looked at that, but we felt that for the 3 Series, and actually since many generations, the 3 Series has become sporty. That’s why, at some point we felt that if we had put the vertical grille, it would have maybe looked too retro. It wouldn’t have become as sporty as it looks today. We looked at both, and found the horizontal grille would fit the character of a 3 Series better.”
Expect to see the iX3’s retro-flavored kidneys on taller vehicles, such as the new X5/iX5 (G65) debuting this summer. Photos of prototypes have shown that the Neue Klasse iX1 (NB5) will feature a vertical layout when it arrives. Of course, the grille will remain proportionate to each vehicle’s front end, as there won’t be a one-size-fits-all solution.
As seen on the i3, lower cars will use horizontal kidneys. The next model to adopt this setup could be the 3 Series Touring, which BMW teased a few days ago. If the two-door i4 Coupe rumor holds water, it would make sense for the NA2 to also have a wide grille that blends with the headlights. The alleged NA1 hatchback would likely follow the same approach with horizontal kidneys.
However, these new grilles won’t make their way to all models. Ahead of its debut next month, the 7 Series facelift has been previewed with an evolutionary take on its supersized kidneys. Similarly, spy shots of the updated 5 Series, arriving in 2027, suggest it won’t fully embrace the Neue Klasse aesthetic either. BMW will also launch the second-generation X7 next year, and spy images strongly indicate it will retain a large grille flanked by split headlights, mirroring the upcoming 7 Series LCI.
Elsewhere in the vast lineup, several models will stick with their current grilles. Relevant examples include the 2 Series Coupe, 2 Series Active Tourer, 4 Series Coupe/Convertible, iX, and XM. Even so, the new kidneys seen on the iX3 and i3 will gradually spread across the lineup. Whether through facelifts or next-generation models, the less intrusive grilles are set to dominate the portfolio in the years ahead.
