BMW: Neue Klasse M cars will feature "a certain restraint" in their designs

With the recent unveil of the iX3, BMW’s Neue Klasse design language is now out in the world. And yet, on the small SUV it doesn’t actually look as radical as we initially expected it to be. Perhaps the upcoming i3 saloon is the one to wait for.

And what of the full-fat M cars? We already know there'll be an all-electric M3 saloon alongside the more traditional straight-six petrol variant, and we’ve seen some pretty dramatic front and rear bumpers on BMW’s quad-motor, 13,269lb ft rolling test rig that it has christened the ‘Vision Driving Experience’.

BMW’s big boss of design Adrian van Hooydonk reckons these upcoming M cars will be slightly more subtle than the current over-nostrilled generation.

“They will be more expressive than the normal cars. Typically, they are faster cars and more dynamic. And of course, that is what they will express,” van Hooydonk told TG.

“But there will be a certain restraint in the designs that we started so many years ago with i3 and i8, and then continued with i4 and iX. And I think what you see here [with the iX3 M Sport] is built upon all those steps. And now it's going to get rolled out over the entire portfolio.

“I think if you do a very clean design, it will probably last longer. And that's good for our customers because it's good for resale value and it also extends the lifecycle of our product somewhat. That also helps sustainability, of course.”

A restrained-looking M3? Sign us up.

At the same time, van Hooydonk was also at pains to point out the Neue Klasse design won’t just see all BMWs looking exactly the same no matter their size or position in the lineup.

“The Neue Klasse cars will be part of the same product family. So, there will be a family look, but like in real life, each family member has very distinct features and character,” he said.

“We want to give each of our products their own character. Because more than ever before, each of our products will encounter different competitors in their segment. It's not enough to just be the BMW in the segment. You have to be the best in each segment. And you have to think about what that segment needs and wants. What the competition is likely to do, you never know, so you have to plot your own course. I believe there will be enough differentiation also within the model range. It’s not a Russian doll principle.”

But does this fairly major shift away from the gaping grilles of old mean that BMW is accepting that its old look didn’t quite hit the mark?

“Not necessarily, because right now we're actually selling quite a lot of cars. And we have done recently. It's been tough times, as you know, for everyone. But by comparison, BMW has done rather well. And we see market share growing worldwide, sometimes countering the trend where whole markets have shrunk.

“So things are going well, but BMW is a company that knows success is never a given. If you're successful today, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will continue tomorrow. You have to really analyse what is going on in the world around you. Because when we make these design decisions the launch is still three years away. So that's very hard.

“You see how quick markets react today. How can you predict all that? You can't. So, the only safe thing to do, we felt, was to take a bigger step.”