The designer of the BMW Series 4 talks about criticism of the grille

One of the biggest automotive controversies of the terrible year 2020 has undoubtedly been the grille of the new BMW Series 4. Many people have gotten into it over the look of the German sports car, which features vertical kidney grilles that are much longer than on previous occasions. Given the uproar, our colleagues at the magazine Autocar spoke with Adrian van Hooydonk, head of design at the BMW Group.

It is true that large grilles are a trend these days, and irrefutable proof is that some other cars also resort to oversized dimensions to adorn their front ends. However, it is the Series 4 that has sparked not only controversy but also memes and jokes that circulate across the internet; but Adrian van Hooydonk likes this.

The chief designer of the Bavarian firm has said that “to stand out from the competition you have to do something different, something worth talking about.” “If you want to stand out you have to do something distinct, distinguished and eye-catching,” added Domagoj Dukec, who is also part of the BMW design team and who has worked to attract new – and more – customers with the BMW Series 4.

“If you want to attract customers you have to stand out from the average. We cannot please everyone, nor do we intend to, but we can please our customers.” Van Hooydonk and Dukec were very clear that the new generation of the sports car would generate criticism, but they prioritised the buzz the Series 4 would create among its potential customers.

“If market success is not at this point, then you have to change. It is a truly stressful situation, but it is worth going through if in the end you are going to succeed,” both designers stated. And if we stop to appreciate the history of BMW, we will realise that this is not the first time they have taken a risk with a design nor the first time they have sparked controversy.

In this way, the German firm wants to stand out, offer something different and with personality. The BMW Series 4 will continue to generate plenty of talk, and we are sure that, far from regretting it, the German firm will keep betting on designs that excite the masses in pursuit of a product that is distinctive in the market, as is already happening with other current models and will continue to happen in the future.

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HatchbackBMW Serie 419 versions · from 56,950 €