Ex-BMW Designer Weighs In On The New iX3’s Design

Frank Stephenson is understood for all the time talking his thoughts and never shying away from calling issues as he sees them. The person who designed the primary fashionable MINI as soon as mentioned the 507, 3.0 CS, and the M1 had been the corporate’s best hits. The brand new iX3? Properly, not a lot.

In an interview with High Gear journal, the person who labored on the X5 E53’s exterior was brutally sincere in assessing the Neue Klasse design. The kidneys are apparently a “new/outdated beaver-toothed grille graphic” and sit above an “overly busy” air consumption space. Though Stephenson believes BMW has made the appropriate choice to tone down its exteriors, he argues that some areas might nonetheless be improved.

For instance, he finds the creases on the fenders “a bit visually jarring,” whereas the rear is “a bit generic” for his tastes. Up entrance, the grille is claimed to be “too pinched, virtually puckered up.” Head over to High Gear for his full evaluation of the new iX3’s design and to be taught why he isn’t precisely a fan: “Good attempt, however higher luck subsequent time.”

It’s removed from the primary time Stephenson has criticized BMW’s design. In his evaluation of the two Sequence Coupe (G42), the person who penned the McLaren P1 rhetorically requested whether or not BMW is digging itself right into a deeper gap. In one other video, he famously mentioned “latest designs have misplaced their means.” The famend designer additionally roasted the XM, saying the entrance finish “doesn’t make any sense.”

Whereas magnificence is all the time within the eye of the beholder, it’s essential to notice that fashions launching after 2029 received’t come from the identical group liable for the vehicles talked about above. BMW revamped its design division when Domagoj Dukec moved to Rolls-Royce in October 2024. In his place, the corporate appointed two designers: Maximilian Missoni will work on 5 Sequence/X5 fashions and above, whereas Oliver Heilmer is liable for the smaller automobiles.

Each have twin roles, with Missoni additionally main BMW ALPINA and Heilmer overseeing M vehicles. Adrian van Hooydonk stays answerable for the BMW Group’s design group, supervising the brand new construction, which additionally contains Holger Hampf as MINI’s chief designer.

Because the first BMWs influenced by the brand new designers received’t arrive this decade, the Neue Klasse wave of greater than 40 vehicles due by 2028 was styled by the earlier groups. The iX3 will get the ball rolling for the corporate’s new aesthetic, with the 3 Series (G50), i3 (NA0), and X5 (G65) set to comply with this yr.

The 7 Sequence (G70) will bear a facelift, however spy shots counsel it received’t obtain a full Neue Klasse makeover. As a substitute, it can retain the massive grille and break up headlights whereas gaining the all-new inside, with iDrive X taking middle stage.

Supply: Top Gear