How do you feel about the 2021 BMW 4 Series‘ face? Love it? Hate it? If you are among the former, then we have some bad news for you. Those among the latter group, however, will be pleased to learn the new 4‘s large, long, and narrow kidney grille shape will largely remain relegated to a few models and not become a design staple of the brand itself. It won’t show up on every BMW, as you might expect from the brand that once churned out almost identical-looking cars in different sizes.
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“When we [design a] BMW, we don’t—and this is what we really want to change in the future—we don’t want to have any detail [that] is always repeating [between] model[s], because every model should have a unique character,” Domagoj Dukec, head of BMW design, shared in a recent online interview with multiple publications, including MotorTrend. In other words, BMW has no plans to recycle the 4’s big grille on to its other models.
That does not mean the distinct design detail will be a one-and-done deal, though, and Dukec noted concepts such as the BMW iNext and i4 both utilized a similar front-end design. In fact, it is all but guaranteed the production i4, which will share much of its bodywork with the upcoming 4 Series Gran Coupe, will wear a mug like that of the 2021 4 Series coupe (expect the same face to grace the forthcoming 4 Series convertible, as well).
Nevertheless, Dukec assured those on the call that BMW will continue to employ a variety of kidney grille shapes and sizes on its products, and he noted the more horizontal design will continue to don the front ends of the brand’s 3 Series and 5 Series sedans. So, like it or not, the front-end of the 2021 BMW 4 Series will not migrate across the BMW model line.
