New BMW iX. They’ve completely lost the plot?

colm_mcm

BMW recently unveiled its forthcoming electric SUV. Styling is along the lines of the more recent BMWs which have been criticised for their, erm - unusual styling.

What makes this all the more bizzare is the marketing campaign BMW undertook, basically undermining the pretty much universal criticism of the direction BMW are taking with their cars.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/37673/bmw-pushes-weirdly-hostile-marketing-campaign-to-say-youre-dumb-for-thinking-the-ix-is-ugly


Now, in recent years we have seen the likes of Bentley and Lamborghini reinvent themselves, Jaguar ditched its lovely heritage in favour of Korean style bland boxes which have been quite popular for whatever reason.

BMW has a loyal and enthusiastic fan base who have already seen front wheel drive cars replacing the traditional RWD, turbocharged 4 cylinders replace the beloved straight 6, the arrival of the BMW SUV and electric ranges, and the casting aside of the hallmark BMW styling rules.

Can this be compared to the Bangle era, where we all eventually got used to the new direction, or is this just an abomination?
Is this just progress, and I’m out of touch for wanting BMWs to continue with its old formula?

Vicxas

No dancing around it, thats ugly

Atlantic Dawn

The colour they have used is terrible, I think if it was shown in silver or black it would look a lot better.

quokula

I'm pretty sure the "change" the marketing campaign is intended to refer to is the change from fossil fuels to electric, and electric cars are undeniably the future so I don't think it's that bad a campaign.

But it's easy to see how it's been interpreted as the change to the styling. Hard to see how they decided that was a good look, it's hideous.

That gives the original Fiat Multipla a run for it's money :

kdevitt

quokula wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the "change" the marketing campaign is intended to refer to is the change from fossil fuels to electric, and electric cars are undeniably the future so I don't think it's that bad a campaign.

But it's easy to see how it's been interpreted as the change to the styling. Hard to see how they decided that was a good look, it's hideous.

Its not. They've been telling people on IG / facebook they're wrong for not liking their new design direction.

Their designs are hideous across the range now - not just that abomination above - mainly driven by the grilles. That said, the new 4 has also abandoned the hoffmeister kink and is pretty bland from the front wing backwards. They're just all over the place.

The chief designer even admitted their designs are now going to be split 50/50 between people who like them and who don't like them, as well as the fact that they've been clearly targeting the Asian market. With the exception of the 8 series, there's nothing in their new line up I'd be particularly interested in at the moment.

Wailin

I don't know lads. Show me an electrical suv that's actually nice to look at. Or any EV for that matter, tesla included.

The marketing is cringeworthy though.

Renault Zoe is the best looking supermini available at the moment irrespective of whether it is driven by ICE or electric motor.
Taycan and its mini-me e208 aren't bad looking.
Honda e and latest 500 look good too.

MetzgerMeister

kdevitt wrote: »

With the exception of the 8 series, there's nothing in their new line up I'd be particularly interested in at the moment.

In fairness the new facelift 5 series is still a very handsome looking car.

kdevitt

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

In fairness the new facelift 5 series is still a very handsome looking car.

Not for me. I think they ruined it with the update.

Wailin

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Renault Zoe is the best looking supermini available at the moment irrespective of whether it is driven by ICE or electric motor.

Ah jaysus you must be joking!

Wailin

Wailin wrote: »

Ah jaysus you must be joking!

That is a good looking inoffensive car.

I saw a video saying that its all for the Chinese Market as its so profitable. They are big into those huge ugly grills. Not sure how true it is.

Did you smash it

Wailin wrote: »

I don't know lads. Show me an electrical suv that's actually nice to look at. Or any EV for that matter, tesla included.

The marketing is cringeworthy though.

I love how the Ipace looks.

bazz26

Deleted User wrote: »

That is a good looking inoffensive car.

Your in luck then:

https://www.specsavers.ie/offers

kdevitt

FillaName wrote: »

I saw a video saying that its all for the Chinese Market as its so profitable. They are big into those huge ugly grills. Not sure how true it is.

Its definitely true - Europe isn't a top market for the likes of the 7 series and X7, so they're been given over the top styling to cater for the tastes of the likes of China, the Middle East etc. The problem now is those styling cues are filtering down into the models which do sell well in Europe (admittedly not a problem if you do like the way they look - and given someone just said a Renault Zoe was a good looking car, it pretty much proves that taste is subjective).

Read not so long back that BMW can't keep up with demand for the V12 engines either - mainly down to the same regions, no one wants to be seen in anything other than the top of the range version.

MetzgerMeister

What else is the V12 in other than the 760i/Li/M760Li?

kdevitt

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

What else is the V12 in other than the 760i/Li/M760Li?

Just the 7er and the Rolls Royces as far as I know. Not sure on the engine lineups in the X7 - I try to pretend it doesn't exist!

maddness

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The colour they have used is terrible, I think if it was shown in silver or black it would look a lot better.

You can’t polish a turd.

maddness

I’ve been a BMW fan since I was a kid but the latest design are just terrible. The current 5 series and the 7 before they ruined it with the ridiculous LCI grill are good designs and the new 3 series looks great in touring guise.
The latest 1 series, 4 series and even the new 8 series in GC form are all much worse designs than their predecessors. As for all their X models. The X5 is a good looking SUV if that’s your thing but the rest are just hideous.

Wailin

4 series is a true love or hate style but the m4 looks sensational, in my humble opinion...so aggressive.

Stallingrad

BMW E60 - "They have lost the plot."
BMW E65 - "They have lost the plot."
7 series LCI - "They have lost the plot."
4 series - "They have lost the plot."
iX - "They have lost the plot."

It's an old refrain, you would think everyone would be used to it by now. The classic E39, E38 and E46 were all a long time ago. I'm no fan of the new approach either, but only because I grew up with BMW's of yesteryear, when car styling was very different to today. New markets, new customers, combined with brand loyalty not being what it once was and here we are.

Still prefer this the Cookie cutter Audi's and Mercs, at least it provokes a discussion. No one is taking about the new S class anymore.

Banana Republic 1

maddness wrote: »

You can’t polish a turd.

People have tried:rolleyes:

kdevitt

Stallingrad wrote: »

BMW E60 - "They have lost the plot."
BMW E65 - "They have lost the plot."
7 series LCI - "They have lost the plot."
4 series - "They have lost the plot."
iX - "They have lost the plot."

They're all still terrible looking. At least BMW admitted the E60 was ugly and dumped every single styling cue it introduced.

MetzgerMeister

Wailin wrote: »

4 series is a true love or hate style but the m4 looks sensational, in my humble opinion...so aggressive.

I'm warming to that front end. It looks better with that kind of grille slat design as opposed to the honeycomb.

That's also my car...see my initials on the reg? :pac:

maddness

Wailin wrote: »

4 series is a true love or hate style but the m4 looks sensational, in my humble opinion...so aggressive.

Yeah in fairness I do like the new M4/M3 but not in yellow. No car should ever be yellow.

Oops!

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

In fairness the new facelift 5 series is still a very handsome looking car.

No it's not... I don't really understand the horn people have for the BMW brand over the last 20 years in this country... It's clear its all an ego thing.

MetzgerMeister

Oops! wrote: »

No it's not... I don't really understand the horn people have for the BMW brand over the last 20 years... It's clear it all an ego thing.

Thankfully we're all allowed our own opinions and my opinion is that the new 5er looks class

Royale with Cheese

Wailin wrote: »

I don't know lads. Show me an electrical suv that's actually nice to look at. Or any EV for that matter, tesla included.

The marketing is cringeworthy though.

Tesla Model X is hideous and the Y doesn't do much for me either. It's more a crossover than a proper SUV but the new VW ID4 is not a bad looking car to me.



That BMW comfortably the ugliest of the lot. If you painted it fully black I'd have thought it was some futuristic electric interpretation of a London cab.

GreeBo

If the ditched the blue bits of tacky trim I think it would look grand, maybe not my cup of tea but at least it would like like a car and not something out of animé

bazz26

Their marketing people have achieved what they set out to do - cause some controversy and get people talking about their product until it becomes accepted.

Oops!

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Thankfully we're all allowed our own opinions and my opinion is that the new 5er looks class

Your fully entitled to your opinion. Doesn't mean your right. I suppose somebody has to buy them!

MetzgerMeister

The ID4 is nice but I don't like those alloys.

MetzgerMeister

Oops! wrote: »

Your fully entitled to your opinion. Doesn't mean your right. I suppose somebody has to buy them!

Not liking it doesn't mean you're right either :P

maddness

Oops! wrote: »

No it's not... I don't really understand the horn people have for the BMW brand over the last 20 years in this country... It's clear its all an ego thing.

Ok so I’ll bite. What has ego got to do with liking a particular type of car?
Also I have had the horn as you say for BMW’s since the early 80’s, does that mean I have a very large or small ego?

Oops!

maddness wrote: »

Ok so I’ll bite. What has ego got to do with liking a particular type of car?
Also I have had the horn as you say for BMW’s since the early 80’s, does that mean I have a very large or small ego?

Nope, you are a long time fan and have gone through many generations of the brand.... Big difference.

maddness

Oops! wrote: »

Nope, you are a long time fan and have gone through many generations of the brand.... Big difference.

I’m not sure if you are just looking to troll but I’m struggling what liking any brand has to do with ego?

Lantus

They are OK really. Consumers want to feel special and stand out in a sea of samey bland. These design changes help towards that.

Still. If you want sleek super sexy there is always the new octavia......

https://images.app.goo.gl/srMmMAS1yeVmXTLk9

Oops!

maddness wrote: »

I’m not sure if you are just looking to troll but I’m struggling what liking any brand has to do with ego?

Just one example... Not a BMW but I pointed out to a person not to long ago that his Mercedes CLA had a 1.5 K9K Renault derived engine under the bonnet after servicing it.... He nearly blew a fuse...:rolleyes:

Stallingrad

kdevitt wrote: »

They're all still terrible looking. At least BMW admitted the E60 was ugly and dumped every single styling cue it introduced.

This is why looks are subjective. :P

E60 jarred at first, but has aged really well, lovely surfacing and proportions, still looks striking in MSport.

But I am sure we can agree that their interiors at this time were truly horrible.

kdevitt

Stallingrad wrote: »

This is why looks are subjective. :P

E60 jarred at first, but has aged really well, lovely surfacing and proportions, still looks striking in MSport.

But I am sure we can agree that their interiors at this time were truly horrible.

Haha exactly. MSport definitely looks better, but it was never a great looking car imo. Front headlights always looked like Dame Edna's glasses, and the rear boot overhang (which the E63 also had) was just jarring for me. The litmus test for me with the 5er is whether or not the SE versions look well - which was true for every version which predates the E60, as well as its successors - which both ditched all of Bangles flame surfacing and went back to a more traditional design.

The original E65 is still an ugly dog, although the LCI version is a relatively rare example of BMW improving on the original version (they normally mess them up imo)

For Forks Sake

That is absolutely rancid.

Wailin

Lantus wrote: »

Still. If you want sleek super sexy there is always the new octavia......

https://images.app.goo.gl/srMmMAS1yeVmXTLk9

Hey wait a sec.....:D

Yakuza

colm_mcm wrote: »

BMW recently unveiled its forthcoming electric SUV. Styling is along the lines of the more recent BMWs which have been criticised for their, erm - unusual styling.
...

Is this just progress, and I’m out of touch for wanting BMWs to continue with its old formula?

Reminds me of

(The car the main character drove in Breaking Bad, for anyone that doesn't get the reference!)

I think the current crop of BMWs X and M models are fantastic looking, but that iX is

RandomViewer

Deleted User wrote: »

Renault Zoe is the best looking supermini available at the moment irrespective of whether it is driven by ICE or electric motor.
Taycan and its mini-me e208 aren't bad looking.
Honda e and latest 500 look good too.

Specsavers have offers

Leonard Hofstadter

colm_mcm wrote: »

BMW has a loyal and enthusiastic fan base who have already seen front wheel drive cars replacing the traditional RWD, turbocharged 4 cylinders replace the beloved straight 6, the arrival of the BMW SUV and electric ranges, and the casting aside of the hallmark BMW styling rules.

Can this be compared to the Bangle era, where we all eventually got used to the new direction, or is this just an abomination?
Is this just progress, and I’m out of touch for wanting BMWs to continue with its old formula?

It can't really be compred with the Bangle era IMO - as the owner of the first BMW model he designed, at least cars from that era drove like the marketing speil would have you believe (although the E65 is popularly considered to be the 'first' Bangle BMW, the first BMW for which Bangle was the chief designer was in fact the E46).

Even if you move onto his most controversial designs, like the E65/66 7 series, E63/64 6 series and E60 5 series, at least they all had traditional BMW features like rear wheel drive, 50:50 weight distribution, manual gearboxes on every model (except understandably the 6/7 series) and hydraulic power steering. So while they might not have been the prettiest of cars (to put it mildly), at least they had all the things that made a BMW drive, well, like a BMW.

These hideous yokes just have the badge on the bonnet now as their USP. They are totally unrecognisable from BMWs of even five years ago let alone back the glory days when BMW cared about appealing to enthusiasts.

Of course BMW needs to move with the times, so while I'd prefer if they didn't, they do need to make all those SUVs and start transitioning to hydrogen and electric cars - whether we want them or not, we're going to be forced to buy the latter powertrain eventually so they might as well make them as good as they possibly can. It's not BMW's fault that enough people have taken leave of their senses and want to pay a lot more money for cars that are slower, more polluting, less economical, heavier, worse to drive, less comfortable and noisier than traditional Saloons, Coupés and Estates for the sake of a few inches more ground clearance and to keep up with the Joneses - but that's the world we live in.

None of this is an excuse though for getting rid of all the things that made BMWs stand out from the crowd like rear wheel drive, 50:50 weight distribution, manual gearboxes (they should still be available at least on the M cars and saloons/Coupés at least up to the 4 series anyway - even though I know the ZF 8 speed is really excellent), the feedback the old cars gave the driver from the hydraulic steering, and yes, the abundance of six cylinder engines (never mind the V8s), which back in the good old days were naturally aspirated and sounded so good they didn't need to put a fake exhaust noise through the cabin like they do these days. If a BMW isn't about driving pleasure, or is exactly the same as its rivals to drive, what's the point of having one?

And now, to add insult to injury, the company that claims to make 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' now tells us that its so-called 'flagship' vehicle is a big, vulgar, 2.5 tonne SUV. If they want to do an EV flagship, why not do a new i8, or a new 7 series?

Not only that, but they've now resorted to criticising their customers who rightly criticise this monstrosity for the way it looks - so even they know it's hideous but they're trying to tell us plebs that they're right and we're wrong. Other than Ryanair, when did you ever hear a company publicly criticise its customers before? What are they thinking?

https://www.thedrive.com/news/37673/bmw-pushes-weirdly-hostile-marketing-campaign-to-say-youre-dumb-for-thinking-the-ix-is-ugly

It's so sad to see what's become of a formerly great and desirable marque. I still like the traditional saloons and Coupés (4 series excluded), and I wouldn't say no to a Z4 M40i either (despite the glaring lack of a manual gearbox), but for me, the best days of BMW are most definitely in the past now.

Wibbs

Oops! wrote: »

I don't really understand the horn people have for the BMW brand over the last 20 years in this country...

Pretty understandable in my humble anyway. For me BMW have slotted into the same saloon niche as the Ford Cortina did for previous generations. There's shed loads of options to choose from but all are recognisably BMW, none look tacky, they're suburban "respectable", luxurious without going gin palace, they're seen as a cut above the Opel/Toyota/Ford/Renault level, they're a practical car, but are sporty too and there's lots of aftermarket stuff around and until relatively recently a home mechanic could do quite a bit with them. A guy or gal of 18 driving one doesn't look wrong, neither does a guy or gal of 70 driving one, whereas Mercedes have an "older" vibe to them and something like a Civic Type R is very much a "young" car. BMW cover the 19 year old doughnut differ and the 50 year old family man with two kids. Even with the same model. They fully deserve the horn IMHO.

Oh and I like the look of the iX, which probably means it's awful and not a real Beemer.

3d4life

Got this in this AM

https://www.eenewsautomotive.com/news/bmw-says-good-bye-iec-engine-production-munich?fnid=133510

For the first time in a couple of generations its revolution rather than evolution at BMW

AMKC

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

Tesla Model X is hideous and the Y doesn't do much for me either. It's more a crossover than a proper SUV but the new VW ID4 is not a bad looking car to me.



That BMW comfortably the ugliest of the lot. If you painted it fully black I'd have thought it was some futuristic electric interpretation of a London cab.

It's so boring the VW id4. Nothing new there then just another boring dull VW. If VW ever want to do classy stylish designs they should talk to Renault. They could teach VW a few things. The Renault Zoe is a great looking little car and not boring its stylish and classy.

landmarkjohn

kdevitt wrote: »

The original E65 is still an ugly dog, although the LCI version is a relatively rare example of BMW improving on the original version (they normally mess them up imo)

I think the original E65 will be a sought after classic... it was the first car that if it passed in the opposite direction at night on a dark road you could tell it was an E65 by the tail light signature

I don't know when I last saw one on the road. I've got the LCI and like it and planning to keep driving it, not much on the road that intimidates it

MetzgerMeister

When did the electrical nightmares all get ironed out with the E65/6?