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2022 BMW X5 Gets Tall Grille Digital Facelift, Looks Weird

The BMW X5 is already a handsome-looking SUV, one of the best in its class. However, the look might completely change once the mid-life refresh brings a couple of tall kidney grilles.
BMW X5 Gets Tall Grille Facelift, Looks Sporty 1 photo
Photo: TheSketchMonkey/YouTube screenshot
BMW still makes some of the best handling German cars. But all we can talk about are those grille designs. Obviously, last year's 4 Series Coupe concept was the one that rattled the cages, but the trouble started way before that.

The X5 and X7 also came with super-sized grilles. However, there were square, definitely a new shape, but not a radical departure. On the other hand, the 4er sports tall air inlets, and digital artist TheSketchMonkey wanted to explore this design direction.

He calls this a "next-generation" rendering. But because the image just tries to overlay some of the features from the 4 Series concept onto the X5's face, we'd call this a mid-life facelift instead. One is undoubtedly coming, and BMW should begin testing for that within the next year.

According to the artist, the problem is not the shape of the grille itself. The concept coupe inefficiently combined the design of the future with the intakes that already sit on BMWs. Also, red might not have been the best color.

So, in the case of the "refreshed" X5, the tall kidney grilles are joined by a completely new shape for the lower bumper. This new look doesn't sit right with us. It looks like the open mouth of an herbivore.

So is BMW going to make such a radical update to the X5 and other SUV models? Only time will tell. But the company is rumored to be working on an all-new product called the X8 M that will be available exclusively as an M model. Since this will be the flagship, it should lead the way in all departments, including design. Just give it a few years.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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