Upcoming BMW Models to Be Better Differentiated Styling-Wise

According to Karim Habib, BMW’s design director, the upcoming BMW M2 will be amongst the last models to be following the current design trends in Bavaria. Starting with the upcoming 7 Series, the entire range will get a fresh look, including the less expensive models like the 1 Series and 3 Series.

The problem seems to be related to the cost of LED technology. In the future, LED headlamps are expected to become the norm. Them and laser lights will be the equivalent of halogen and xenons of today. That being said, the design could also change because the new tech doesn’t need big headlights anymore. That aspect was showcased on the BMW Vision Future Luxury Concept that was created with small headlamps accompanied by huge kidney grilles up front.

LED and Laser Lights will change more than the way you see the road

With LED and laser devices, we can have smaller lamps up front. That’s definitely possible on the 7 Series for example, that could get LEDs as standard and lasers as an optional feature, coming out with smaller encasings for them.

However, in the case of the 1 Series and 3 Series, things are a bit different. That’s because BMW has to maintain a certain pricing strategy that would keep them competitive. That means some customers will go for the cheapest headlights possible and that includes xenon and even halogen lamps. They will, in turn, need bigger casings and dictate the design of the front fascia.

The 5 Series is somewhere in the middle. That’s a tough decision to make but we’re guessing that in the future, LED lamps will become standard of the mid-size sedan, allowing designers to take the styling to a new level.

Each car has to have its own identity

Of course, BMW wants all of its cars to have their own identity: “We want each and every model to have its own little world. We think that’s important in a market where we sell two million cars this year,” said Karim Habib, BMW brand design director.

Today’s design does that but in a more subtle way. As Karim explains it, the 3 Series has more edges that talk about precise driving while the 5 Series has a similar look but with more elegance and more volume, that implies a comfier ride. Sure, at the moment, the differences are rather small, but they will grow bigger in the future.

Even if LED tech won’t become standard on the 1 Series and 3 Series on the new models, a bigger difference will be felt throughout the range thanks to the 5 Series and 7 Series that will have new options available for the front end thanks to the smaller lighting devices. Look for more distinct models in the BMW line-up starting with 2016.