The designers of the next generation 7 Series are not worried about your comments.
Are BMW designers too forward thinking or are they going a little ‘sideways’ with their design language. This ‘over the top’ design might actually make it to production as the outlandish front and rear end new of the current BMW 7 Series carries a uniquely expressive appearance.
At the front of the 2019 BMW 7 Series there is the enlarged kidney grille that contrasts very effectively with the slim headlights. As a result, the BMW 7 Series is clearly recognizable as part of the new BMW luxury segment and fits in with the design language of the BMW 8 Series and the BMW X7.
Since production of the first 7 Series began in 1977, more than 1.9 million BMW 7 Series cars have been built in their Dingolfing plant in Germany.
From the very beginning, the global market was crucial to the success of this luxury sedan and now this BMW 7 Series is easily the number-one export from the plant in Lower Bavaria. Last year, over 90 per cent of all units produced were exported abroad.
The Chinese market plays an especially important role for the model: In 2018, 44 per cent of global sales were delivered to customers in China to a tune of 465,044 units. Then in 2019 the numbers went up to 544,500 units and for 2020 it jumped to a staggering 611,981 units.
So, when we and most of the European and ASEAN motoring press comment about the looks of the current BMW 7 Series or even the latest 4 Series, little notice was taken by the designers in Munich.
Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President in charge of BMW Group designer knows it. In a recent interview, Domagoj Dukec, head of BMW Design, defended again this new design philosophy and went to assure everybody that BMW marches on undeterred with its controversial design, with more interesting models to come in the following years.
BMW’s Shanghai design center provides feedback to Munich and it is clear that the design tastes in China develop rapidly and Chinese buyers want modern bold looks that push boundaries.
It is what the biggest buyer market loves and they love big oversized kidneys with bold fronts and the 2022 G70 BMW 7 Series will deliver this design language. Wait for the arrival of the G09 X8 and the G60 5 Series.
Meanwhile, 7 Series buyers in Europe are shrinking and buyers in America seem to be sitting on the fence.
