After years of emphasis on complex and well-sculpted design lines, BMW and Mercedes-Benz designers are ready to move onto their next phase of car design where simplicity and fewer lines will be at the center stage of their creations. In an interview with Automotive News, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche iterated his plan to take a step back with their entry hatchback. Mercedes will drastically reduce overly expressive cues — not just in the A class but in all future models as part of an evolution of its design philosophy.
Continue Reading Below
“The previous A-class design had to be edgy and loud for a reason: to attract attention, a concept that has been widely adopted by the competition, so it’s time to move on,” he said. “As our head of design, Gorden Wagener, puts it: ‘If you like it, take a line off. If you still like it, take another line off’.”
Whereas its predecessor featured two converging design lines along the sides, the new model has neither, instead favoring a more subtle line that arcs back from the front wheel arch to the rear arch.
As often explained by BMW designers, the convex and concave shapes on surfaces often created this illusion of shadows, which in turn gave the car a more sophisticated look and always in-motion character. Many of those design lines come with colorful names. Mercedes, for example, has ones dubbed Catwalk Lines or Balancing Lines. Audi designers call the shoulder crease in the side of its cars the Tornado Line, while BMW calls it the Zickler line, or “character line.”
BMW is also looking to clean up its design language, starting with new proportions of their front grille and retro design.
“There is more competition now. The world has changed,” said BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk. “It’s a faster pace, so our design needs to change faster as well.”
Van Hooydonk also agrees that less is more. “We’re going to clean things up,” the BMW design chief promised. “We’re going to use fewer lines; the lines that we will have will be sharper and more precise.”
The new generation 3 Series that goes on sale next year is expected to employ this new design approach.
This sounds good as the most beautiful cars are often the ones that can keep it fairly simple, but effective. The problem is that if it’s not effective well it just ends up bland really, and honestly most of the G Chassis BMWs as well as the UKL ones have been just that.
But they have done cars with that purer look and looked awesome (E9, E31, E38… ) and some of the best looking cars right now are on the simpler side too (Jaguar F-Type S, Maserati Gran Turismo or even their own F06 M6) so it can be done
Lets just hope that they they end u making bland looking cars in name of simpler designs.
Lines can be ditched if forms can create enough visual drama.
Its fr this reason i love recent Volvo design language most (Ok, the rear is a bit extreme in some cases). they have carved our such a distinct swede design language out of simple, inherently balanced, and eye pleasing design form.
Imo, the new A class has taken this too far. That’s bland. The only character is in the head lights and tail lights. Without a side ‘graphic’, it’s just an empty canvas.
BMW is doing this much better. Look at the side graphics on the 6 GT. Subtle, but still there.
I don’t quite agree that the new G20 has this new philosophy at its core yet. There’s plenty happening along the side of the car. It suits its character tho.
How do you know how the G20 will look like? ;)
You can already see all the body creases and lines. Almost all the como panels are gone. The details are quite obvious when the light reflects right. Check it out…