The welcome move is designed to separate the brands crossovers from its sedans and coupes.

BMW will be ushering in an entirely new design language beginning with a production version of the Vision Neue Klasse X crossover you see above. That will be quickly followed by the a production version of the Vision Neue Klasse sedan. And as you can see both represent a stark departure from the current look and feel of BMWs. But perhaps the most welcome change of all is what BMW is eliminating.

While these are both concepts, they will directly influence all BMW sedans and crossovers in the future.

While attending the launch of the Vision Neue Klasse X, BMW representatives made the point say that there would be more distinction between the design of its future sedans and coupes vs its crossovers. And key to this will be making the large, vertical grille exclusive to the crossover segment. For future BMW sedans and coupes we’ll see a shorter and wider grille design that will naturally fit the shape of those products better.

This is being previewed by the two Neue Klasse concepts that foreshadow the next generation electric 3 Series and X3. And it’s not just the approach to the grille design thats new with these cars. These concepts signals BMW’s simplified design language, harkening back to an 80’s era aesthetic albeit with a modern approach. Key to this will be BMW is eliminating the large vertical grille on all sedans and coupes moving forward. That design element will now be exclusive to crossovers helping to create more visual space between two categories of products

The will be the last time we see an M4 with a grille this big.

The Neue Klasse concepts show debut a simplified design direction with a minimal form language, function oriented styling short overhangs and a driver focused interior. If this all sounds familiar it’s because this is the approach BMW’s design has been based on since the 1960s. These are attributes of all the best classic BMWs that we haven’t seen much of in years. But the Vision Neue Klasse and Neue Klasse X bring them back at an important time for the brand.

Let’s not make this complicated. That massive grille on the 4 Series and M4 is dead. And perhaps even more important we won’t see it spread to other sedans or coupes. Instead we’ll see it stay on the crossovers where its verticality actually makes sense.

When This Change Will Happen

BMW will be ushering in this new design language in 2025 with the launch of a production version of the Neue Klasse X crossover likely named the iX3. Within 24 months of this first Neue Klasse car being launched we will see six more models in the road. So the move to this new design language will happen quickly and it will be led by the NK family of EVs.

But this new look won’t be exclusive to electric BMWs. The brand will be bringing new versions of petrol and petrol hybrids to market with the same look that we see above.