Getting grilled

BMW set social media on fire with the unveiling of the new 4 Series and while everyone had opinions on the styling, the changes go deeper than skin

- AATISH MISHRA

LET’S TAKE IT FROM THE TOP. OR rather, the front. Because that’s the bit that has been getting everyone’s knickers in a knot. Unlike the car it replaces, the new 4 Series’ design is a huge departure from the 3 Series it is based on. The big talking points are obviously the grille — BMW has been subtly stretching and elongating the iconic kidney grille across models but it looks like the designers hit the F**k It button and went allout for the new 4. BMW is linking it to historic models like the pre-war 328s and the 3.0 CSi Coupe from the ‘70s but you’ve got to be a bat (Batmobile reference, geddit?) to take them seriously. This may not be the first time BMW is doing elongated grilles, but it certainly is pushing the boundaries of modern car design. The new 4’s face is unique, shouty and it did exactly what BMW wants people to do about its cars — talk about them.