NEUE LEAF

If there's one thing that never fails to startle me on the road, it's a new BMW creeping up in my rear-view mirror.

- By ADITYA UPADHYAULA @heelntoe

Not because it's fast or loud, but because it looks like it's about to inhale me whole. Forgive me for beating the proverbial dead horse, but have you seen the front of a 7 Series lately? That's not a grille, it's a gaping void. And the X7? Its kidneys are large enough to qualify for separate post codes. Lately, it seems BMW is in a silent arms race, with itself, determined to see just how absurdly huge its grilles could get before someone stepped in. And now, finally, it seems someone in Munich found the reset button with the Neue Klasse concept cars.

The upcoming iX3 is a proper departure from the snarling face of the current X3. Gone are the oversized nostrils and puffed-up grilles that looked like they were trying to inhale passing hatchbacks. In their place? Clean, confident lines. A front end that no longer looks like it's mid-yawn. For the first time in years, BMW's design language feels composed again. This new aesthetic is more than just a visual refresh, it feels like a shift in priorities.