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Do you find the current BMW 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series ugly?
I’ll get back to this later.

To design something innovative is what many designers strive for. Their main reason for this is to come up with an idea that no one has thought of before, or to interpret something in a way that no one has. I guess its all about innovation and being ground breaking!

Do you like it? Flat blocky front...

I have to admit, the first time I saw this car with fresh eyes, I couldn’t look past the two vertical areas of the front glass (windshield) and front fascia. It just looked blocky, and if I was asked by BMW what I honestly thought, the only polite answer I would have is ‘…it’s different’. Now, there are two ways to interpret ‘it’s different’ – one being refreshing, innovative, and ground breaking, and I like it! – or – simply not liking it.

Cohesive connection from the upper and lower half of the car lowers the visual 'height'.

Trying to interpret the designer’s intent on the BMW X1 is like uncovering a thought process though the use of their lines in the end product. In recent models I have always found the body side of BMWs to be the most interesting, most notably coming from the ‘slap in the face’ design of the Z4. Following the body side crease from the front to the rear, it shoots up above the rear fender, pointing to the crease that is coming around the DLO on the C-pillar. This creates a notion of connection between the upper and lower half of the vehicle, and it makes sense since it’s a tall car.

Comparison of concept sketch and actualized model. Note the difference amount of 'light' between the lower feature.

Overpowering that body side feature is the standard issue belt line that has been built up creating a tension and speed in this dynamic theme. However, although important to the rest of the design, I think it takes away from what I think is a far more interesting feature on the body side/DLO mentioned earlier. In turn, I believe they still could have played up this feature by increasing the visibility of the crease as much as they had in the sketch.

Complex interesction of lines result in a surface solution that is just as complex. Surprisingly the rear is clean looking and does not look heavy due to the clever use of color and black.

From the rear of the car there are many lines that are coming together to create an interesting variety of surface solutions. A subtle line from just above the side rocker flows into the rear fascia to join the story from side to back. It is complemented by a crease that defines the bumper to the body panel, which in turn is intersected by a hook line that is framed around the tail lights (Creating that complex interplay of surfaces). Across the rear the surfaces are quite simple. This makes a focus on the proportions of the dark and color areas to be seen. As to not look heavy, the bumper is mostly black and when compared with the glass it creates a wider elongated color section that reduces the visual height of the car. To reduce the visual weight of the black, a bright metallic nappy also creates an elongated black section of the bumper. This keeps a the car looking visually planted to the ground, not looking like it may topple over due to the nature of this vehicle type.

Front lamp detail and bonnet buldge details

Similarly themed around the rear lamps are the front head lamps, having an interesting treatment of line work that makes up the front fascia. As a result I have mixed feelings about how it has turned out. The crease in front of the wheel arch coming out from the lamp suggests an angled front, yet the crease on between the grille and lamp is quite vertical. So the visual comparison exaggerates the boxy appearance of the front end. The only way of saving it from looking even boxier is a similar technique as the rear of the car, having a large area of black to make appear, just like the rear, wider than it is, and in this case making the proportions of the front similar to likes of a 5 or 7 series.

Are these the original concept proposal sketches?

If the released sketches of the X1 proposal were the ones used to make the concept X1, and from that, to the production X1, this BMW designer needs to be awarded for doing something that is quite hard to do, and that is to stick to his original idea, the one that he sketched, earning him the privilege to design this car!

I think the lines and creases all over the BMW X1 are quite fresh and exciting for their design language, however when it comes to the surfaces that excitement and tension is lost by becoming softer. If I was to compare this with the new Z4, it does make sense, having all this drama of lines mixed in with more elegant surface work, and by that, I guess it is quite ‘different’, and I mean that in a way that is good, as it is something exploratory, and something I can learn to like. I do like the current 1, 3 and 5 Series, and this X1 shows BMW evolving that style.

The overall gesture of the feature lines on the 2009 BMW Z4 still stays true with a nice similarity to its conceptual older brother. Proportions equate from the formula of a long bonneted, two seated roadster.
With the sharp body line that shoots through from the door handle to the front lamp, and the hip crease that bounces to the tail lights, reminds us again of its roots. Similarly, the light catcher on the lower portion of the body side to the previous makes a good comparison as iconic features of a Z4. We can thank Chris Bangle (at the time, Head of BMW Design) for ‘flame’ surfacing.

Z4 - Contrast Accentuated Peaked Creases

However, sheered surfaces made with over accentuated peaked creases (where it makes an increased contrast of light and shadow) does not seem to have the feel of the successful ‘actual’ sheered surface of the previous showings. Furthermore, the front fascia has been cluttered with an over detailing that makes the whole car just seem a bit too complicated and obviously production-like. They should have taken more styling cues from the BMW CS Concept’s corporate face.

Z4 - Front Grille Detail

As a design, without the comparison, it’s detailing of the front does compliment the bonnet though the directional swoop of lines. In turn, the bonnet, when viewed from the side, compliments the body with its sympathetic curve to the earlier mentioned feature body line, thus creating that feeling of BMW’s frequent restrained aggressive look. The rear of the car makes for great viewing, specifically around the deck lid as it looks like a clean, more refined progression through simplification, of ideas from the BMW 6 Series. An interesting rear fascia design to (what it seems) accommodate the number plate is quite interesting in a very neutral sense if you come from the view of designing a car with its number plates.

Z4 - Rear details around plates

It seems that the overall styling direction has created a more aggressive, almost frustrated grrrrrrowl compared to the striking ‘slap in the face’ of the more conceptual model of past. The things that really stand out are the headlights that are logically themed from the style from the Z4’s other family members and the surface lift under the headlights that brings the body side surface across the front fender and to the front of the car, pushing it’s hungry looking grille forward (watch out bugs!). A more concave surface on the rear fender to wheel arch alludes to a tighter agile figure and with the hints of muscular pronunciation on the bonnet suggests something more athletic lives under its skin, drawing away from the poor handling of the previous Z4.

There is one thing that is unexplained…where did that 45 degree angle slash across the body side go from that production ‘concept car’?… bring it back!

Z4 - Previous model (inset) - Grrrrr!