Face Value
The contentious BMW iX rewards a second look.
photo © BMW AG
Trying to discuss current BMW design is a tedious affair. One side shouts: ‘This is so ugly, even its own mother would flush it down the toilet’. The other side stammers some sentence including either the words ‘China’ and ‘bold’ or ‘daring’. It is, in other words, an utter waste of time.
The recently unveiled BMW iX is no exemption, but particularly numbing proof of the rule. And yet it deserves discussion, against all odds, even though its visual demerits can neither be ignored nor qualified. It is, in the most basic sense, an unattractive thing. Ugly even. On top of that, the less said about BMW’s completely misguided social media marketing, the better for all concerned. And yet the iX deserves some genuine, adult, calm attention.
photo © BMW AG
Whereas BMW’s groundbreaking i3 hid a fantastic cabin inside a challenging body design, iX’s repugnant exterior completely overshadows what seems to be rather thoughtful interior. As with the i3, an attempt seems to have been made to lend the cabin some ‘sustainable’ flair - meaning the conscious use of recycled, non-plastic or ‘authentic’ materials, which seems only logical in the context of a product aimed at moving the automobile away from the status of a throwaway good. In that context, covering far larger parts of the doors and dashboard with textiles than usual, as well as the use of glass and metal for certain buttons and knobs are worthwhile, even applaudable deviations from the norm. In retrospect, it even seems a bit of a shame that a similar approach wasn’t chosen by Jaguar for its i-Pace model, as such ‘genuine’ materials used to define the outstanding interior flair of that brand in its prime.
Certain iX trim & colour choices presented by BMW appear to be trying a bit too hard to come across as ‘edgy’ - particularly as some of the upholstery’s eye-catching graphics seem to mimic previous efforts by none other than Henrik Fisker, whose Ocean EV, which had been unveiled in static form some time ago, also features light graphics rather similar to the BMW’s. That anecdotal aspect apart, those colour & trim variants are bound to age rather quickly before gaining nostalgic flair in a few decades time, as is most fad’s wont.
Returning to the BMW’s exterior - and ignoring the elephant in the room that is its utter lack of grace -, it’s a bit of a pity that none of the thoughtfulness that went into the cabin is on display externally. Just like its competitors, the BMW resorts to materials close in look and feel to toys or cheap electronic devices, in order to convey an image of advanced engineering and design. Shiny, usually black (and sometimes bright blue) plastic trim once more references last season’s mobile phones, printers and tablets that are inevitably disposed with after a couple of years’ use. The printed graphics on the ‘grille’ at least deviate from the ‘faux-louvres’ norm, but overall, iX radiates the same perplexing air of plastic device cheapness that most manufacturers consciously evoke for their ‘sustainable’ EV offerings right now.
photo © BMW AG
Having said that, exterior counterparts to the interior’s glass knobs and metal buttons are not beyond anyone’s imagination. How about some brushed stainless steel for a change? Or the delightfully discreet mother-of-pearl-like sheen of anodised aluminium? Or another hard-wearing, long-lasting material suggestive of a product made to last, rather than be thrown away in a few year’s time? An automobile usually represents one’s second-biggest investment, after all. This actual value could and should be represented through sophisticated, high-quality materials.
In general, automotive design has tried to emulate the aesthetic of consumer electronics for far too long. Despite knowing rather more about what makes a good (also in the Platonic sense) car design than Apple, LG or Samsung, car makers have consciously chosen to evoke an aesthetic redolent of products not nearly as tough, expensive or long-lasting as an automobile.
The BMW iX, of all cars, goes some way of changing that. Alas, few will notice.
