I know design is subjective, but the new X5 does absolutely nothing for me. To me, BMW’s design language peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s. With the F12 Gen 6 series being one of the last pretty BMW designs. The new X5 feels like a company trying too hard to stand out rather than focusing on timeless design. The “X” headlights are a perfect example. It’s a gimmick that immediately dates the vehicle. The rear styling isn’t much better and comes across as overly busy and forced.
BMW isn’t alone here. Mercedes has gone down a similar path. The latest S-Class has stars plastered everywhere, inside and out. Luxury used to be about restraint and confidence. Now it feels like every brand is trying to remind you what logo you’re looking at every five seconds.
The interior of the new X5 leaves me scratching my head as well. Who asked for a trapezoid-shaped center display? It feels like designers were told to make something different for the sake of being different.
This is one reason I think companies like Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla have such an advantage. Whether you personally like every design choice or not, their vehicles were conceived from the ground up as EVs. The proportions, packaging, and overall design language feel purposeful rather than compromised. They don’t need oversized grilles, fake vents, excessive badging, or styling tricks to attract attention.
The irony is that in trying so hard to look futuristic, many legacy brands are producing vehicles that I think will age far worse than the cleaner, more restrained designs coming from Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla.
