‘OK Boomer’: BMW defends ‘hideous’ new iX electric car

Social media has turned on the luxury marque’s controversial new look and it hasn’t taken kindly to the criticism, biting back in unusual fashion.

BMW is bold in the defence of its iX electric car.

BMW’s bold defence of its latest styling is causing problems for the brand.

The prestige marque made headlines with bold new looks for important models this year. Petrolheads have long aspired to own a BMW M3 sedan or its two-door M4 cousin, while the new BMW iX electric SUV represents the high-riding, battery-powered future of the brand.

BMW is bold in its response to design criticism.

Both wear enormous vertical front grilles likened to beavers or bugs bunny.

It’s fair to say reactions to the new look have been more than mixed.

OK, Boomer.
And what’s your reason not to change?

The first-ever BMW iX.https://t.co/NhWosxWcxK#NEXTGen #THEiX pic.twitter.com/5Fvndzlzvi

— BMW (@BMW) November 15, 2020

Responding to a YouTube comment telling the brand to “go back to making BMWs”, social media representatives for the manufacturer said “OK, Boomer. And what’s your reason not to change?”.

BMW owners responded by saying a customer might “bristle at being referred to as ‘boomer’.” as “it’s become a slur for anyone older than Millennials”.

Another said “I would refuse to buy one because their marketing department thinks they are cleverer than me”.

Twitter users have objected to BMW’s approach.

The brand’s request for people to “be open to the new look and let’s embrace the future together” was lambasted as “fantastically patronising” by Top Gear host and respected journalist Chris Harris.

One motorist said BMW’s tweets “are almost Trump-like in their ridiculousness”

The car maker’s approach has made headlines around the world, including Jalopnik’s “BMW Launches Bizarre Marketing Campaign To Defend Its Ugly Car”.

The big grille isn’t for cooling – it hides sensors for safety systems.

Sniff Petrol, a satirical British motoring website with close ties to automotive media, said “the problem with this is not so much its needlessly chippy tone but that it’s trying to frame a simple bit of bad design as radical and brave”.

“The i3 was radical and brave. It was also a very professional piece of design. The iX is amateurishly bad and crude posturing won’t fix it”.

Fans on BMW Australia’s Facebook page said the iX’s front end “looks trash”, that the “hideous grill” did not fit the car, and that they “strongly dislike the direction you are going with the grill”.

BMW’s new M3 and M4 duo have eye-catching nostril-like intakes.

BMW’s new 4 Series coupe and M3 have come in for similar criticism.

Frank Stephenson, designer of the original BMW X5 and reborn Mini Cooper, along with Ferrari, Maserati and McLaren supercars, said “they’ve ruined the front end of this car … I’m not even sure BMW designed this” on YouTube.

Legendary custom car designer Chip Foose said BMW were following a trend for huge grilles established by Audi, Lexus and other brands.

Foose said the new look “is not BMW” and that the brand has “abandoned who they were”.

Originally published as ‘OK Boomer’: BMW defends ‘hideous’ new iX electric car