Why Does BMW i3 Have Horizontal Kidney Grille?

The BMW i3 is the automaker’s second Neue Klasse model after the iX3, which set the styling expectations. The SUV debuted with a thin, vertical kidney grille that we feared would be the standard on all Neue Klasse models, but that’s not the case.  

The new i3 sedan has a slim, horizontal kidney grille design that looks much sleeker than the SUV’s tall kidneys. But there’s a reason the i3 looks like that—and it’s not for a lack of trying. During a recent roundtable interview, Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group’s design director, said:  

‘We tried [the iX3’s grille] on the 3 Series as well. But we felt that for the 3 Series… if we had put the vertical grille on there, it would have maybe looked too retro, and it wouldn’t have been as sporty as it looks today. So we felt that for a sporty [sedan], the horizontal grill fit the character of a 3 Series better.’

The new i3 looks unlike any BMW before it, adopting the Neue Klasse styling and a “2.5-box” design. It has a long wheelbase and short overhangs, and a vertical grille would not have flowed as well into the rest of the vehicle.  

The i3 is expected to go on sale later this year as a 2027 model, with the i3 50 xDrive producing 463 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque.  

Zander Sutton contributed to this report.

Motor1’s Take: While we would have liked to see a retro-looking i3, putting a horizontal kidney grille on the new i3 appears to have been the right move. The i3’s face isn’t as polarizing as the iX3’s, with the grille seamlessly connecting with the headlights.