Chrome has been a staple of luxury car design for decades, but German giant BMW is set to abandon the shiny finish for its next generation of electric vehicles (EVs).
Instead, BMW will use lighting for key design features of its upcoming ‘Neue Klasse’ EV, including the iconic double kidney grille.
This shift in design strategy was hinted at with the global launch of the second-generation iX3 SUV last year, and has now been confirmed by BMW’s design team as the brand continues to roll out new Neue Klasse models, the latest of which is the i3 sedan.
Both the iX3 and i3 are chrome-less from front to back, with LED light strips replacing the chrome grille surrounds seen on pre-facelift ‘G20’ 3 Series models. The iX3 also debuted a new badge that does away with the previous version’s inner chrome ring and crossbars.
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Ambient lighting is likewise a key element of the Neue Klasse interior, highlighted by the inclusion of materials that allow illuminated patterns to shine through cabin panels.
“It was not one decision,” Sebastian Kroes, the head of interior design for BMW Neue Klasse, told CarExpert.
“Because if you look at former generations, it was almost like a process of getting to that result after many different derivates.
“We have reduced the chrome step by step, and we thought this is definitely the right way to go.”
BMW’s shift away from chrome comes as Mercedes-Benz prepares to launch its similarly defining GLC with EQ Technology with a “brand-defining chromed grille”, featuring a thick chromed frame and a “smoked-glass look mesh structure”.
Audi, on the other hand, has long been an exponent of light-led design, if not quite to the same level as the new i3 and iX3.
Mr Kroes says the decision to abandon traditional notions of automotive luxury was made to further express the technological foundations of Neue Klasse models, both during the daytime and especially when the sun goes down.
“With the new Neue Klasse platform, we want to express its digitality and electricity through the light experience,” he explained.
“It also enables us to offer certain experiences that we were not able to offer using just chrome.
“Chrome doesn’t work at night. Light does.”
“Another thing that’s important to us is the user experience. And when you approach the car, then the car will start up and welcome you.”
The 2027 i3 also marks the first time BMW has offered a fully electric 3 Series, a model line that remains the cornerstone of the premium Bavarian brand.
It’s one of 40 new or updated BMW models planned for release by the end of 2027, many of which will adopt the Neue Klasse design language including slimmer grilles inspired by BMW models of the 1970s.
Having now been officially unveiled, the new i3 will enter production in August 2026 and arrive in global markets including Australia in early 2027.