MARK TAKAHASHI: Here at Edmunds, we put an emphasis
on objective data and testing to determine where
a vehicle places in its class.
But let's face it, cars are an emotional purchase
for a lot of shoppers, and appearances do indeed matter.
I mean, there aren't any second generation Pontiac Aztecs
out there, right?
In this video, I'll be going over what I personally
consider the most recent and notable redesigns.
Some are hot.
Some are not.
These are my opinions, based on my history in design
and automotive, so I know there will be some disagreements.
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
But let's keep it civil, shall we?
Before we jump into the design, do me a favor.
Hit Like and Subscribe below, and head over
to edmunds.com/sellmycar to get a cash offer on your vehicle.
First up, the BMW 8 Series.
The original 8 Series ran throughout the '90s,
and yes, I freaking love them.
The classic proportions with fresh styling
made this coupe stand out from anything else.
And I coveted these, even if they didn't have a V12.
The pressure was definitely on for the 2019 revival,
and I think they absolutely nailed it.
Now, looking at the side profile here,
it's got this beautiful, long hood
and short, little stubby tail, suggesting forward
motion and more power than a normal hood can contain.
The widened BMW kidney grilles here
blend well into the headlights for a cohesive face.
And the many surface embellishments
managed to both slim down the body
and add some visual weight wherever it's needed.
Now, you can see here, with all these surface treatments,
how some of these outward curves, these convex curves,
catch the light and reflection.
Meanwhile, further down on the bottom here,
you get these kickouts that cast some shadow
and add some weight.
It's a trick that car designers have been using ever
since cars were invented.
It's a sexy coupe with the presence of its predecessor
without being beholden to it.
This isn't some retro revival.
It's a logical continuation just two decades later.
While I appreciate that the BMW 8 Series got away
from the retro side and is its own thing,
this next one is firmly in the retro revival camp.
But keeping a foot in the past didn't compromise
on modern sensibilities.
The Ford Bronco is one of my favorite redesigns
in the last few decades.
And I'm talking the big Bronco, not the Sport.
Let's just pretend that doesn't exist for now, OK?
At first glance, the Bronco looks
like a pretty blatant copy of the original.
And I'm usually opposed to that.
The thing is, these styling cues serve a legitimate purpose.
And to me, that's just smart design.
For example, the little peak that
runs from the front to the rear, right here on the fender,
gives the driver a visual indicator
of where the corners are.
And that's vital when you're navigating
really tricky terrain.
Then there's the modular construction
that allows you to quickly remove or replace
body panels and fenders.
It allows owners to easily customize their Bronco
to their heart's content, even down
to the retro-themed grille.
We have a Bronco on order for our long-term fleet,
and I can't wait to spend some more time with it
and come up with some cool customization ideas.
Our next redesign is also retro-inspired,
but it doesn't take it nearly as far as the Bronco.
The Land Rover Defender certainly
keeps some styling cues from the original boxy Defender,
but it gives a more modern look with rounded over corners
and a lot more tech.
Like the Bronco, the Defender's footprint
is largely dictated by its off-road purpose,
these short overhangs and elevated ride height,
especially.
The flat slab sides of the original Defender
are represented by the vast expanses of sheet metal
but are broken up by these blended fenders.
Now, in pictures, these fenders might seem a little too soft
for a rugged offroader like this.
But in person, I assure you, it looks appropriate.
Up front, the grille retains hints of the old Defender,
with its upright and rectangular grille,
with a suggestion of these upright push bars, too.
I also like the cut-off headlights
that add a little bit of sinister look and aggression.
It's almost like those aftermarket Wrangler headlight
trims or a Dodge Challenger.
Further back, I'm still perplexed by this trim panel
behind the door.
It seems oddly out of place.
I do love these alpine windows that
are another nod to the past.
If it we're up to me, I'd add more prominent
tow hooks up front and back, not just to make it look tougher,
but also because having those recovery hooks
readily available is always helpful
when you're in the thick of it.
Also I'd stick with a painted steel wheels
because steelies are cool.
The Kia K5 is a clean sheet redesign
with no previous design language that it had to adhere to.
Now, some of you may ask, is it a redesign then?
Sure, because I count it as the successor to the Optima,
which I also liked on a design level.
Compared to other family sedans in the class,
it stands out, with its aggressive appearance,
where rivals tend to be a lot more vanilla.
In the main review of the K5, I called it Charger-like,
and here's what I meant.
The K5 is way more sporty and aggressive than something
like a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.
That aggression is compounded by the thin grille that cuts off
the top of the headlights for more sinister stare,
just like the Defender and Challenger.
I'd consider a simpler accent-like shape
than the zigzag, but it is distinctive at night.
Then there's the fastback roofline.
A lot of sedans adopted the coupe-like roofline
with mixed results.
But I feel like the K5's lends it a more sporty silhouette,
a lot like the Stinger.
I mean, you can see how it just gracefully arcs
from back to front like that.
And at the same time, it lengthens
the car visually, at least, and gives it a lot more presence.
Even though these sedans aren't as popular
these days, this is quite the looker.
There's a reason it was named Edmunds Top Rated
Sedan of 2020.
Looking quite a bit further in the future,
we have the Volkswagen ID.
Buzz, the spiritual successor to the iconic VW Microbus.
The simple, rounded shape drives that point home,
as does a striking, two-tone paint scheme.
This is one of those design projects
that seems pretty easy, since the original was so elemental.
But I'm also sure that there was a lot of ways
they could have messed it up.
I maybe would have added some alpine windows here
to give it more of a connection to that '23 window bus.
But overall, I think it honors the old while embracing
the new.
I think the VW ID.
Buzz has the charm and potential to appeal
to both boomers and Gen Z-ers.
And now, onto some redesigns I'm not so hot on.
I mean, to me, these are almost like botched plastic surgery
[COUGHS] Mickey Rourke.
If you ask me, the new Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86
have lost something in the last restyle.
Some of the sharp body creases and subtle design flourishes
have disappeared.
The more rounded nose seems less sport to me.
And overall, it looks a little heavy.
I see hints of the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
in the front end, which would be a compliment
if I like the Scaglietti.
But I don't.
Look at the front.
It's kind of puffy, right, almost
like a squirrel with nuts stuffed in his cheeks,
or maybe it's retaining water.
In any case, I don't think it's an improvement
over the first generation.
Then there's the back end.
It's a little disjointed for my taste.
And those tail lights look like they've been pilfered off
of an old Acura.
But hey, at least they got rid of the fake vents.
When Nissan announced a new Z, I was
hoping for something significantly different
from the last generation, especially since that old model
had been kicking around for more than a decade.
Instead, we got something with a silhouette
that looks eerily similar to the previous generation,
with some retro-styling cues that seemed forced.
Let's start with the grille.
I know they're paying homage to the previous generations
rectangular grille, but there's some weirdness going on.
I mean, first, I think it's just way too big.
And it's further accentuated by this weird split level, where
you have a grille shape followed by just some slats
and a forward radar underneath.
It's just not very graceful.
The original Z had a lot more grace,
with its narrower grille that was framed better
with the headlights.
I do like how they blacked out this roof pillar here
that gives it a wrap-around windshield look.
Then there are the tail lights that
seem as though they belong on another car.
They just don't blend well with the rest of the car.
And this gloss, black surround does it no favors.
Yeah, so for me, Zed's dead, baby.
BUTCH: Zed's dead.
MARK TAKAHASHI: A new Mercedes-Benz SL
is also on the way.
But this time around, it's the Mercedes-AMG SL.
No surprise then, that the front end
looks like the AMG GT, which is one of my favorite sports cars.
And I'm sure I'd be fine with that if there were a more
traditional SL that wasn't AMG'd.
To me, the SL should be more refined, more classy.
The whole thing seems too similar to the AMG GT.
And yeah, I'm going to sound like old man Takahashi here.
But it looks too racy for a gentleman's drop top--
or ladies-- I'm not discriminating here.
It could be as easy as swapping out
the AMG grille for something that aligns
more with the non-AMG Mercedes.
Now further back, the deck lid tapers down a little bit
too much for me, making it look a little weak and maybe
a little bit too bulbous, almost like a Porsche
928 or something.
And now for the next big thing in EVs--
and I do mean big.
I'd have to say that this Hummer could stand to lay off
the carbs for a little bit.
The styling almost makes it seem bigger,
with huge, chunky elements that suggest it
was carved from a solid block.
Up front, the grille has some hints of past Hummers.
But to me, it looks more at home on the Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
Below that, the blacked out lower portion
creates the illusion that it's riding
even higher than it already is.
Now, I do like it in some ways, probably
because it looks like it belongs in that cyberpunk video game.
But the scale and heaviness really
make me think that it's trying just too hard to compensate
for an owner's shortcomings.
Oh, and you knew this was coming.
And it proves that I'm not loyal to any one brand.
In direct contrast to the BMW 8 Series,
the BMW M3 is shamelessly ugly up front.
That grille, why?
Is it going for the big, nostril look
like the pigs in Angry Birds?
[OINKS] Squeal, piggy, piggy, piggy, piggy.
[PIG OINKS]
It looks like robot butt cheeks.
Even worse, it seems to be spreading.
You can see an even worse execution
on BMW's new EVs, the i4 and iX.
That's really too bad because the rest of the car looks good.
Ignoring that grille, if you can for a second,
it has all of this great, sharp styling and these sharp creases
on the body that really break up some
of the monotony of the body.
And it just has that traditional M3 stance
that looks like it will just tear up any racetrack.
So yeah, everything but the face.
So that's my list for the most notable, recent redesigns.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
I know you're not going to agree with everything I say,
but there's got to be some nugget of truth to this, right?
Thanks for watching, and head over to edmunds.com/sellmycar
to get a cash offer on your vehicle and also check out all
the latest news, reviews, and information on any of these
cars and their competition.
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