"All our cars are part of the BMW family, but like any family, each member must have their own strong character traits. The 1 Series is not so serious and 70 per cent of its customers are new to the brand, so it can be more adventurous. The 3 Series has a different character."
These are the words of Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW's design chief, defending the new 3-series in an interview with US car site Edmunds Inside Line against criticisms that the new 3er is too conservative, too similar to its predecessor. (It certainly didn't win universal plaudits when the new 3-series was revealed on PH a couple of weeks back.)
Van Hooydonk points out that the 3-series is BMW's key model range, and so must remain recognisable, but that there have been some significant stylistic changes, particularly around the nose, where the kidney grille now melds into the car's headlamps. "It is quite a big step forwards," he says, "but it remains identifiable as part of the BMW family. Even if you took the badge off, you'd know what it was."