Lexus admits its oversized grilles can be a “turnoff” for customers



It seems like in the past few years, carmakers have been going at it in an undisclosed arms race to see who can make the biggest grille. It all started with Audi and their Singleframe design, and now even Hyundai is also pushing the envelope on what’s considered “acceptable” on a car; we don’t have to mention BMW.

While the overwhelming negative sentiment online haven’t really made a dent in these carmakers’ unending quest towards the gaping holes, it seems like at least Lexus is starting to realise that perhaps big doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Speaking to Automotive News, Lexus global design chief Koichi Suga said that based on US market research, the oversized grilles, in the publication’s words, can be a “turnoff” for potential customers. In particular, Suga said customers have even compared their own trademark spindle grille to everything from a Braun electric shaver to the fictional Predator character from the sci-fi movie series.

But that doesn’t mean that Lexus will be ditching the spindle grille once and for all. Instead, Suga said that the designers have to find “the right balance”, which is why they’ve come up a new design style called the ‘spindle body’.

The new grille design standards made its debuted on the all-new Lexus RX and fully-electric RZ, where the ‘spindle body’ grille blends in more homogeneously with the rest of the front fascia – by integrating a filled-in top insert on the RX, or blanking it out entirely on the RZ.

“We want to maintain the spindle shape itself. But the spindle has always been based on functionality of what’s happening under the hood,” Suga said. “This sleek, dynamic design is symbolized by a sense of solid mass.”

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The headlights also play a huge part in Lexus’ new spindle body design, where the sharp swoosh-shaped daytime-running lights pinch in from both sides to “strengthen and evolve the signature design”.

At least that’s how it’s supposed to be in theory. Suga noted that people have already started drawing comparisons between the new RX’s front grille to Darth Vader’s helmet, so perhaps there really is no way of pleasing everyone. Maybe BMW is onto something then; make whatever you want, and people will still snap it up anyway.