[Raikkonen]

Based on the lower door design, and given the fact this element hasn't disappeared from the early test cars, I'm willing to say that the new X5 will adopt a much more pronounced (than it currently has at least) and bold, color-contrasting black trim, similar to the XM:

[steph1]

I’m just not a fan of the interior!! I’m going to light some candles in church for my 22 to last past that gen 🙏

[thebonafortuna]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

As far as buttons go, I think this paragraph by BMWBLOG sums it up: "Traditional controls like the familiar iDrive controller and gear shifter are gone, replaced by minimalist interfaces echoing recent BMW interior design philosophy. If you think we don’t have a lot of buttons today, then you’re in for a surprise with Neue Klasse; even climate and ventilation settings had migrated completely into the new digital iDrive X interface. Door panel controls remained familiar, while seat adjustment functions resembled those in the BMW iX."

https://www.bmwblog.com/2025/06/11/2...w-neue-klasse/

And it’s for this reason they lost me. Picking up my new Ranger Raptor on Saturday.

It should have been an M3 but modern BMW interiors are totally unusable.

I’m one data point but I hope they’re reading this while seeing sales trending down. I should have been the easiest win they ever had.

[TurtleBoy]

Where is the article on the interior spy shots in case anyone hasn't seen it.

https://www.bmwblog.com/2025/07/22/2...or-first-look/

[WWM3]

We’ve been buying X5s for a long time and they are amazing cars. Very concerned with the direction of the new model. This isn’t from just a looks perspective, either. I have spent time in the i5 M60 and G90 M5 and their interiors are disappointingly cheap.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by WWM3

I have spent time in the i5 M60 and G90 M5 and their interiors are disappointingly cheap.

That likely will be the deciding factor for me. It is very unlikely, some will argue impossible, for the interior to seem like a luxury brand given the minimalist design but if they use good, quality materials and it doesn't reek of cheapness like some recent models then I likely will get one. Then again, if the wife doesn't like it then it won't end up in our garage.

[WWM3]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

That likely will be the deciding factor for me. It is very unlikely, some will argue impossible, for the interior to seem like a luxury brand given the minimalist design but if they use good, quality materials and it doesn't reek of cheapness like some recent models then I likely will get one. Then again, if the wife doesn't like it then it won;t end up in our garage.

Same here!

[Chas8283]

I actually think I’m done here. They’re designing for someone, and that’s fine, but they’re not designing for me. We already passed on our M5 wagon allocation holding out hope for the new design language (were thinking either M5 wagon LCI or next get X5M). This is not what we were hoping for. No clue what we’ll get in the future - not happy with Merc or Audi either - but will keep our current one for a while until we find out. Weird time for cars. Reached mid age and have the means but don’t like anything on the market.

[thebonafortuna]

Originally Posted by Chas8283

I actually think I’m done here. They’re designing for someone, and that’s fine, but they’re not designing for me. We already passed on our M5 wagon allocation holding out hope for the new design language (were thinking either M5 wagon LCI or next get X5M). This is not what we were hoping for. No clue what we’ll get in the future - not happy with Merc or Audi either - but will keep our current one for a while until we find out. Weird time for cars. Reached mid age and have the means but don’t like anything on the market.

Brother I’ve been screaming the same thing from the top of my lungs, hoping people from BMW read these boards (see my comment a few spots up). Sales are trending down almost across the board, especially on the hideous 5-series, so God willing they will wake up.

[Stealth7]

Porsche Macan ish

[-c-]

Lol. Look at all those screws holding on those fake body panels.

Nobody at this stage can or should even comment on the body or design.

It’s completly camouflaged and fake body panels are put on to keep you guessing at this stage.

It’s a wast of time to even speculate at this stage.

Even the license plate location can be faked so just be patient untill more camo is dropped .

Now I will say BMW design as of late have been jumping the shark levels of bad. At least in my opinion.

Just lost that refinement and went full transformer !

[hb]

Originally Posted by thebonafortuna

And it’s for this reason they lost me. Picking up my new Ranger Raptor on Saturday.

It should have been an M3 but modern BMW interiors are totally unusable.

I’m one data point but I hope they’re reading this while seeing sales trending down. I should have been the easiest win they ever had.

I think going to iDrive X and the new voice assistant pretty much showed the direction of buttons. Also, their iX3 prototype revealed that as well.

In their defense, when I reviewed iDrive X a month ago, it actually worked really well. Are voice and touches better than physical buttons? No. But at least this iDrive X looks very polished already

[hb]

Originally Posted by -c-

Lol. Look at all those screws holding on those fake body panels.

Nobody at this stage can or should even comment on the body or design.

It’s completly camafaged and fake body panels are put on to keep you guessing at this stage.

It’s a wast of time to even speculate at this stage.

Even the license plate location can be faked so just be patient untill more camo is dropped .

Now I will say BMW design as of late have been jumping the shark sort of bad. At least in my opinion.

Just lost that refinement and went full transformer !

Tons of fake parts, but we actually did a pretty accurate rendering recently Not many surprises left.

[-c-]

Originally Posted by hb

Tons of fake parts, but we actually did a pretty accurate rendering recently Not many surprises left.

lol. Figured, I didn’t read all the way through as I should have.



But still think their making some questionable design decisions as of late.


. .

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by hb

I think going to iDrive X and the new voice assistant pretty much showed the direction of buttons. Also, their iX3 prototype revealed that as well.

In their defense, when I reviewed iDrive X a month ago, it actually worked really well. Are voice and touches better than physical buttons? No. But at least this iDrive X looks very polished already

When you drove the iX3, were you able to use polarized sunglasses with the panoramic view or does it operate like the HUD where polarized lenses don;t work very well?

[Game]

iDX will lose BMW millions of dollars.

[jphcbpa]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

When you drove the iX3, were you able to use polarized sunglasses with the panoramic view or does it operate like the HUD where polarized lenses don;t work very well?

In The article you shared, Horatiu shared an idx tutorial video that mention polarized sunglasses will work on the panoramic view. However, I’m curious if they will work on the heads up display as well.

[jphcbpa]

Originally Posted by WWM3

We’ve been buying X5s for a long time and they are amazing cars. Very concerned with the direction of the new model. This isn’t from just a looks perspective, either. I have spent time in the i5 M60 and G90 M5 and their interiors are disappointingly cheap.

Concur. I have owned 3 X5s and an x7 over the years. Hopefully they will give options such as Alcantara headliner, Bowers surround sound, massage seats, and perhaps a full leather option in the upper trims. That to me along with proper switches is luxurious not to mention air suspension, and rear wheel steering options.

[Shaneartistry]

Originally Posted by thebonafortuna

And it’s for this reason they lost me. Picking up my new Ranger Raptor on Saturday.

It should have been an M3 but modern BMW interiors are totally unusable.

I’m one data point but I hope they’re reading this while seeing sales trending down. I should have been the easiest win they ever had.

Enjoy the Ranger Raptor! I’ve had a couple X5’s, M340, and M3. I daily a ranger raptor currently. It’s a lot of fun.

[RJC-1]

Originally Posted by jphcbpa

Concur. I have owned 3 X5s and an x7 over the years. Hopefully they will give options such as Alcantara headliner, Bowers surround sound, massage seats, and perhaps a full leather option in the upper trims. That to me along with proper switches is luxurious not to mention air suspension, and rear wheel steering options.

Massage seats are an option in the current X7

[RJC-1]

Assuming this means the X7 will be all new for MY27?

[Teutonic]

I’m not sure how the exterior will look, but the interior is horrendous. Not only have they removed the cockpit-style, pilot-like feeling, but they’ve also compromised rapid visual control. Now, information is spread out all over the place, which seriously impairs peripheral vision. The entire idea behind placing critical data close to the driver’s sightline was to allow for fast intake without looking away from the road—so you could still glance at it from the corner of your eye while focusing ahead. Now, apparently, you can enjoy watching the trees on the side too…

That oddly shaped central screen is another idiotic decision. But the downfall began when they tossed aside iconic BMW identity elements—angel eyes, the Hofmeister kink, proportionate grilles, and so on. The butchering continued: they replaced the solid, UV- and thermally-treated sunshade on the panoramic roof with a cheap, pantyhose-style drapery; eliminated all analog buttons, even for simple functions like seat heating or cabin temperature making even a gynaecologist swearing at this never-ending tactile adventure; and replaced the classic shifter—a defining, tactile piece of the driving experience—with a strange plastic nub that looks like a wall light switch, devoid of any character or sense of engagement.

The leather is gone—replaced by so-called “vegan” materials that feel and look cheap. The pillars and headliner are now dressed in low-grade fabric. The dashboard? Just a crude, poorly mounted tablet, not even integrated—you can literally see the screws. The rear bench no longer includes leather or soft side materials along the edges, eliminating the smooth visual and tactile transition between the bench and the rear pillar area. The fog lamps are gone. The headlight washers are gone. The bumpers are now finished in some idiotic, glossy plastic that scratches if you even look at it wrong—and in my case, it began peeling off on a brand-new M model just from air-drying the car. That’s how fragile and cheap it is.

Even under the hood, and in areas like the hidden pillars, paint and protection are absent. You can tell it’s built to cost-cut, not to last. Carbon fiber is getting replaced with some biological, hay-like material—an eco-gimmick that looks like patio furniture. And let’s not forget the lie that is xDrive on lower-end models like the X1 and X2. These use Haldex systems—yet they’re still sold under the xDrive name. BMW should be held accountable for this misleading practice.

The clean, well-sculpted body lines that once defined BMW are gone too—replaced by large panel gaps and awkward hood lines. You’ll see visible scars on the hood because bumpers are now designed to carry modular parts assembled in cheaper facilities, installed faster in-factory, but with little care for fit and finish. Generic sedan doors are thrown onto M3 bodies, unable to match the wider rear hips, destroying the stance that once made the M3 instantly recognizable. The flow is broken. In cars like the M2, the hood angle doesn’t even align properly with the bumper angle. It looks careless, terrible, unfinished, amateurish. It’s shameful. Door panels in “high end” vehicles like M5 are bulged, not flowing properly, breaking the flow of the light which is absolutely shocking for a manufacturer of such caliber. And yet, we’re supposed to call it progress when the older made cars were flawless?

I genuinely feel bad for the engineers who once built great machines. Imagine seeing your well-engineered creation dressed up in Salvation Army garments.

And it doesn’t stop there…

These cars are far cheaper to build, yet the prices have skyrocketed. So you get less, for more.

After over three decades with BMW, I can say this without hesitation: my last recent models—the final ones that still carried even a trace of BMW’s DNA—will likely be my last. EVs are completely off the table for me, even the mildly electrified ones. The new design language is appalling. The interiors are nauseating.

And now we get this so-called “crystal” crap—some embarrassing Swarovski gimmick marketed as luxury, but which feels more like a joke. The Christmas-lights grille is the final straw. It entertains onlookers while delighting the kind of arrogant, shallow people who just want to show off their shiny toy around the neighborhood. In a way it makes sense: based on the headlights new design you can no longer say you have a BMW behind as the angel eyes are gone, so they lit the grills to compensate? Others embraced their double beautiful lines incorporating them within their design, while BMW decided to put two odd small boomerang like lights that look not only odd, but unrefined and lack any identity…
The once subtle, refined M badge—quietly marking a beast in a gentleman’s suit—is now just another badge slapped onto every pretender. Even mediocre, Mini engine machines are now dressed in the full blue-and-white badge treatment. BMW is no longer building drivers’ machines; it’s building vehicles for those who want to flaunt a brand, not drive a car.

But this kind of image-washing will have consequences. Sooner or later, BMW will feel it.

I no longer see myself as part of their target market. I used to enjoy a proper cockpit-style layout, a calm, focused central console, and the feeling that I was at the center of the machine. That’s been lost. This is no longer a driver’s machine. It’s a soulless, screen-filled carpooling appliance—and that’s not what I’m looking for.

I’m appalled. And I’m disgusted. The new prices cannot justify the poor materials, terrible water based paint, cheap plastics and less car for more money.

Screw you BMW…