The More They Change, The More They Stay the Same

Discovering a new car when it is launched is exciting. You check out the design, feel the quality of the interior, browse through the spec sheet and look forward to the moment when you might drive the new machine.

Newness always generates good energy. Or at least, it is supposed to.

But there is a problem brewing in the industry: Many new cars look identical, or nearly so, to their predecessors.

No, I am not talking about iconic models like the Porsche 911. As a matter of fact, while keeping its general shape, the 911 design language is evolving with subtlety, and the car continues to provide the emotion and sense of occasion each time a new iteration is unveiled.

Unfortunately, the 911 is the exception, not the rule. Take the new Audi R8 for instance. It’s a brand-new car, with brilliant technology and is a total hoot to drive, based on the early reviews. But it is almost indistinguishable from its predecessor.

Yes, details are sharper. Unfortunately, if you squint, the new R8 looks identical to the old one. The original R8 remains a gorgeous car and a pretty significant one for Audi. It provided emotion and excitement when it was introduced. The new model undoubtedly is better, technically speaking, but it is a pity its design didn’t evolve more, similar to the way its sister car, the Lamborghini Huracan, is markedly different from its Gallardo predecessor.

The same is true for the new Audi A4. Again, there’s new technology and better driving dynamics, but the styling is almost identical to its forebear. And since that car didn’t look exactly edgy and avant-garde at its launch in 2008, imagine how the new A4 will appear at the end of its production run seven years from now.

As a matter of fact, the Audi sedans are guilty of too-similar design in multiple directions. The current cars look very much the same across the entire range, from A4 to A6 to A8. Let’s hope the new design language currently being developed at Audi will provide more model-to-model differentiation.

But Audi is not alone. Yes, Jaguar, I am looking at you. Clearly a similar pattern is developing here too, where the new XE and XF have similar styling and look very much like the original XF.

The fact the cars are completely new, built of aluminum and use new engines and electronics is somewhat lost due to the lack of a design-language evolution.

Why are talented design teams spending years working on a completely new car that looks identical to the previous model?

The answer is complex, and it involves establishing and maintaining brand identity, especially in emerging markets. It’s about turning up the aspirational value and desirability of the brand, while making sure it is easily recognizable on the street, regardless of the model and generation.

Could a different approach work, for instance simply emphasizing the Audi front grille, instead of duplicating the entire car? Perhaps, but that represents a significant amount of risk to the commercial success of the new car. The conventional wisdom is it is safer to stick to what buyers are responding to, and manufactures are following it religiously.

I understand the rationale behind these extremely conservative designs, but as a car enthusiast I am not particularly fond of it. Still, I hope that as brands get more exposure at the global level, and the public learns to recognize different car makes and models, there will be less of a need for “frozen” designs.

Will this happen with the next generation of cars or will it take another two? The sooner the better, I say.

Theo Nissim is CEO at Silicon Valley-based software provider Gemini Solutions, and an avid auto enthusiast. Theo has owned many noisy and fast cars in his lifetime and has driven super, hyper and luxury automobiles all over the world on both tracks and roads.