Why New Cars Look So Huge

We've always had big cars. So why do new ones look so gargantuan?

Jan. 27, 2026 at 4:07pm

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Many new car designs, like the BMW i7, are drawing comparisons to large animals due to their massive proportions and exaggerated features. Experts say this is partly due to the increased size requirements for electric vehicles to accommodate large battery packs, as well as a design trend towards more imposing, truck-like aesthetics. Additionally, as Americans have grown larger on average, car designs have scaled up to match perceived comfort levels. The article explores how these factors, combined with a desire for more capable and secure-feeling vehicles, have led to a proliferation of oversized car designs.

Why it matters

The trend towards larger, more aggressive-looking car designs has implications for urban infrastructure, pedestrian safety, and consumer preferences. As vehicles grow in size, they can become less maneuverable in tight spaces and pose greater risks to vulnerable road users. The article examines how these design choices are influenced by technological constraints, cultural shifts, and psychological factors.

The details

The BMW i7's massive front grille, tall hood, and rounded body sides are cited as examples of an "abhorrent" design that emphasizes the vehicle's bulky proportions. Experts say this is partly due to the need to accommodate large battery packs in electric vehicles, which add significant thickness to the underbody. Design choices like sharp-edged bumpers and featureless body sides further accentuate the i7's heft. The article notes that while today's cars are not necessarily larger than past models in terms of overall dimensions, their design language makes them appear much more massive and imposing.

  • This story originally appeared in Volume 33 of Road & Track.

The players

Alan Macey

Adjunct professor of transportation design at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, and a veteran of design studios at BMW, Jeep, and Bugatti.

Holt Ware

Director of exterior design at GMC.

Dennis Proffitt

Professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Virginia, who specializes in visual perception.

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What they’re saying

“If you put a battery pack under the floor of a car, you're adding roughly 100 millimeters [3.9 inches] of thickness to where the underbody is and where the bottom of your heel can be. When you have something that's leaned out to the milli­meter—a clean design sensibility—and then you throw 100 milli­meters at it, it's really drastic.”

— Alan Macey, Adjunct professor of transportation design (Road & Track)

“What you're trying to do in those cases is manage the way people's eyes move around the volume. Every step of the design process is in some way managing the perception of the size of the vehicle or the actual size of the vehicle.”

— Alan Macey, Adjunct professor of transportation design (Road & Track)

“When you're hauling six to eight passengers or a four-by-eight sheet of plywood, it can inadvertently affect the shape and the volume. We find out from customers that what they're pulling behind the vehicle—boats, RVs, trailers—is sometimes three, four, or five times more expensive than the vehicle itself.”

— Holt Ware, Director of exterior design at GMC (Road & Track)

“The greater their fear of heights, the more they overestimated the distance. So, yes, danger and fear factor into our perceptions of size and scale.”

— Dennis Proffitt, Professor emeritus of psychology (Road & Track)

“The art is in knowing what will surprise and delight people, as opposed to just surprise people. You don't want to make drastic modifications, or you end up with something like the Tesla Cybertruck. And you don't want to do that. The Cybertruck is terrible.”

— Dennis Proffitt, Professor emeritus of psychology (Road & Track)

The takeaway

The growing size and imposing appearance of new car designs is the result of a complex interplay between technological constraints, cultural shifts, and psychological factors. As vehicles become larger to accommodate electric powertrains and cater to perceived consumer preferences, there are concerns about the impact on urban infrastructure, pedestrian safety, and the overall aesthetic of the automotive landscape.