BMW Breaks With Traditional German Luxury as Models Shrink: Cars

Chris Bangle, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s former design chief, once likened the German carmaker’s lineup to a bratwurst in three different lengths. Now, there’s a lot more on offer, including convenience sizes.

BMW, which previously relied on the 3-, 5- and 7-Series sedans, has more than doubled its model offerings in the last 15 years to 26 variants by chiefly adding smaller vehicles. Audi and Mercedes have followed a similar path, veering away from the refined, powerful cars for which they’re best known.