A grille is the first thing anyone is going to see on a car from the front on, so it’s crucial that it looks good.
When it comes to the premium and luxury end of the segment, these cars often rely heavily on that imposing factor to sell — so it’s no surprise there’s plenty of impressive designs. Here, we pick out some of the best in-production grilles that you’ll see on the roads today...
Alfa Romeo Giulia
When it comes to design, Alfa Romeo is leading the way and its iconic triangular grille is a key element to it. In terms of its current line-up, that fact is perhaps best demonstrated by the Giulia saloon.
Though compact, the impactful grille sets off the rest of the car’s beautiful and sleek design — arguably the best in its class.
Audi R8
Though mid-engined and not in need of a grille up front for the purposes of engine cooling, the Audi R8 still does a good job of having an impactful take on grille design.
The pentagon grille covers most of the front fascia and works with angular LED headlights and an aggressive bonnet to bring the character the performance capabilities of the Audi R8 deserve.
Lexus LC500
Lexus’ now-iconic spindle grille is certainly one of the most eye-catching on the market, and that’s showcased well by its flagship LC500.
With dramatic angular headlights either side of it, it truly is one of the most impactful grilles on the road and works well with the low-set nature of this sports car.
Maserati Levante Trofeo
Every variant of the Maserati Levante wears its grille well, but it’s arguably best displayed on the high-performance Trofeo. Sitting underneath it are large and imposing vents that help add to the aggressive nature of this remarkable SUV.
Alpine A110
Perhaps the best part of the grille on the Alpine A110 is the fact there isn’t really one at all. This sleek, mid-engined machine harks back to sports cars of old when grilles served mainly for functionality than looks. There is a thin, wide grille element for cooling purposes up front but it works well with the car overall.
BMW M2 CS
As with any special-variant M car, the BMW M2 CS sports its iconic kidney grille in a gloss black finish. Along with its more aggressive bodywork and bright paintwork, this really gives the sports coupe the added aggression in its design to match its remarkable levels of performance.
Volvo S90
Volvo has mastered the art of making a simple design look incredible, and that’s very much the case with the S90 and its grille. Though there’s really little more to it than a simple soft squared-off shape, it matches the little fuss, maximum elegance approach of the S90 in general.
Honda NSX
Another mid-engined car on this list, the Honda NSX has one of the most spaceship-esque grille designs of any car on the market. Its honeycomb design blends almost seamlessly into the gloss black portion of the car’s fascia and gives it a Stormtrooper-like look when the car is finished in white.
Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe
With its ‘Panamericana’ grille, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe has one of the strongest road presences of any car out there. The slatted design makes it unlike anything any other manufacturer produces, so there’s no need to worry about your AMG being mistaken.
BMW X7
Though it’s certainly sure to split opinion, there’s no doubting the grille of the BMW X7 is a real talking point. The large chrome unit dominates the front end of the car, and is flanked by sleek LED headlights for a supremely luxurious look.
