As the world steps into a new decade, automakers are seizing the opportunity to reimagine their brands. At the heart of their revitalization efforts are innovative logo redesigns that breathe new life into all their offerings. Positioned at the forefront of all their cars and on all their marketing materials, these logos let everyone know that good things are to come from the changes. Ready to see which automakers plan to wow you in the coming years? Here’s a look at the top automakers with recent logo redesigns.
GM
As GM looks to fill their lineup with electric vehicles, they have reimagined their logo using lowercase letters. Although it’s still a mystery why they chose that design, it could have something to do with their efforts to reduce their impact on the environment. Or perhaps it just looks more modern and better allows them to highlight their blue ombre colour scheme. Either way, it looks great and shows their dedication to breaking away from the old way of doing things.
Volkswagen
The iconic Volkswagen logo is undergoing a subtle evolution that hints at a new approach without leaving the past behind. Although it still has the prominent VW moniker surrounded by a circle, the letters now sit separate from each other by just a smidge. Beyond that, the letters have been flattened out and presented in a more elegant font. The result is a logo that still instantly evokes a vision of Volkswagens of yesteryear while getting everyone ready for the future of the company.
Audi
As Audi looks back to their roots as a rally-driven automaker, they’ve overhauled their logo to do the same. In prior years, their badging stood out in bright chrome, boasting a 3D effect unlike any other. Instead of continuing with that design, they stepped into the past and brought back their 2D logo to honour their heritage. This is a fitting change as their new lineup boasts all the performance and handling of yesteryear, but without compromising on the luxury.
Nissan
As they roll out the sports cars, family sedans, and everything in between, Nissan is taking a step back with their logo, favouring a minimalist approach to it all. Their new design still features their brand name set between two half circles, but it drops the bold middle block in favour of simply hinting at its presence. The logo looks a whole lot cleaner as a result, letting the Nissan nameplate capture the eye at a glance.
Toyota
As Toyota takes a rugged turn, their logo has as well. The new logo dropped the chrome and bubble effect to help it better suit their utility-minded car designs. Then, they dropped in their brand name underneath in bold capital letters to bring it all together. Although it is a subtle change, it works well with their new attitude and approach to building cars everyone can enjoy.
Kia
With the release of the all-new Telluride, Kia is highlighting their newfound persona with a logo revamp to rival all logo revamps. Clearly inspired by abstract art, the new logo barely spells out the brand name at all. As the letters blend together, they look more like a K and backward N than K-I-A. But if you know what you’re looking at, the logo works quite well, especially in consideration of their huge departure from creating basic commuter cars.
Lotus
As evidenced by their lightweight, yet wholly powerful cars, Lotus has always made minimalism their core component. Now, their logo boasts the same effect, ditching the green, yellow, and chrome in favour of a stark grey hue. In addition, they picked a much cleaner font for the brand name, while keeping the initials of the founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman, at the top. Although the British racing colours are gone, the logo still gives nod to the company’s heritage, as do the vehicles they continue to produce.
Now that you know which car manufacturers are making logo redesigns a top priority, you can spot their new badging while out and about each day. And if the automaker’s newfound approach speaks to you, consider picking up one of their newest models to complete your vehicle lineup.