For when bigger might also be better

Automotive grilles are both functional and aesthetic. Most people don’t especially care about the former but pay rapt attention to the latter. In most cases, the grille is the first thing that communicates the brand, and automakers strive to keep the design language consistent. Now, automakers are slapping on some of the biggest grilles we’ve ever seen and not just on trucks and SUVs.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking big grilles are a new thing. Cars like the Rolls-Royce Phantom II from the 1930s prominently displayed one, and automakers haven’t let up since. Massive versions from Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Buick, Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, you name it, have shown off their grille wares for decades. We find that grilles aren’t getting smaller but only growing in size, to the point where they can overshadow other design features. Here are five of the biggest grilles we could find on 2025 vehicles.

2025 GMC Yukon AT4

When your biggest, baddest SUV is nearly 18 feet long, has three engine options between 305 and 420 horsepower, and comes in AT4 off-road-ready trim, you can’t just give it an average-sized maw. The $73,500 2025 GMC Yukon AT4’s 6-foot-3-inch height gives you a commanding view of the road, so it makes sense that the four-bar grille should have real presence. The front end looks tough and cohesive when the grille is combined with the C-shaped LED daytime running lights, the creased clamshell hood, and the front skidplate.

Buyers can choose between three different engines: a 5.3-liter V8 with 385 horsepower and 383 lb-ft. of torque, a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft. of torque, and a 3.0-liter Duramax diesel with 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, all mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The AT4 also comes standard with four-wheel drive, 20″ machined aluminum wheels, all-terrain tires, front skid plate and red recovery hooks, Magnetic Ride Control Suspension, a 10.3-inch infotainment screen paired with a 12-inch diagonal driver information display, leather seating surfaces, heated and ventilated driver and front passenger seats, heated second row seats, heated steering wheel, Bose 9-speaker audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and safety features like Hill Descent Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, and Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning. Learn more here.

2025 Lexus LX

The fully redesigned Lexus LX is a luxurious beast of an SUV, and the first thing you notice about it is the enormous 7-bar spindle grille. Some critics complained that the last LX’s grille was much too large, but it appears Lexus is thumbing its nose at them with this latest version. There’s no mistaking the LX for anything else, largely because that grille is gargantuan and distinct. The LX Overtrail blackens the same grille, and the F Sport trim transforms it into a black mesh version, giving the spindle grille a smaller appearance, but they still bear the same dimensions and remain prominent.

The $106,850 LX 600 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 engine good for 409 horsepower and 479 lb-ft. of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive are both standard. The newly arrived LX 700h ($119,850) retains the twin-turbo V6 but adds an electric motor for a combined output of 457 ponies.

Standard features include seating for up to seven occupants, semi-aniline leather upholstery, heated/ventilated 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat, heated second row seats, cooling beverage box, configurable ambient lighting, power rear liftgate with kick sensor, 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, 7-inch information display, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, wireless device charger, head-up display, and robust suites of safety and driver assist features. Learn more here.

2025 Lincoln Navigator

There should be no question that Lincoln is ramping up the levels of luxury and tech, so the exterior has to be commensurate with those changes. The refreshed 2025 Lincoln Navigator starts at $99,995 and has adopted the same grille style as its smaller stablemates, but the sheer size of this one leads the pack. It only seems right given that every Navigator comes with a 48-inch panoramic screen that incorporates instruments, infotainment, and even a front passenger screen. Lincoln brought the Embrace illuminated grille surface forward rather than carrying over the less prominent and recessed version from the 4th-generation SUV. The notched lower edge of the frame is still present, but this grille gets a full-width DRL bar and a backlit emblem that bisects it and terminates with feathered edges at the corners.

Every Navigator gets a powerful 440-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and adaptive suspension for a smooth ride. The top trim Black Label gets a pair of insane 30-way-adjustable front seats that allow occupants to control the height of individual left and right thigh supports for customizable comfort not present on other competitors. It also has PowerPitch and Slide captain’s chairs with heating, ventilation, and massage functionality. Additional standard features include adaptive headlights, power running boards, a split power tailgate, 22-inch alloy wheels, genuine wood trim, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, a head-up display, and driver assist features like Evasive Steering Assist, BlueCruise hands-free highway driving, adaptive cruise control, and Co-Pilot360 with automatic emergency braking. Learn more here.

2025 BMW 7-Series

BMW’s kidney grilles are design element icons in the world of luxury automobiles. As far back as the 1930s, the twin kidney grilles have shown up on every BMW automobile, but the last couple of years have seen them explode in size. We get that the $97,300 2025 7-Series is a big luxury sedan, but the size of the kidney grilles is almost comical, making the versions on older Bimmers look downright shrimpy. Not only are they huge, but they also creep down further into the front bumper than ever before, with intricate slats and backlighting for additional visual drama. BMW doesn’t want you to mistake its flagship sedan with any other brand.

The 7-Series comes in three trims: 740i, 760i, and the 750e (PHEV). Power is provided by either a 375-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with a 48-volt hybrid system in the 740i, a 483-hp plug-in hybrid powertrain that pairs a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and an electric motor in the 750e xDrive, and a 536-hp twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with a 48-volt hybrid system in the 760i xDrive. The 7-series comes standard with air suspension, rear-wheel steering, adaptive dampers, active grille shutters, regenerative brakes, 20-inch wheels, full leather upholstery, 4-zone automatic climate control, 12.3-inch instrument cluster, 14.9-inch infotainment display, Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound, wireless device charging, a full-color head-up display, and safety features like dynamic radar cruise control, adaptive brake lights, and an active protection system, that closes windows and tenses the seatbelts if it senses an imminent crash. Learn more here.

2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II

Let’s make things clear: You can’t buy a modern Rolls-Royce with a small grille. Those two terms are mutually exclusive and for good reason. Rolls-Royce owners don’t want to be subtle. The 2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II starts at $407,750, and its grille just happens to be the biggest one in the lineup, matching the vehicle’s stately and boxy presence. The Cullinan is as huge as it is expensive, measuring the same length as the GMC Yukon AT4 and nearly as tall. The active rectangular grille has backlighting and 22 slats for effect that pair beautifully with the famous Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament and the inverted L-shaped DRLs. There’s no mistaking this beast for anything other than a Rolls.

Under that enormous hood resides a monster twin-turbo V12 rated with up to 592 horsepower, mated to an eight-speed transmission and standard all-wheel drive. Standard features include 22-inch wheels, soft close doors, self-leveling air suspension with adaptive dampers, 12-way power-adjustable front seats with heating, ventilation, and massage functions, premium leather with optional bamboo-based “Duality Twill” textile, multiple wood trim options, a full leather dashboard, 18-speaker, 1,400-watt premium audio, full-width glass panel dashboard infotainment system, twin rear screens, and night vision. Learn more here.

Final thoughts

With cars getting increasingly bigger, it makes sense in a way that their grilles would grow proportionately. Still, looking at some of the more exorbitant examples on our list, like the BMW, we can’t help but wonder at which point this trend becomes ridiculous. If Jaguar’s concept car becomes a reality, it might just get worse.