The new Lexus RX and the dedicated electric RZ are ushering in a new era of the polarizing spindle grilles, which will tone down the previously pronounced proboscis.

According to Lexus global design chief Koichi Suga who spoke to Automotive News, American market research showed that the large spindle grille was a “turnoff” for customers and that the vehicle needs to have the right balance of execution for the styling.

“Many people mention it looks like Darth Vader,” Suga said, while also mentioning that people have compared the grille to an electric shaver, as well as the monster from the Predator film series.

Electrification is offering the brand a lot of leeway in the styling department, as there is no hot engine under the hood that needs to be cooled, and in essence, there isn’t a requirement for a large grille – or a grille at all.

“We want to maintain the spindle shape itself. But the spindle has always been based on functionality of what’s happening under the hood,” Suga said.

Read More: 2023 Lexus RX Breaks Cover With Evolutionary Styling And A 367 HP Hybrid Powertrain

The 2022 Lexus LS sedan above and the new 2023 RX SUV below

It’s for these reasons that the new styling direction for Lexus will be to incorporate the grille into the design for a complete “spindle body” style. The first vehicles to receive this new type of design direction will be the 2023 RX, the brand’s mid-size SUV, and the all-new electric RZ.

The main tenets of the ‘Spindle Body’ still incorporate the same basic shape as the spindle grille, but the lines are now blurred between the sheet metal. On the nose of the new, fifth-generation RX, the leading edge of the hood is more prominent, with the top corners of the spindle shape blending in with the body. As for the all-electric RZ, almost the entire fascia has been filled in with the exception of a small opening just above the splitter, but the spindle shape is still very clearly present.

The overall effect is a much more balanced design, with less of the grille taking all the attention away from the rest of the vehicle. Suga said this philosophy is a result of listening to customers’ feedback.

“The new spindle execution is based on this learning,” he said. “We need the right balance.”