Forget the classic look of large headlights at each corner of the front end. Today’s cars see the world with new eyes: slim, sharp and high on the bumper. LED daytime running lights (DRLs) take center stage visually, while the main headlights are often hidden in the bumper, out of direct view, or seamlessly integrated into the bodywork.
This “split headlight” design is becoming increasingly popular, with SUVs, sedans and even some station wagons featuring a sporty look. Originally a clever solution to a technical problem, split headlights are now a definite option for many automakers.
Take Ferrari borosanguifor example, with its slim, barely visible lights above the massive air intakes. Or Hyundai Kona and Tucson, which have built an entire visual identity around this setup. Even many modern Citroen models feature a split headlight appearance.
The question is: Why do so many automakers split their lighting fixtures into two parts?
This is largely due to the LED daytime running lights, which become more of a design statement than a technical feature. They are positioned high on the front fascia, acting like flared eyebrows, while the actual headlights – high and low beam – are tucked down, often integrated directly into the bumper.
The Ferrari Purosangio takes this design approach to the extreme, combining it with a bold, sporty design. Meanwhile, the new Hyundai Santa Fe KONA Transform your lighting signature into a graphic element, using full-width DRLs or integrating them directly into the grille.
The Citroen C5
Originally a clever solution to a technical problem, split headlights are now a definite option for many automakers.
Within the Stellantis range, the new Lancia Ypsilon also adopts a similar approach: a high-mounted LED light signature mimics the brand’s stylized ‘trophy’ logo, while the main headlights are positioned lower, hidden within the sculpted volume of the bumper.
This separation of function and form is not only technical, it creates a new visual language, where the light becomes soft and sharp, and the face of the car acquires a high-tech, futuristic appearance.
Along with the split between DRLs and main headlights, continuous light strips emerged as a unifying element. Some brands have begun associating their DRLs with a single LED strip, as seen in the Volkswagen ID.4, the Cupra Tavascan, and the latest Smart models – although many of these vehicles still feature larger headlight elements at each corner.
Others, such as the Skoda Enyaq or the newer Peugeot 308, make real illuminated “masks” with crystalline effects. Meanwhile, the Audi Q6 E-Tron and BMW i7 are experimenting with ultra-slim LED modules in more traditional locations, but designed like segmented jewels, capable of dynamic lighting sequences.
One of the more extreme and advanced interpretations comes from the Tesla Cybertruck, which features a continuous horizontal LED strip as the only visible light signature across the top of the front fascia. The sharp lighting unit extends across the entire width of the bonnet like a graphic element, while the actual headlights are completely hidden in the bumper, housed in two vertical units that are barely visible.
In all these cases, lighting abandons its purely artistic role to become an expressive element – a brand signature, a graphic statement. And the actual headlight? It has become increasingly smaller and more secretive, often almost invisible until triggered.
In the case of the new Ferrari 849 Testarossa, the light plays a connecting role: a thin front strip connects the two headlight units without merging them into a single strip. This respects regulatory restrictions while still creating visual continuity across the front of the car. It’s an elegant style that blends aerodynamic efficiency with stylistic identity – without sacrificing the importance or instant recognizability of the logo.
With the advent of electric cars and the traditional front grille disappearing day by day, we are entering a new era: the front of the car is no longer defined by the radiator, but has become a display of identity. The split headlights and DRLs already point in this direction: light becomes an active decoration, a coded language, a dynamic face.
Concepts like the BMW i Vision Dee offer interactive LED panels that replace traditional headlights with digital displays. Meanwhile, Chinese brands such as HiPhi, Xpeng, and BYD are experimenting with lights that can change shape, color, and sequence depending on context.
With traditional headlights receding from view and the light moving upwards, car ‘eyes’ are now a thing of the past.
