In the last instalment of Motoroids Round-Up, we reared up ten Indian cars that look way better after having been face-lifted. Now its time to list down the cars for whom their stipulated face-lifts didn’t work out accordingly.
Hyundai Verna Transform
Before the Fluidic Verna came along, there was this – the Verna Transform. Unfortunately, the transformation went horribly wrong, leaving the inoffensive looking Verna with buck teeth and pimpled bodywork. Consequently, sales dipped, and Hyundai India had to wait for the Fluidic Verna to salvage the situation. The Verna Transform will probably go down as the worst face-lifts in Indian automotive history.
Maruti Suzuki Zen
Everybody loves a nice jelly bean Maruti Zen. It’s the kind of car you’d probably cuddle up with after a bad day. Too bad, because the face-lifted model ruined all the nice feels. It looked a bit confused, like a creature out of its skin. The new headlamps looked out of place, and nothing could possibly replace those cute tail lamps. No wonder the new Zen didn’t win any hearts with its looks, but it was still better to look at than its replacement – the Estilo.
Ford Ikon
The Ford Ikon was, and is still loved by many. The ‘Josh machine’, as it was fondly called, lived up to its name with its driving chops. However, it was face-lifted sometime in 2008, and then it started looking a bit wonky. The new front end didn’t gel well with the rest of the design, and people soon forgot about the Ikon. Then the Fiesta Classic came along.
Mahindra Thar
The Thar is like the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen – timeless. So you don’t go around messing with its looks too much. If you do, you’ll end with something like the 2015 Mahindra Thar. The face-lift comes with new front & rear bumpers, new, wider wheel arch trim and newly designed side-steps. The new front bumper’s more of a shroud, and it kills the classic, open wheeled character of the original Thar.
Skoda Octavia (2017)
The Skoda Octavia is one of the better looking vehicles sold in the country today. With its taut bodywork, sharp creases and well defined proportions, nothing but the Superb can beat the Octavia at its own game. However, there’s a face-lifted one around the corner that’ll come to India in mid-2017, and it looks a bit..umm..weird. We’re not sure if Indians will warm up to this new, quad-eyed Octavia.