Six car facelifts that didn't work out
When cosmetic surgery doesn't have the desired effect. - By Graham Hope
The facelift is a tried and tested formula that makes perfect sense. At broadly the midpoint of its life cycle, a car will be updated with cosmetic changes, or fresh tech, or a new engine – or sometimes all three – in a bid to keep it competitive against more modern rivals. Obviously, the point of a facelift is to give the car renewed appeal in the eyes of buyers, but sometimes the revisions don’t quite go to plan. Here are six cars that were arguably less appealing after they went under the knife.
Hyundai Coupe
Hard though it may be for 2021 buyers to believe, Hyundai was not the force it is now in the 1990s. Back then it was considered much more of a budget brand, with its cars falling some way short in terms of desirability. And that’s what made the Coupe, launched in 1996, such a breath of fresh air. Although nothing revolutionary under the skin, it looked genuinely appealing, with more than one car magazine hailing it for delivering the style of a Ferrari at a pocket money price. Having finally delivered a car with the ‘X factor’, then, it was hard to imagine what the thinking was behind the 1999 update. The simplicity of the original was horribly distorted at the front with a four-headlight design that was fussy, and frankly, plain ugly. All the good work had been undone.
Skoda Yeti
Who, in their right mind, would call a car Yeti? But somehow the name proved ideal for this wilfully idiosyncratic Skoda, launched in 2009, that was brilliantly capable both on road and off and absolutely adored by its owners, who regularly voted it into the top spot in satisfaction surveys. The boxy design suited it perfectly, with the inset foglights at the front, in particular, helping shape the car’s fun character. In 2014, however, the cheeky Yeti was called to the headmaster’s office and told to wear the same uniform as the rest of the Skoda line-up. The result was a generic, corporate face that was instantly forgettable and, on the Monte Carlo edition (pictured), a contrasting roof that even disguised the boxiness. The Yeti’s days as the maverick of the range were over.
Fiat Multipla
Very few cars make quite as dramatic a first impression as the Multipla. The six-seat MPV – with its two rows of three seats – was an astonishing looking vehicle that caused a sensation on its debut in 1998. Odd proportions, bug eyes and a rather strange extra pair of lights were unquestionably an acquired taste, and even today the Multipla looks like it has arrived from another planet – little wonder it regularly crops up in discussions over the ugliest cars ever. Aware that the car’s controversial looks were costing it sales, Fiat reined it in 2004 with a heavily revised front end that was much more conventional. Here’s the thing, though – without the aid of a picture, would you remember what it looked like? Almost certainly not. One of the most striking cars of the past 30 years had been rendered anonymous by a facelift.
BMW 7 Series
A full version of this article was first published on YesAuto UK.
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