Worst design mis-steps
Discussion
Just seen the new polo, and boy, what an overdesigned, flabby mess vw have created.
Compared to the old one, it's a huge step back:
Clean and smart.
This got me thinking, which car makers made the worst looking face lift or new model?
Controversial point to start: the mk2 multipla was a horribly dull car compared to the mk1... A real cop out.
Compared to the old one, it's a huge step back:
Clean and smart.
This got me thinking, which car makers made the worst looking face lift or new model?
Controversial point to start: the mk2 multipla was a horribly dull car compared to the mk1... A real cop out.
Edited by l354uge on Friday 16th February 22:54
2nd Gen Hyundai Coupe was a mess.
3rd Gen MR2 wasn't too hot either, it looked like a Porsche Boxster drawn by an 8 year old from a verbal description given by someone who saw a Boxster drive past them at 90mph a week beforehand. In the rain. And it was dark. Possibly foggy, I'm undecided on that.
Mk3 Golf - dull
3rd Gen MR2 wasn't too hot either, it looked like a Porsche Boxster drawn by an 8 year old from a verbal description given by someone who saw a Boxster drive past them at 90mph a week beforehand. In the rain. And it was dark. Possibly foggy, I'm undecided on that.
Mk3 Golf - dull
There are so many, I'm struggling to limit myself to one.
But as it's personal to me (my FIL has earmarked me to inherit his P&J), I have to say the pastiche XJ (his is a 54 plate). I appreciate much about the car, but can't look past the spoof Jag styling. (Sorry for not knowing the model designation.)
But as it's personal to me (my FIL has earmarked me to inherit his P&J), I have to say the pastiche XJ (his is a 54 plate). I appreciate much about the car, but can't look past the spoof Jag styling. (Sorry for not knowing the model designation.)
VW group as a whole seem to have a habit of fiddling with the design slightly at the facelift and making the car worse. The current Octavia and Golf have spoiled what was a fairly reasonable original shape.
By contrast, Ford seem to do the opposite. Both the Mk2 and Mk3 Focus in particular look much better in facelift form than the original model.
In terms of a design getting uglier with each iteration of new model of car, that award has to go to Honda though with the Civic. Back in the 1990s it was a fairly normal looking hatchback, but it's just gone downhill every model update since then.
By contrast, Ford seem to do the opposite. Both the Mk2 and Mk3 Focus in particular look much better in facelift form than the original model.
In terms of a design getting uglier with each iteration of new model of car, that award has to go to Honda though with the Civic. Back in the 1990s it was a fairly normal looking hatchback, but it's just gone downhill every model update since then.
l354uge said:
Just seen the new polo, and boy, what an overdesigned, flabby mess vw have created...
Not good. Someone near me has a white Polo GTi and I was thinking if I were ever to go for a small car that would be the one I wanted on account of it being the only one that has nice, crisp, clean lines and isn't either A: nauseatingly cutesy, or B: bloated and clumsy looking. Now, it appears, they've ruined it.MitchT said:
l354uge said:
Just seen the new polo, and boy, what an overdesigned, flabby mess vw have created...
Not good. Someone near me has a white Polo GTi and I was thinking if I were ever to go for a small car that would be the one I wanted on account of it being the only one that has nice, crisp, clean lines and isn't either A: nauseatingly cutesy, or B: bloated and clumsy looking. Now, it appears, they've ruined it.MitchT said:
l354uge said:
Just seen the new polo, and boy, what an overdesigned, flabby mess vw have created...
Not good. Someone near me has a white Polo GTi and I was thinking if I were ever to go for a small car that would be the one I wanted on account of it being the only one that has nice, crisp, clean lines and isn't either A: nauseatingly cutesy, or B: bloated and clumsy looking. Now, it appears, they've ruined it.The new CLS and A class are naff, previous ones look much better the new A has the lights from a Kia proceed on the back of it.
Hotel India said:
There are so many, I'm struggling to limit myself to one.
But as it's personal to me (my FIL has earmarked me to inherit his P&J), I have to say the pastiche XJ (his is a 54 plate). I appreciate much about the car, but can't look past the spoof Jag styling. (Sorry for not knowing the model designation.)
Oh god, yes. That later styling is so awful.But as it's personal to me (my FIL has earmarked me to inherit his P&J), I have to say the pastiche XJ (his is a 54 plate). I appreciate much about the car, but can't look past the spoof Jag styling. (Sorry for not knowing the model designation.)
The shed of the week the other week was an (of course even more horrid) X-Type, and that really got me thinking about it. After looking at some pics on Wikipedia and comparing X-Type to the earlier attractive XJs I think the key to it is having smaller inner lights sat aligned with the bottom of the larger outer ones (bad) rather than the top (good). The X-Type has the bottoms of each light aligned, and the piggy-eyed oval shape does it no additional favours.
But the same goes for the round-eyed XJ versions.
The Series I/II/III XJ (until 1992) - tops of lights are aligned, inners are smaller, and it's an attractive look.
Compare to the X350/X358 (2003 onwards - this will be the type you're referring to I expect) - bottoms of lights are aligned, inners smaller, and it looks s
te.The X300/X308 (1994-2003) have both lights pretty much the same size. I do think that detracts from the styling, but it's not objectionable.
It's weird how such a little thing can have an outsize effect...
Edited by to3m on Saturday 17th February 01:10
S54Love said:
Whilst the second generation CLS wasn't too bad, the latest one looks awful from the rear. The 1st gen is more than 10 years old at this point, but it still looks fresh.
Even the 2nd gen one had those horrid lumpy rear arches. With you on the first gen ones, they're stunning.l354uge said:
Controversial point to start: the mk2 multipla was a horribly dull car compared to the mk1... A real cop out.
Agree with the Multipla;loved the original, the facelift ruined what was a quirky but very good car.Another Fiat is the Grande Punto, fantastic looking car when launched in 2007 (?), the facelift was terrible and just ruined the crisp and clean lines it was subsequently facelifted again but that facelift pretty much put it back to how it looked when originaly launched.
Renault Megane, from the quirky Mk2; the one with "the bum":
To the totally unforgettable borefest that is the Mk3:
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