[Jeeper1941]

IMO facelifts are pretty annoying if they happen shortly after a new model is released. Take the new C-class Merc for example, the face lift happened about a year after the new shape C-class was released. A lot of people don't bother switching because of a few minor changes. The good thing is that in this case the price stayed the same.
If there are substantial changes, including a new engine etc. then maybe people will be interested, but minor face-lifts, not so much.

[JustCause]

The most annoying facelifts in recent times are from Maruti. They facelift a model as & when new emission norms are being introduced, which basically includes the headlamps, tail lamps, new paint choices & painted wheel covers & seat covers. These facelifts, surprisingly sell well, even if the buyer knows he's getting the same old 'new' car at a marginally greater price than the old one. Suddenly, this model seems to be of great value.

TATA/FIAT have immense expertise in the facelifting department, with each facelift coming with a compelling list of features & a better than previous design, making buyers wonder if the company designed the new model right from the ground up. Sadly, facelifts haven't clicked for these companies, owing to their track record.

[ssh1979]

Though technically not a "facelift", the Ford Endeavour model introduced late in 2009 had a mellowed down look than its predecessor which IMO is the actual BUTCH.

The current model:

pic from indiancarsbikes.in

It's technically not a facelift because they put in the AT drive train on one of the variants which is a major change. I'm willing to bet that many Endeavour owners/enthusiasts and admirers like the older version better (that includes me).

The predecessor:

pic from motorbeam.com

And now, for the festive season, probably Ford sensing this I don't know, they attempted a limited edition HURRICANE which IMO was attempting to bring back the BUTCH looks. I have seen one on the road, it does look bigger, but unless Ford correct themselves in the "tyres" section, the pre-2009 model will remain the model to admire.

LE Hurricane:

pic from india.ford.com

[GTO]

Facelifts most definitely help, not only in renewing interest in the model, but also in sustaining the same level of interest.

Of course, it's VERY important that the facelift brings value to the table. The Santro is amongst the best examples of a facelift....the car is so much improved today compared to its original avatar. Even the Sumo, in its Grande version, is actually one heck of a vehicle, and a completely different breed to the original. Can we forget the Bolero? Frequent updates & improvements - something Mahindra is especially good at - ensure that the Bolero at the top of its game.

I've never been a fan of Honda's or Maruti's facelifts though. Somehow, the original always looked better.

Originally Posted by alto99

As far as I remember there were engine changes in Swift (1.3 to 1.2)/i10 (probably an added option and not a change) probably without any "face" lifts.

Not really a facelift, or even optional. Maruti got the new engine as the 1.3 wouldn't meet the new emission norms.

[Monaro CV8]

Good Thread this..

Facelifts no doubt brings about the freshness in a car that has (obviously) done well in the market; it also gives the manufacturers a good chance to tweak a few nit bits in the car, which ensures that the technology being offered/sold is at par with the competition.
Of course there are a few exceptions, that we as petrol heads detest, on observing the so-called Facelifts in the market.

But talking about expecting a newer engine (say more BHP, higher cc, torque, etc.), IMO, one has the option to go for a vertical upgrade in a car.
Shelling out a few extra thousands for a facelifted version will no way give you a powerful engine (for that matter)

On a different note though:
Correct me if I'm wrong, I think its only in India that we see the same cars being sold for a very long time (e.g. Pajero, Alto, Octavia - recently discontinued, M800 - been there for ages, Santro, etc.)

The rest of the world saw the New Octavia (Laura in India), while in India both old Octavia & Laura were sold.
The rest of the world saw the New Pajero (Monteiro in India), while in India both old Pajero & Monteiro were sold.

The thread starter is right for feeling that Indians get taken for a ride, while the rest of the world sees new variants hitting the shelves.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by Monaro CV8

On a different note though:
Correct me if I'm wrong, I think its only in India that we see the same cars being sold for a very long time (e.g. Pajero, Alto, Octavia - recently discontinued, M800 - been there for ages, Santro, etc.)

The rest of the world saw the New Octavia (Laura in India), while in India both old Octavia & Laura were sold.
The rest of the world saw the New Pajero (Monteiro in India), while in India both old Pajero & Monteiro were sold.

The thread starter is right for feeling that Indians get taken for a ride, while the rest of the world sees new variants hitting the shelves.

The thing is, the older cars do so well in our market, that the makers tend to stick to the existing product and flog it for as long as they can. Case in point, the Octavia. Almost every manufacturer practices this, apart from maybe Honda. Not talking about Audi, BMW, etc.

The Laura was introduced despite the presence of the Octavia, and both were sold simultaneously. That's because the Octavia was so popular in India. Also, this move gave Skoda time to establish the Laura in India and begin assembling the car here, and this, gradually helped them lower the costs down and ensure that the Laura took centre-stage while the Octavia kept the cash-registers ringing right till the very end, when Skoda decided to pull the plug.

Sometimes, there isn't a market for some cars in India, and hence, these companies choose to avoid bringing them here. It's not feasible when new car launched in India doesn't do as well as they'd hoped.

India is a peculiar and growing/developing market. Here, we prefer small hatchbacks and cheap and small sedans. In European countries, the people prefer large hatchbacks and Station-Wagons/Estates. In the USA and Thailand, there is a huge market for pick-up trucks. Much unlike India.

Companies asses the market and accordingly coin their strategy. This is widely practiced all over the World.

[dot]

Originally Posted by Monaro CV8

The thread starter is right for feeling that Indians get taken for a ride, while the rest of the world sees new variants hitting the shelves.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Companies asses the market and accordingly coin their strategy. This is widely practiced all over the World.

While it is true that companies try to tune with local market dynamics, it is also true that the same company dishes out yearly model improvements in other geographies (read developed worlds). So not only the new year model look slightly different from the previous year model, they typically have better features.

Do we get that here? Rarely.

Coming to only "facelifts" I think mostly they are inferior to the original except for a few cases. Santro Zing, Vista, City ZX are probably good examples where facelift has worked. This judgement, however, is very subjective! For example I still love the original M800.

[tejus.s]

Nice thread! Such quality stuff is what separates Team-BHP from other forums!

Anyway, speaking of facelifts, a friend of mine bought an i10 just before it was refreshed. Although Hyundai had done a decent job with the fluidic sculpture philosophy, the NEXT GENERATION tag was totally unjustified! But, when she got to see the new model, she admitted that they should've waited.

I remember once on TopGear they were commenting on how looks of volume cars become irrelevent. So I guess to keep things fresh and exciting, not to mention coming up with new marketing schemes, manufaturers do come up with these changes. (For how long can you brag about the features you added 5-6 years ago?)

Also, a mid-life facelift might be an added advantage in the used car market!

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by tejus.s

Also, a mid-life facelift might be an added advantage in the used car market!

But it spells disaster for those selling cars in the market.

Imagine you buy a car days before a facelift (just a facelift mind you, not a major change); your car depreciates heavily just at the mention of the facelift!

[tejus.s]

Yup, agree. This is partially the reason why my friend was a bit disappointed!

(On a lighter note, I'd warned her of such a refresh well before they'd decided to book the car! )