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Old 30th July 2014, 19:46   #46
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

This is so true.

The Sedans are not longer Sedans, they are extended hatchbacks.

Toyota liva / Etios : What Crazy people could design something like this.. The front looks like a confounded street dog on alcohol grinning from ear to ear. and Liva Cross looks like some one put on a bridle on the dog

Maruti Swift, Dzire : Swift has a boulbous butt while it looks like some one gave a good kick on its hindquarters in the DZire. Same story with Ritz.

Hyundai Grand i10 / Xcent : Grand i10 has a boring back but one look at the xcent and you have a sense of deep dislike and repulsion.

Zen Estilo : Can't even begin to describe this thing. Looks like a upright empty tin can on wheels.

Some of the best looking yesteryear cars will succeed even today if released in 2.0 versions (ala bollywood movies style) from looks point of view.

1. Open Astra
2. Fiat Palio
3. Ford Ikon
4. Maruti Zen 1st version
5. Mistubishi Lancer
6. Original Honda City
7. Original Maturi Esteem.
8. Hyundai Getz
9. First gen Honda CRV.
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Old 30th July 2014, 19:50   #47
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

This thread just read my mind.
I have stated this in bits and pieces in many other discussions.

I really dont understand about what has caught the fancy of these designers these days.

After a brilliant looking entry level sedan like Esteem , Maruti suddenly pulls it out of the market and brings in the weird looking DZire, dont know about others but its a extremely Un-Dzirable car for me as far as the looks are concerned.

They even stripped down the fine things which very few knew about like the excellent independent rear suspension and hydraulic power steering.

Nowadays most cars are an overdose of the bling factor!!

After the Esteem we could never look at Maruti for a Sedan as those new age contraptions were a major eye sore.

Honda did a booboo with the Dolphin Honda but realized it and brought in the Stunning I-Vtec before this latest tin can with an overdose of chrome, a dashboard which looks like one from a 80s Toyota with mordern touches and a tail light which was either designed by Suzuki or Honda.

I guess most of this can be attributed in the manufacturers greed to maximize returns by platform sharing.

I really dont think aerodynamics would have played much of a role as any given day the Esteem is more aerodynamically efficient than that "CALIBAN" of a car named Dzire.

I think the manufacturers totally shifted their focus from FTD segment to the kitna deti hae and "Oh my god this is feels like a club on wheels!!!awesome music system and so much space!!it even sways(body roll) with the music!!" kind of consumers.
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Old 30th July 2014, 20:20   #48
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Interesting thread.

Have you guys noticed how the design sketches have changed these days? What you see on the roads, is a culmination of some of those fantasies. After all, designers have to prove, that the company did the right thing by hiring them.

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Old 30th July 2014, 20:26   #49
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Excellent thread, and one of the reasons I'm still hanging on to an 18+ year old Zen and a pair of 6 year old Swifts with no plans to get rid of any of these in the near future.

The first thought that came to me after reading the first few posts was "where is OHC" in this list. Then I thought the current Honda City is not too bad, and again it struck me that the 2009 model City is no longer the current City. However, even the current City is no ugly duckling, especially considering the other vehicles available in the segment, its dolphin predecessor and the fact that Honda has vehicles in its stable that are actually ugly.

The turn of the century also did a reset of the car designs. It looks like most companies are starting from 0 again and would take another 50 years before starting to focus back to visually pleasing cars.

Quote:
Originally Posted by D4D View Post
The CEO of toyota has promised "no more dull cars" in Auto expo 2012.
Didn't he keep his word till the next Expo? I don't think we had any new launches from Toyota after that till the 2014 Auto Expo, whether dull or not.

Personal take on Koreans - they started getting influenced by the right designs now, instead of the wrong designs in the past. I've felt that Hyundai's fluidic sedans have a strong influence from BMW design theme. Outside the auto sector, Samsung became a big force around the same time once they started basing their phone and tablet models on Apple products.

American cars in India - that is actually a misnomer. We just have re-branded cars from other markets with the GM/Chevy logo - first the Daewoos and then SAIC. Only exceptions are Beat and Cruze. In case of Ford too, we don't have anything in the sub-15L category that is actually American.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rehaan View Post
Pedestrian safety : No more steep fronts. No more pop-up headlights. Etc

Efficiency : More 'smooth' aerodynamic-driven design = less CO2/km.
Unfortunately, none of these rules justify the 'trend' of the wrap around headlamps and tail lamps with useless glass areas on the side of the car or the 'Indian' obsession with chrome overload. If these two aspects are removed, some of the designs might start looking better.

IMO, 4m rule is the single largest factor responsible for the lack of aesthetics in the current cars.
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Old 30th July 2014, 20:39   #50
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by rajushank84 View Post
Warning, this is a bit of a rant/rave thread and full of subjective content - but I had to. What is happening to car designers in India?! Cars from all manufacturers in India are just getting more and more ugly! All offerings from Maruti and Mahindra are hideous (except one or two very old models). Tata seems to be heading in the same direction. Same with Hyundai and even Ford of late.

Am I just getting old?! Why, oh why, are all cars heading towards the same egg-shaped, rounded design and headlamps swept back into all kinds of angles?

At one time, every car had its own distinct, wholesome shape that didn't try to look like anything else.

Exactly the very same feeling here.
The simple, non-nonsensical straight lines of a Bolero changed from...
What happened to good looking cars?!-250417_213666938666137_1071132_n.jpg
to
What happened to good looking cars?!-newmahindrabolerophoto12.jpg

And the elegant Sierra/Safari from..
What happened to good looking cars?!-968912_608454692520691_1168108318_n.jpg
and
What happened to good looking cars?!-426335_242344069192250_964963822_n.jpg
to
What happened to good looking cars?!-03tatasafaristormeasternblack.jpg

The Bolero and the Sierra Turbo were my pride and joy. The Safari, a close friend's.
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Old 30th July 2014, 20:56   #51
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Interesting topic and can't help putting my emotions here. So true about the designs of the cars these days. We are just waiting and waiting for a design that's simplistic enough and brings a refreshing change from all this 'Styling' we see these days (chrome, fluidic styling, egg shaped cars, lights with fluidic lines merging with the car body and what not).

Still love the designs of these cars:
1. Hyundai Accent
2. The original Bolero
3. The original City
4. The original Mercedes designs
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Old 30th July 2014, 21:15   #52
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Refreshing to see the "old" and "new" versions of cars, i wonder how Contessa classic ("Indian Muscle car") would have looked had it been evolved by their makers. In its original form itself it was a classic and good looking car. If only HM had better plans and in the hands of a sensible designers, it could have evolved into a stunningly handsome muscle car!
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What happened to good looking cars?!-contessa_1.jpg  

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Old 30th July 2014, 21:16   #53
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rehaan View Post
Actually the rules that are even more responsible are:

Pedestrian safety : No more steep fronts. No more pop-up headlights. Etc

Efficiency : More 'smooth' aerodynamic-driven design = less CO2/km.

cya
R
IMO, these indeed two are the main reasons for the current design language we're witnessing. And another factor I think is global acceptance. For example, the euro giants cannot just survive on the local market and largely depend on markets like China for volume. Nowadays many people complain that Mercedes is adding more bling to its newer cars, but the fact is they are making the car more viable globally.
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Old 30th July 2014, 21:23   #54
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by zenren View Post
Didn't he keep his word till the next Expo? I don't think we had any new launches from Toyota after that till the 2014 Auto Expo, whether dull or not.
Yes he has. But Toyota's designers are going to change slowly. And I'm not sure the Innova and Fortuner are going to change much exterior wise as they are only developed for Asian/African/South American market.

Design of corolla is good. And maybe the future Camry will have a better design.

Quote:
Personal take on Koreans - they started getting influenced by the right designs now, instead of the wrong designs in the past. I've felt that Hyundai's fluidic sedans have a strong influence from BMW design theme. Outside the auto sector, Samsung became a big force around the same time once they started basing their phone and tablet models on Apple products.
I differ here. I would term the Fluidic design "expressive" and "aggressive". But the German design as "towned down." Yes, BMW is slightly more radical in design(than Audi), but I don't think that was the influence for Hyundai.

Quote:
American cars in India - that is actually a misnomer. We just have re-branded cars from other markets with the GM/Chevy logo - first the Daewoos and then SAIC. Only exceptions are Beat and Cruze. In case of Ford too, we don't have anything in the sub-15L category that is actually American.
Well, yes. So it's too much of badge engineering. And don't forget, Tavera(GMs main car) is an ISUZU vehicle which is rebadged.
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Old 30th July 2014, 21:59   #55
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

I believe that the there are multiple reasons why cars are uglier these days:

1. Perception: Yes, we maybe getting old!! - Just like our parents saying 'those were the days..'

2. Function before form: In the current age of information, every manufacturer must benchmark every damn thing and aim to beat it - and in doing so would undermine the original vision of the designer.

3. Committee designs: Design of any kind is best when it is an individual creation. Many designs in the passenger car segment has committee designs, which end up with a mixture of ideas without cohesion.

4. Regulations: Crash regulations, CO2 emission standards, all indirectly affect a car's design.

5. The 3999.999mm stuff is the biggest culprit in creating ugly monsters like the dzire, amaze, xcent et al. There is no way a sedan can look good with that limitation.
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Old 30th July 2014, 22:03   #56
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Folks! How come have we missed to mention about a car that served our nation until recently and created a legacy?

The HM Ambassador:

What happened to good looking cars?!-a2.jpg

What happened to good looking cars?!-old-gold-hindustan-ambassador-cars.jpg

What happened to good looking cars?!-pic1.jpg

Being such a elegant car what was the need of doing this to it?

What happened to good looking cars?!-hindustan_motors_ambassador_avigo.jpg

Pic Credit: https://www.google.co.in/search?q=ne...=isch&imgdii=_

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Old 30th July 2014, 22:14   #57
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

I was just talking to a few friends about this a week back. Here is my list of the timeless designs-
1. Old Honda City ('99-'03)
2. Skoda Octavia (1st generation)
3. Maruti Suzuki Zen
4. Maruti Suzuki Esteem
5. Mitsubishi Lancer-both old and Cedia.(the new international lancer 'EX' looks good too)
6. Mitsubishi Pajero
7. Nissan Patrol Y61.
8. Toyota Landcruiser- 80 and 100 series.
9. Ford Fiesta ( the now classic)
10. The last generation Maruti Suzuki Swift
11. BMW 3 series (E46)
12. BMW 5 series (E39)
13. Mercedes S-class (W140, W221)
14. All the cars from the VW stable currently in the Indian market.
15. Tata Safari- Dicor/TCIC
16. Tata Sierra
This is all i could recollent now. I am a fan of designs with simple and straight lines. These modern curvy, fluidic.etc designs don't really appeal to me. It is really irritating to see curvy SUV's. Thanks to VW for some clean and straight designs. Cars like the new Dzire and the Xcent are the worst manufacturers could design. ( no offense to any dzire or xcent owners, yes those cars have the VFM tag. But we as enthusiasts see more than the VFM factor )

Asit
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Old 30th July 2014, 22:29   #58
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by WindRide View Post
Best looking Hatch EVER sold in India - Fiat Palio GTX..
Amen!

Having owned one (not the GTX, but its next of kin, the 1.6 Sports) for almost 4 years, I never could understand why Fiat messed with the design and introduced the Stile model.

What happened to good looking cars?!-palio2.jpg

What happened to good looking cars?!-palio3.jpg

I miss her! :(

Cheers,
Vikram

Last edited by comfortablynumb : 30th July 2014 at 22:48.
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Old 30th July 2014, 23:04   #59
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Seriously!!

Was looking for an upgrade to my Accent southward of 10lacs. None of the cars actually caught my eye.. No proper sedans in the market now, everything is either too shrunken or too bulgy! Only the 2013 Skoda Octavia was worthy, but the Elegant trim was way beyond my budget

Finally kept my Old sport to me, and gave up any plans of upgrading to another sedan (Maybe will go for an SUV or maybe lateral upgrade).

Isen't she a beauty?
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What happened to good looking cars?!-adobephotoshopexpress_7aa5f7bd9e1e4676947d4fdf81076509_jpg.jpg  

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Old 30th July 2014, 23:44   #60
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Re: What happened to good looking cars?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by rajushank84 View Post
What is happening to car designers in India?! Cars from all manufacturers in India are just getting more and more ugly!
...
Sad!
Sad indeed...

1. The advancements in Manufacturing processes have made literally any shape manufacturable.
2. We Indians always over do things. From news to reality shows to cricket to car designs

Combine these two things and we have some unique, quirky, ugly cars


The first car that comes to my mind is the current i20...and its headlights

What happened to good looking cars?!-bubble.jpg

If headlights are the eyes of the car, i20 looks like this for me.

What happened to good looking cars?!-pop.jpg

And the design of its DRLs...

What happened to good looking cars?!-eye-catching.jpg

So long and bright that it can put a lightning to shame


Quote:
Originally Posted by rama75 View Post
I feel the main culprit is the government!
1. Less than 4 meter rule: Produces cars like Quanto, Verito vibe and a slew of sub 4 meter sedans and compact SUVs.
2. Ground clearance rule: We get an XUV500 with a ground clearance of 165mm!
3. Engine size rule: Heavy weight sedans like SX4 and Linea getting under powered engines.
I wonder whether the government has made a fool out of itself.
The Government actually fixed 4 metres limit on cars to classify them as small cars and for putting less tax on them because they are mainly targeted at people of lesser affordability.

IMO the public mentality is equally responsible.
Just for an example...Any extra growth on the bum is considered as a sedan, considered as prestige . This is how 4 metre Compact sedans/CUVs came into being.

Last edited by hemanth.anand : 30th July 2014 at 23:45.
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