[Bit]

The title says it all: What are some of the current car design trends that have emerged in the name of evolution but are just horrendous to see?

I'll go first:

- The huge "tablet sticking" infotainment on the middle of the dashboard that looks like someone has just planted a cheap aftermarket tablet in the car. This trend was first started by Mercedes and sadly, budget OEMs followed too blindly. I prefer that you either find a thoughtful way to integrate it or if cannot, I'm happy with the smaller dashboard integration but a big no for it sticking out like a sore thumb!

- The ultra latest, connect tail light treatment. The classic two point tail lights used to have an identity of their own but this connected trend has made virtually all new cars look the same from the rear. I'm sure that as time goes on, this too will improve and distinctions will be there but in its current bland form, it's just BORING.

Your turn.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ryzen7@5800u]

A timely thread!

I really dislike the trend of cars moving to having oversized yet mostly blanked out grills.
The movement of the headlight further lower down the bumper is also extremely frustrating, as I cannot imagine these designs offering much serviceability.

The light bar occupying the space of the traditional headlight and the mono tail lamp bar.. I just hope the tail lamp bar does not result in the rear indicators becoming the same shade of red as the stop lamps - this is a major safety risk, IMO.

In the interiors, I will gladly join the bandwagon clamouring for the return of buttons.
I also believe car interiors are best kept to shades of black. A beige or white interior may look good when new, but will become a nightmare to keep clean.

I also hope that manufacturers don't start restricting the colour choices on cars. I like the orange S-Presso! And I lament the loss of the Moroccan Blue on the Nexon. Would it be too much to ask for some exciting shades of metallic paints, maybe at a premium? I'm sure it will help in building USPs.

[JDMBOI]

Here is my list.

• Fake exhaust
  
  
  
  
• Fake air vents
  
  
  
  Source - Link
  
  
• Touch AC controls
  
  
  
  
• Complicated gear shift levers & funky buttons
  
  
  
  
• Overly complicated exterior designs
  
  
  
  Source- Link
  
  
• Yoke steering wheel and adaptive touch buttons
  
  
  
  Source- Link
  
  
• Turn Signals in the rear bumper
  
  

[saikishor]

- Dynamic Swipe indicators
- Connected car tech which mandate unnecessary subscriptions

- Big ugly grills



- Split headlamps



- Beige/ white interiors



- Poorly implemented digital speedometers



And as someone else mentioned, touch AC controls. I have a feeling a lot of replies on this thread will be repetitive, I realised just after I posted my reply

[vrprabhu]

Electric/remote opening boot, which CANNOT be opened from inside (using a traditional boot release). They have done away with key slots also!

Weird turn signal indicators, especially the ones integrated in the DRLs. Initially, I loved it when I saw it (on an Audi). But, of late, every car maker has joined the band wagon and some the blinkers are down right confusing (especially the one which runs like a serial light, on a Merc?, which looks like something is wrong with the car itself!)

[poloman]

The most crazy feature I have come across is the gear selection on the touch screen in Tesla. Swiping up and down for drive and reverse. Now in a tight parking spot you will go mad swiping up and down. Some may not get registered and you may crash to the vehicles or barriers ahead or behind.

[IshaanIan]

- Capacitive touch for nearly everything; worst of all the aircon and entertainment.

- Sequential indicators and DRLs preceding the design of the headlights themselves.

- Enormous size; I really wish we shrunk cars down to the sizes they were around 3 generations back.

- Digital dials; electro mechanical like in a Lexus or else just don’t.

That said, the two things I do like about new cars are that most of them offer the option of a sunroof in the top trim (sometimes even a panaromic one) and ventilated seats

[jjp@chn]

Large infotainment screen with limited features/options is a significant let down especially when the same features can be implemented better in a smaller screen that might be much more ergonomical to use for a driver.

Also, when these screens are not integrated well with the dashboard and stick out like some aftermarket addition it feels cheap and also dangerous as it might obstruct visibility for the driver as well as require the person to take their eyes off the road to operate even basic fuctions like AC.

[Shreyans_Jain]

I HATE large alloy sizes and low profile tires. They are fragile. Alloys get cut and bent every now and then, and tires keep having failures. These things then cost an arm and a leg to replace. Ride quality gets ruined, suspensions take a beating, and everyone is all the worse for it.

I am so glad that my new Nexon EV comes with R16 alloys and tires with thick, India friendly sidewalls. Sick and tired of replacing 18-20k apiece tires every now and then on my Hexa (R19) and Compass (R18).

[asit.kulkarni93]

1. Ugly grills. Who likes these monkey cars with humongous grills?

2. Those huge LED DRLs at the top and headlight below the grill. It looks weird to me and to be honest take away the ruggedness from most SUVs.

3. Connected headlamps and tail lamps. Why? Most of these mass market cars with LED headlamps and tail light would cost a bomb when either of them go bad. And Inspite of all this tech these lights are useless in the rains.

4. Touchscreen for everything. Buttons feel good. They feel classy. I see no value added with touchscreens everywhere. I am not even going to talk about the integrated units where the HU and AC are together. What’s the point?

5. Huge rims on mass market cars. Cost of replacement of tyres is obnoxiously high. And to make the matters worse the sidewall related issues are in abundance.

Please give us a car which utilises more of straight lines than curves along with a well balanced suspension, punchy engine and a smooth transmission. And most importantly, please have normal sized grills.

[Mach_1590]

LED Headlights!! They are only good on dry roads, the moment you hit the wet tarmac, you can't see a thing ahead clearly. The visibility is compromised and it is not safe at all to drive. The LED headlights are not good in the foggy weather as well. Sure they look good and improve the aesthetics and design of the car but hey, the lights need to have all weather functionality!!

[Raghav07]

Some of my annoying trends on newer cars now are :-

-AC Controls which are integrated into the touchscreen or have digital buttons(JUST GIVE US THE KNOBS AND HARD BUTTONS PLEASE!!!).

-Confusing gear selectors.

- DRLS which are bigger and more noticeable than the actual headlights. I like DRLS, but only when they are subtle and don't dominate the headlights.

-Offering Halogen Headlamps. C'mon, its 2024, at least give us a projector setup in even base variants.

-Digital Speedometer. JUST GIVE US THE DIALS OR DIGITAL DIALS, I AM SICK OF THIS NEW TREND.

Sorry for the caps lock, but I had to express my frustrations.

[Masalawheelz]

The above posts cover most of the modern grouses (Touch AC & steering controls, Humongous grilles and absurd centre console displays). However, I'd like to add a few more:

1. Space saver spare tire - If cars can manage space better, they can definitely plan enough to provide a proper full size wheel & tire. In remote locations, these become essential.

2. Mandatory Sunroof/Panoramic sunroof on higher variants - I'm part of the 'I don't want a sunroof in my car' category and there are quite a few of us. I appreciate the slavia having the option of top end (style) with/without sunroof. The entire roof being made up of glass just gives me the heebie jeebies in a country where pretty much anything can fall from above. Please give us the option of buying the top end without Sunroof! I feel the sleek roof of a sedan without a sunroof looks a million times better than one with a panoramic sunroof on it.

3. Digital bars for rev meters - If you're providing an all digital speedo console, atleast make the effort to provide an analog looking digital RPM meter and not one of those stupid looking bars pushed to one corner going up and down. Doesn't provide quite the feel, especially when you feel like gunning the engine.

4. Proper cushioned centre and door armrests - I can't understand why such an important feature is missing in almost all cars under 12 Lakhs these days. Most cars do not have a cushioned centre and door arm rests. the plastic arm-rest is down right ugly and supremely uncomfortable over long distances - not to mention, it looks cheap!

5. Deletion of Front & Rear Fog Lamps - While we don't necessarily need Fog lamps in Chennai, I know for the fact that fog lamps play a very important role in the hills and other places where fog is the order of the morning for atleast 2 months in a year. Why skimp on essential safety?

6. Rear De-fogger and wiper only in the top end models - How and why are such features limited to top end models? the others are supposed to manage by getting down and wiping/cleaning their cars during drives? Absurd logic according to me.

[SaurAswale]

I also agree with others on the touch sensitive buttons, buttons to select gears, 'Tubelight' DRLs. Don't mind connected tail lamps though.

But apart from this, one thing I truly hate is digital tachometers with the illuminating bars (Especially the one having backlight like Tiago) . There is something fun seeing the needle rising to the redline. If you want to give digital one, at least give option of a digital needle.
And who thought it is a good idea to show the rpm in numbers??