[Aditya]

Car designs that grew on you with time

There are many cars that you can fall in love with at first sight. But then, there are quite a few cars that you may not find appealing to start with. However, with time you develop a liking for their styling as time goes by. Here are some cars that I felt were not to my liking in terms of styling when they were launched. With time though, I developed a liking for them.

Honda CR-V (2007)

This was the second CR-V generation to be launched in India. I had loved the earlier generation car with its boxy styling. After that, the new car looked bulbous. I remember comparing it to a bulldog and worse still, a toad. But as more and more of these cars hit the road, I warmed up to its looks. It was well-proportioned and looked much more in keeping with the times than the old car.

BMW 5 Series (E60)

The E60 5 Series replaced the much-loved E39. While it had great powertrains, when it came to looks, even some BMW fans found it rather ugly. I thought it was rather vulgar after the svelte E39. Chris Bangle's design was nowhere as understated as older 5ers. However, as the years went by, the E60 somehow started looking attractive. It was probably the aggressiveness of the design that struck a cord.

Tata Aria

The Aria was Tata's first crossover. With the way the bonnet was styled and the vertically stacked tail-lamps, it had a hint of Indica in its looks, which I had grown tired of. While I didn't really hate Aria's styling, I didn't find it very good-looking either. Then came the Mahindra XUV500, which was loud in comparison. It was only after that that I started finding some appeal in the Aria's design. The body didn't have many cuts and creases and in darker colours, the vehicle had a very dignified appearance.

Chevrolet Beat

On my first look at the Chevrolet Beat, I felt like someone had taken an axe to it. The headlights were too big and the rear looked like it ended without a warning. There were multiple cuts and creases all over the body of the car as well. Overall, too much styling for my liking! A couple of years down though, I found it a lot more acceptable. It came in some bright colours that made it stand out in the crowd. It looked funky and young in a sea of dull designs.

Maruti Zen

Big shock! Yes, I did not like the look of the Zen when it was launched. The Jellybean shape was something we had never seen before in India and was not easy to digest. Then, the car's front was longer than the rear overhang giving it a front-heavy appearance. In a short time though, the design became more palatable and very soon, it was my favourite hatchback in the market in every aspect and it remained like that till the introduction of the Fiat Palio. I loved its smooth and slippery shape and how proportionate the lights, grille, wheels and other elements were. If there was one car that I was sad to see go from our market, it was this.



So BHPians, which car designs grew on you as the days went by?

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[GTO]

When I saw this car first, I wanted to throw up. But I was very surprised to end up accepting it, especially after the effective facelifts. In fact, a friend or two had modified their Santro Xings and dare I say, they looked good to me.





Absolutely loved the W126, W140 and W220 S-Classes. When the W221 was launched, I found it to be too awkward & confused for an S-Class. Must admit, it has aged well and a well-maintained W221 turns my head today (W222 is still my no.1):

[Eddy]

S-Cross. When it was launched, I did not like the way it looked. But that did not stop me from buying it.

And eventually, the looks grew on me. Maybe because I owned it, or maybe it was like an AR Rahman song - takes a while to like some.

[Kosfactor]

Never quite liked this vehicle when I saw it first, I preferred the Safari`s shape instead.


(image from desertfox`s post)

As I grew up, I heard from may people including my dad that Scorpio`s shape is smart, except when I sat in the driver`s seat and went for a spin, what an amazing vehicle.

The looks indeed grew on me. My sister who is an art curator told me that old Scorpio had a distinct look different from other 'SUV's, new one looks like a typical SUV.



Perhaps she is right, I grew up to like its character and looks, no one would call a Rottweiler pretty and yet we love them.

[SmartCat]

Most car designs will grow on you with time. Provided that it was or is a popular enough model that you see it frequently on the roads. For eg:

Toyota Qualis no longer looks ugly. Those who love boxy UVs might even like its looks now:





But Ssangyong Rodius still looks ugly! And that's simply because we don't see it on the road:

[CentreOfGravity]

2022 Maruti Brezza:
When it was launched, I thought the design was overdone especially at the front. The headlight design and the DRLs looked weird to me. However, as I saw more of these on the road, I started liking the high bonnet and the tight rear end.


Renault Kiger:
Its uncanny resemblance to the Kwid initially put me off, but the interesting design details and the French flair drew my attention later on.


Renault Fluence:
I didn't like the Fluence as a kid because I thought the front end looked off. But the overall proportions and the rear end made me appreciate it at the end (pun unintended).


2020 Tata Nexon:
The 2020 facelift looked way better than the original, but the rear end and side profile was still too much for me to digest. But somehow, I developed an unexpected liking towards the car thanks to the sharp front end and eventually made peace with the rest of the design.


2020 Hyundai i20:
The rear design was initially a turn off, but I started loving the car's overall design and proportions with time. Today the i20 is the best looking hatchback on sale to my eyes.


Citroën C3 Aircross:
It looked odd to me until I saw one on the road. It cleared my perception of it being a jacked up C3. The proportions are just right and it now looks pleasing to my eye.

[arnav17]

Maruti WagonR :

When this generation of the WagonR was launched, I found the looks to be very strange for some reason. But then my uncle bought one in the green colour and it grew on me so much such that it is my dream car now




Hyundai Creta:

The Creta facelift was by itself a love it or hate it design and I despised it at first, but that slowly improved with time.



Honda City :

This generation of the Honda City was a completely new breed and I initially hated the looks, especially the rear. But the city never loses its charm, and it still turns my head every time I see one on the streets.



Tata Harrier:

This may be surprising to most but I initially disliked the looks of the Harrier when it was launched. The H5X, H7X and the 45X concepts had interested me a lot and boy, this was a disappointment, especially the wheels. The base variant of the Safari Storme had better looking ones IMHO. But now, the harrier has evolved to become one of my All time favourites, especially after the latest facelift.

[ron178]

It would have to be the Maruti Ignis for me. A few years ago I thought the Ignis was the result of a very incompetent design team and wondered how one could even consider buying something so ugly. I remember calling the rear bald, and wasn’t a big fan of the profile, either. Not sure what happened, but after a while I actually grew to appreciate its quirkiness, inside out. Now I think it’s actually quite a smart looker, especially with the optional OEM spoiler.

[shishir333]

It has to be the facelift Skoda Octavia MK3 (or the MK3.5) for me

Most of the things were unchanged from the pre-facelift but the split headlamp were an eye sore to me.

But as time went by, I no more have the hatred towards this...infact, I do like it in some shades!

[MotorDev]

Honda City 5th gen

- I initially didn't like how the Honda City 5th gen looked when it came out in 2019. I felt Honda had ruined a good-looking car, especially compared to the beautiful 3rd and 4th generations. But when I saw it in person last year, it seemed classier and more elegant, and it gradually grew on me.

[Dr.AD]

BMW M4 and M2 with those new grilles

BMW modern design language, which is hated so much around the world, has started to grow on me. Specifically talking about BMW M4, it looked ugly in pictures, but one look in person and it started growing on me. And by now, I love the design of new M4. Even the new M2 looked a bit weird at launch, but by now I love its design.

Here are a couple of pictures I shot at one of the BMW track events of the M4, highlighting the design that grew on me (not showing any pictures from the net but limiting myself to only the photographs I took).

This grille design was quite a controversial design when launched, but this grew on me:



M4 looks grew on me and by now I love this design so much:

[SeniorC]

Maruti Zen was such a beautiful looking car with butter smooth engine and gearbox. In the hatchbacks, it was one of best cars I had owned. I just loved the soft contoured design. How I wish Maruti had continued with it just like Wagon R.

The other car is Skoda Octavia. Hope to see this car back soon.

[RD410]

Tata Manza - I was a kid when Manza was launched and I found the design to be strange. Now after all these years, it looks really sexy to me. Especially that purple shade : )



Ford Ecosport - Ecosport looked childish to me when it was launched in 2013. But today, I consider it as one of the best and most timeless designs ever made.



Hyundai Creta - both gen 1 & 2. For years, I hated Creta's looks. But as it is, Hyundai's quirky designs do age well.

If 2 wheelers are also allowed -



Yamaha RX - when I was in school, I simply hated the RX for some reason. Didn't like the way it looked or the way it sounded. Perhaps, little me was unaware of the punch that it packed. But during college, I got to experience the sheer madness of all those revered 2 strokes viz. RX100, 135 4s, 135 5s, RXZ, Shogun etc. and my perception about these machines totally changed. Now I absolutely adore them whenever I see one or hear one passing by!



HH Karizma / Karizma R - The OG ZMA. As a kid, I thought it looked ugly. But as an adult, I find it to be really striking and drool worthy. I also love how versatile and practical it is, they don't make bikes like this anymore.

Image sources - Autocar India & Google

[chiekennugget]

Škoda Superb (2009-14)
The Škoda Superb from the outgoing generations is one of my all-time favourite car designs.. But, the previous generation’s HUGE slab for the rear boot door, the weirdly shaped rear lights and the Škoda symbol smacked right in the middle, always stuck out in a negative way (especially in the launch colour which was violet), which is contrary to the outgoing generations rear (It’s stunning!).

Audi A2

The Audi A2 began its production in 1999. It has been constructed out of aluminium, making it lightweight and combined with its frugal engines, it gets amazing mileage. The first time I saw it was in a YouTube video. At first, it looked sad and depressing, with a huge forehead and ugly rims that didn’t help its case. However, over time, I have come to find it adorable and quite like it.

Porsche Carrera GT

At first, I thought the back of this car looked a bit weird and the sudden drop from the roof which looked out of place, almost as if the designers couldn’t figure out what to do with the back of the car. But now, I like the car.