5 Times Facelifts Worked Brilliantly

Not everyone is a fan of the Mustang's facelift, but these other mid-life refreshes definitely need celebrating
5 Times Facelifts Worked Brilliantly

I’m going to come out and say it: I’m rather fond of the way the newly revealed 2018 Ford Mustang looks. The changes have sharpened up the car nicely without wrecking the whole retro homage thing, and I can’t wait to see it in the metal. But, not everyone is as keen.

The mixed reception to the 2018 ‘Stang got me thinking. Facelifts that have ‘ruined’ particular cars is a subject that’s been visited plenty of times, but what about mid-life refreshes that deserve to be celebrated? It’s not something you see happen all that often, so without further ado, here are some automotive facelifts that get a nod of respect from us.

Note: all facelift cars appear on the right of each image

2017 Nissan GT-R

5 Times Facelifts Worked Brilliantly

Let’s start off with a recent one. Revealed at the New York Auto Show last year, critics were quick to lambast the 2017 Nissan GT-R’s facelift as being barely noticeable. But they were missing the point: the changes were subtle, but very effective.

The new side intakes got rid of those chubby-looking ribbed sections on either side of the front bumper, while the larger grille upped the aggression nicely.

BMW E46 3-series

5 Times Facelifts Worked Brilliantly

Yep, once upon a time BMW actually did facelifts that were noticeable to the naked eye. A prominent example was the E46 3-series, which received a well-judged nip and tuck which included the addition of sleeker headlights and larger, more shapely kidney grilles. The pre-facelift cars are looking quite dated now, but the updated cars still look fresh even today.

Jaguar XF

5 Times Facelifts Worked Brilliantly

The pre-facelift Jaguar XF wasn’t exactly ugly, but changes in 2011 freshened up the 5-series rival considerably. This was mostly thanks to the original, goofy headlamps being chucked in the bin, replaced by a much slimmer set that brought the XF’s design much closer to that of the C-XF concept.

The XF R’s transformation was the most dramatic, with the shouty super saloon gaining a radically altered front bumper with chunkier intakes.

Peugeot 306

5 Times Facelifts Worked Brilliantly

Like the pre-facelift XF, the ‘Phase I’ 306 is still a handsome thing, but its headlights and slatted front grille firmly linked it to Peugeots of the past. The Phase II brought the styling in line with the curvier 406, with a new grille, bumpers and curvier headlights.

The Phase III update was more minor, but it resulted in the 306 GTI-6 lending its fancier front bumper to ‘lesser’, sporty-ish models like the D Turbo XSI. Isn’t that generous?

Mazda MX-5 2.5

5 Times Facelifts Worked Brilliantly

After the ‘Mk2.5’ facelift the second-generation MX-5 was still a cutesy-looking thing, but a new front bumper, new-ish headlights and some new wheel options freshened the car up while adding a little dash of aggression. The Mk3’s design dropped the cuteness levels even further, but the 2.5 that came before it was certainly a step in the right direction.

What other successful facelifts can you think of? And do you disagree with any of our choices? Comment below with your thoughts!

Comments

Anonymous

They really nailed the facelift of the computer , great job Nissan

01/18/2017 - 21:40 |
2 | 0
Kaplo

This one

01/18/2017 - 21:44 |
4 | 0
Felix Tang

I think the GTR looked better without facelift.

01/18/2017 - 21:54 |
0 | 0
Arl313

The facelift of the Seat Ibiza 6L (2002 - 2008, facelift 2006 -2008) was also great. They really improved the look

01/18/2017 - 22:25 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

The facelift e90 always does it for me, second best looking 3 series after the e30 in my opinion

01/18/2017 - 22:38 |
8 | 0
Anonymous

2002

01/18/2017 - 22:42 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

2008

01/18/2017 - 22:42 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

01/18/2017 - 22:45 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

You forgot about the RX-7 FD where the 99 spec got really aggressive

01/18/2017 - 22:51 |
4 | 0
Anonymous

The 2012 and 2017 GT-Rs facelift is actually ruined the look in my opinion. (fanboys incoming)

01/18/2017 - 22:54 |
2 | 0
WellitsjustAdam

Am I the only one who likes the pre-facelifted e46?

01/18/2017 - 23:01 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Where is the S14?

01/18/2017 - 23:26 |
0 | 0
Josh Briggs

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

the Zenki looks absolutely brilliant

01/19/2017 - 17:22 |
0 | 0

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