2024 Acura Integra Type S | Jalopnik Reviews
Subtitles
  • Off
  • English

These 10 Cars Had The Most Surprising Redesigns

These 10 Cars Had The Most Surprising Redesigns

History didn't prepare us for the generational transformation these vehicles underwent.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Start Slideshow
White 2024 Toyota Prius side profile view
Image: Toyota

Sometimes a new generation of a long-running model comes out and shatters expectations — and not always for positive reasons. With the new Hyundai Santa Fe fresh in mind, we asked you earlier this week which cars’ redesigns caught you off guard. You responded with a range of answers, from ‘90s American luxo-barges to econoboxes to big and tough SUVs. Let’s get the show on the road.

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

2 / 12

1993 Lincoln Mark VIII

1993 Lincoln Mark VIII

Red Lincoln Mark VIII front three-quarter angle view
Image: Ford

The Lincoln Mark VIII. The Mark VII was a good looking car, very 80s in it’s presentation with composite headlights, mostly linear styling with a few rounded corners. While it was still a handsome car, it was looking a little long in the tooth when it was finally replaced with the Mark VIII.

This was a HUGE departure from what the Mark VII was. It went a size larger (moving from Fox to MN12), VERY aero, super sleek, high tech modular V8. This was a super stunner!

Advertisement
Silver-blue Lincoln Mark VII side profile view
1984 Lincoln Mark VII
Image: Ford

Suggested by Sucker for a ‘23 300C (formerly Magnum_SRT8)

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

3 / 12

2023 Toyota Prius

2023 Toyota Prius

Navy 2023 Toyota Prius front three-quarter angle view
Image: Toyota

2023 Prius.

There’s one in the parking lot at work.

Work has had some interesting cars. We had an early Tesla adopter, the first C8 in town and some weird stuff like a guy with a Goldwing Trike.

NONE of these cars atttracts attention like that Prius. The Prius is just plan shockingly pretty in person. This one is a very pretty Pearl White that would cost a fortune to repair.

I can’t think of a car under $80k that attracts the eyes like that Prius.

And given Toyota’s 10 year history of making butt ugly vehicles and coating every parking lot in America with them, the Prius is even more shocking.

Advertisement
Blue Toyota Prius side profile view while driving on snow
2019 Toyota Prius
Image: Toyota

Suggested by hoser68

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

4 / 12

1979 Ford Mustang

1979 Ford Mustang

Orange 1979 Ford Mustang front three-quarter angle view
Image: Ford

Mustang II to Foxbody Mustang in 1979.

To my 15 year old eyes, the 1979 Mustang looked like a space ship compared to nearly every other car on the road at the time.

I was particularly in love with the Indy Pace Car edition

Red-orange Ford Mustang II front three-quarter angle view
1978 Ford Mustang II
Image: Ford
Advertisement

The Fox body was no Mustang RSX, but I get it.

Suggested by Earthbound Misfit I

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

5 / 12

2020 Land Rover Defender (L663)

2020 Land Rover Defender (L663)

Silver Land Rover Defender front three-quarter angle view driving on dirt
Image: Land Rover

WTF is this crap? That’s not a goddam Defender, that’s pandering to stupid Americans.

Advertisement

skeffles agreed:

Came here to say this. It surprised me, but not in the good way.

White Land Rover Defender front three-quarter angle view driving in desert
1997 Land Rover Defender
Image: Land Rover

Suggested by RIP-TESLA and others

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

6 / 12

2024 Chevy Trax

2024 Chevy Trax

Yellow 2024 Chevrolet Trax front three-quarter angle view
Image: General Motors

The new Chevy Trax update caught me off guard. The previous gen has been one of the ugliest cars available for a while and then the 2024 comes out and it’s almost attractive. That is a huge swing between generations.

Advertisement

Nathan Gerdes added:

In recent memory, it’s gotta be the Chevy Trax. Went from a serious contender for the worst car on sale in America to what is, by all accounts a compelling, competitive, and genuinely affordable compact crossover.

Would I buy one? No; I don’t care for compact crossovers and it holds no real appeal for me individually. But I see and respect the glow-up, and if I were in the market for something in that segment or at that price point, I would seriously consider it.

Blue 2017 Chevrolet Trax front three-quarter angle view
2017 Chevrolet Trax
Image: General Motors

I get it, but also: did they have to make it bigger? Is it not essentially a Trailblazer at this point?

Suggested by engineerthefuture and others

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

7 / 12

2017 Acura NSX

2017 Acura NSX

Blue 2017 Acura NSX front view driving on road
Image: Honda

NSX. First one had a timeless design. The second one had Acura’s beak. The second one would have been a hit if it weren’t for design and limited options. Imagine someone spending $100k and looks at this and a Porsche. They can choose their stitch color if they wanted. Acura says take this. Talk about knowing your buyer.

Advertisement
Red 1991 Acura NSX rear three-quarter angle view
1991 Acura NSX
Image: Honda

Suggested by CarNerd4Life

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

8 / 12

2016 Honda Civic

2016 Honda Civic

Red 2016 Honda Civic Si Coupe front three-quarter angle view driving on road
Image: Honda

The transition from the 9th to 10th generation Civic. It went from being a good but, let’s be honest, pretty homely and anonymous car, to...a lot of things going on. Maybe not quite as radical a departure as the Santa Fe, but enough that it got people talking (especially in the Type R guise, which Jeremy Clarkson had quite an unkind mouthful to say about it in one of The Grand Tour episodes). Personally, I liked the styling, but glad it returned to a more conservative but still fairly interesting design with the 11th gen.

Advertisement
Gray 2012 Honda Civic Si Sedan front three-quarter angle view
2012 Honda Civic Si Sedan
Image: Honda

Suggested by paradsecar

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

9 / 12

2007 Dodge Avenger

2007 Dodge Avenger

Red 2007 Dodge Avenger front three-quarter angle view
Image: Stellantis

One design the surprised me in a BAD was was the Dodge Avenger.

I had a 1995 Avenger, which was a 2 door coupe that was a corporate cousin of the Mitsubishi Eclipse/Galant. Nice package, V6 and good looks (well, more of a Viper/Stealth lite).

Flash forward to the redesign and it’s grown to 4 doors and they tacked on the Dodge Ram/Durango nose on the front, like they tried to do with every car. Yuck. I’m surprised they didn’t try to graft that nose onto the Viper (I’m sure they wanted to).

I understand they sold way more trucks, but sweet baby Jeebus, it wasn’t because America was in love with the design of the front end...

I know that this wasn’t a DIRECT replacement to the OG Avenger, but yikes.

Advertisement
Red 1997 Dodge Avenger side profile view
1997 Dodge Avenger
Image: Stellantis

Suggested by gcodori

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

10 / 12

2024 Lexus GX

2024 Lexus GX

Beige 2024 Lexus GX rear three-quarter angle view
Image: Lexus

I’ve never been a fan of Lexus, but the recent GX redesign still causes low traction for my mental wheels. The GXs, as far as I remember, have always been stilted, awkward-looking monstrosities for rich suburban mommies. And then a month ago they release the Terminator, which is probably the best looking Lexus since the original RX came out, what, 20 years ago?

Advertisement
Burgundy 2021 Lexus GX rear three-quarter view driving on highway
2021 Lexus GX
Image: Lexus

Suggested by Maha

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

11 / 12

2010 Hyundai Sonata

2010 Hyundai Sonata

Red 2010 Hyundai Sonata front three-quarter angle view
Image: Hyundai

The Hyundai Sonata/Kia Optima glow up? If you remember what the first and second gen looked like, they had a tremendous glow up in the later years that helped to reshape the company image and position them as a true competition to the Japanese automakers.

Advertisement

I’m going to assume you’re talking about the sixth-generation Sonata, which put the Camry and Accord on notice and probably even looked better than those cars did at the time, too.

Silver 2005 Hyundai Sonata front three-quarter angle view
2005 Hyundai Sonata
Image: Hyundai

Suggested by Matt Longman

Advertisement