Some cars were average or sub-par, until the manufacturer suddenly stepped in and turned them into something great. Here are our favorite examples!
As a car manufacturer you do not always make the best choices. Sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is and do something boring, sometimes you have to do something extremely daring. Certain models tend to get a bit boring sometimes if it stays the same for too long.
'Glow up'
Nice idea for a compilation: which models got, as the young generation calls it, a glow up? Where the manufacturer changes from a 'dull' (but the term 'average' sometimes also applies) to suddenly a pretty cool model. Here are a few examples. Of course, additions can be left in the comments.
Toyota Prius (Mk. IV – Mk. V)
Every list starts with a pretty clear example and in this case it is the Toyota Prius. Everyone, both Prius buyers and previously non-Prius buyers and even car enthusiasts, will find the new Toyota Prius suddenly very cool. The Prius was always Toyota's pioneer in hybrid technology, which gave the car a somewhat tree-hugging image and it was a bit stale. The fourth generation had a much wilder design, but could not disguise the dull image of the car. The new Prius has a much sleeker design and finally looks really cool.
Audi A3 Convertible (8PA – 8V)
A Audi A3 Convertible, that only happened from the second generation facelift (8PA) in 2009. It was very simple: the hatchback was stripped of its roof and given a fabric folding roof. It was a fine A3 Cabrio, but always looked a bit strange in terms of proportions, both with the roof open and closed.
Audi had a better idea for the successor (8V): the rear half was borrowed from the new A3 Limousine. This resulted in a more classic convertible look, much more elegant. However, it always leads to the daydream of an A3 Coupé that never existed.
Volvo S60 (Mk. II – Mk. III)
Admittedly, there is nothing inherently wrong with the second generation Volvo S60. Still, we liked the more classic sedan lines of the first generation, but the second generation is a bit proportionally strange.
That became better with the successor: the third generation S60 is not only much more beautiful than its predecessor, but as a mid-range sedan, the new (current) S60 is a beautiful thing.
Opel Mokka (Mk. I – Mk. II)
If you were a retiree around 2014, you suddenly had a problem. Opel discontinued your favorite car: the Meriva. Yet you would still like a high seat and a rather stale appearance. No problem! Under the GM regime, Opel was able to get an SUV that shares its genes with the Buick Encore and the Chevrolet Trax. We cannot comment too much on a brand that served the market well (Opel still sold the Mokka quite well), but the first Mocha was the height of lame.
The second generation Mokka, now on the Stellantis platform on which you will also find the Peugeot 2008, is a world of difference. It's still a crossover, but one with a much fresher design. It is the first Opel with the 'Visor' design language. Optionally you can get nice color combinations, but this lime green color is completely free. Use it to your advantage. With the Crossland as a brother, former Mokka buyers also have a perfect crossover to choose from. Win win.
Volkswagen Golf GTI (IV – V)
Gosh, why would the undersigned do the Golf V GTI Still think it's a big improvement? Well, actually I don't even have to use my own words for that, but those of many other petrolheads. The Volkswagen GTI was a bit like the IV mojo lost. The 1.8 liter 5V turbo engine with 180 hp was fine in itself, but it felt a bit as if Volkswagen had stuck a GTI logo on a normal Golf 2.0. It also didn't help that in terms of engine size, the 2.0, the 2.3 V5, the 2.8 VR6 and the 3.2 VR6 (R32) were still above the GTI.
With the V GTI, Volkswagen revised the range and the GTI was again a hot hatch as it should be. The engine was a serious upgrade over the normal 2.0 FSI, the appearance clearly distinguished the GTI from the Golfs below it and it was finally a whole lot of fun again. To say that it is a perfect spiritual successor to the Golf I GTI is going a bit far, but in any case the GTI was reborn again in the fifth generation.
Peugeot 207 – 208
The evolution from the Peugeot 206 and 307 to the 207 and 308 was not a highlight for the French brand. The 308 didn't actually do anything significantly better than its predecessor, you just got some newer technology. With the 207 it felt a bit like it was becoming a more mature car, while the nice thing about the 206 was its compact, light, simple approach.
When the 207 was succeeded by the 208, it felt like that playfulness was back again. The 208 looked more compact, felt more compact (helped by the still controversial small steering wheel) and with the arrival of a new GTi you also had a nice version. For the first time in years, the 208 GTi felt like the magic of the 205 GTi was back.
Mercedes A-Class (W169 – W176)
Starting with the Mercedes A-Class at the end of the 1990s: Mercedes was right. They could really use a model below the C-Class. After all, Audi and BMW encountered the same problem. Audi borrowed a Golf and created the first A3, BMW continued to insist that the 3 Series was small enough and Mercedes released a high MPV-like model with tiny engines. The brand kept this up until sometime in 2011. Mercedes has sold so many A-Classes that you can hardly call it a flop, but the problem of not having a model below the C-Class is not solved. As a young Mercedes buyer who wants to start small, such a high retirement box is not exactly what you are looking for.
Meanwhile, Audi was very successful with the A3 and BMW had also seen the light with the 1 Series. Taking on the duties of retirees was given to the slightly more 'traditional' looking B-Class and the third A-Class (W176) became a neat hatchback. You can start a whole story about Renault engines, but the fact is that Mercedes has such a neat Benjamin that facilitates every buyer, has a Mercedes-worthy interior and is possibly available in nice AMG versions. Logically, the W177 follows the same recipe.
Jaguar S-Type (X200) – XF (X250)
Retro design was suddenly a trend in the early '00s. To give Jaguar a mid-size sedan, the S-Type was unveiled. The car had a remarkable design with very classic-looking curves, a special front with a remarkable Jaguar grille and a remarkable roofline. All this to make a nod to the Jaguar Mark II. Did that work? Yes. Was it a nice car? No not really. We excuse the S-Type R because it was dressed in the same way, almost wrongly, so that it still dries, but otherwise the S-Type mainly evokes the image of tweed jackets and cigar smoking (preferably so that your beige upholstery is nicely smoked).
The successor to the S-Type called XF did things completely differently. From retro nonsense to a sleek British limousine. The right balance between beautiful, elegant lines and a much sportier stance than its predecessor. We admit: the facelift really made it beautiful. Which is funny, because the C-XF Concept that previewed the XF had the headlights that Jaguar later added to the XF during the facelift.
Ferrari 612 – FF
To call a Ferrari lame is to have courage. The 612 Scaglietti is not necessarily lame, but it was a bit of an old-fashioned concept in 2005. A four-seater GT is a good idea, but actually the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano did everything except having a back seat better than the Scaglietti. It also doesn't help that the appearance is not as clean and timeless as a Ferrari can be.
Why we put the successor called FF on this list is because it finally seemed that Ferrari had found a niche. The FF was certainly not a better sports car than its big brother F12berlinetta, but it was significantly a better Gran Turismo. A hatchback-like appearance for an unprecedentedly spacious trunk, four very acceptable seats and for the first time in a Ferrari: four-wheel drive, which makes this FF a perfect winter daily could be. All that with just a V12 in the front with more than 600 hp, a really fun and unique combination. The FF and successor GTC4Lusso succumbed to the desire for an SUV, and yet we dare to say that the Ferrari GT ended on a high.
Peugeot 407 – 508
We already mentioned the 208, but actually the best 'glow up' at Peugeot was in the middle class. The 407 was not an evolution of the 406, but a car that would do everything differently under 'the new Peugeot'. The large beak design language is just not quite right (@jaapiyo sometimes seems to have fever dreams about the front overhang), the large beak front is not quite right: the 407 was a bit dull and made you wish that Peugeot still built the 406.
In 2010, Peugeot presented the '5 by Peugeot' as a concept and this sleek sedan went into production with fairly minor changes as a model to replace both the 407 and 607 (hence the transition from 4 to 5). And look: Peugeot has turned it into a clever thing. The 508 gave hope for a Peugeot that could build beautiful cars again, which if you ask us, has succeeded again these days.
Opel Astra (K – L)
The Opel Astra has also always been a dull model, even as a Kadett. There is nothing wrong with that: John with the Cap who is simply looking for a means of transport, must also be able to buy something. However, the Astra has never really been fun (OPC models may have been left aside) and with the last generation under GM (K) you could actually see that everything was out of shape. The basis was similar to that of predecessor J and it became outdated quite quickly.
The current Astra (L) is of course fortunate that it can share its base with a very successful hatchback (Peugeot 308), but they have also made it a really good looking car. The aforementioned Visor design language really provides a beautiful minimalist landmark and the rest of the design is just wonderfully tidy, no nonsense, but not fatally boring (admittedly: a GS-Line package helps). Jan met de Pet can now drive around in a neat middle class car, and that for an Opel Astra.
And the rest
As mentioned, these are some examples, your own favorite examples of automotive 'glow ups' or if you strongly disagree with our choices are welcome in the comments below.
This article These 'dull' models suddenly became great first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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