While carmakers and designers work days and nights to make their products successful, it’s not uncommon to come across a less than appealing vehicle every now and then. Some go on to be referred to as ‘ugly’ due to bad styling, out of proportion dimension, or even weird body kits. But that’s not to say these ugly or even boring vehicles can’t be made to look good. We look at a bunch of vehicles that looked bad when launched, but improved with redesigns, body kits, etc.
Mahindra Nuvosport
Launched as a replacement to the Quanto, the Nuvosport retains the former’s silhouette but gets a new front end. Of course it was a lost opportunity for the brand as the vehicle fails to look nice, or even comparable to other compact SUVs on sale. The overdone styling ends up in making the whole thing look ugly.
But then again, Meet Singh’s design shows how it can be saved, too. Look beyond the large wheels and the blacked-out roof, the custom Nuvosport gets a larger, more aggressive-looking front bumper, a new grille, and removal of the intake scoop on the bonnet.
Mahindra TUV300
When Mahindra introduced the rugged-looking TUV300 to the market, most of the fans/prospective buyers went gaga over its ‘solid’ looks. Some even went ahead to praise it by referring it to as ‘Hummer’. For a vehicle that sits a tad too high, has squared wheel arches, and doesn’t please the eye, that might be a bit too much.
However designer Meet Singh’s rendition manages to make the TUV300 more beautiful. Gone is the Jeep-like grille, the vehicle now sits lower, the wheel arches are now circular, and the overall design, as a result, more acceptable. The custom headlamps and large alloys do make it stand out. Are you listening, Mahindra?
Mahindra KUV100
Mahindra’s attempt at converting hatchback buyers into its customers appears to have got a decent response from the market. The micro-crossover KUV100 is positioned against conventional hatchbacks but promises to offer crossover styling without the need to invest in an SUV. While the idea is completely alright, the final execution isn’t — the KUV100 ends up looking out of proportion, especially from the sides.
But little did we know that Photoshop can actually make the vehicle look so much better. Team-BHP member iamhunter’s creation, the custom KUV100 is finished in black, has red accents, but best of it all, does away with the character crease above the rear wheel, and gets a conventional door handle. As a result, the custom KUV looks more pleasing to the eye — something the original version hasn’t been able to pull off, yet.
Renault Logan
The Logan was always a trustworthy car, and while its market success hasn’t been great, it shone as a product. But sadly the vehicle was too bland for youth taste and the only place, apart from the taxi market, a Logan/Verito (later on) looked at home was in a sensible person’s driveway.
However, with a lovely body kit, a pair of nice alloys, lowered suspension, and an engine remap, the Logan you see in the pictures is a completely different monster. While the Logan wasn’t a bad design to start with, it’s heartening to see how beautiful it can look, even without an outrageously expensive modification.
Nissan Evalia
The Evalia MPV failed to work wonders for the Japanese carmaker in India, and its looks were largely to be blamed. You see, when the whole market was looking for a car-like appearance even on MPVs, something that looks so van-like was less likely to work. The boxy styling didn’t work, and the low-selling car was soon phased out.
But that’s not to say the Evalia can’t be made to look good. As can be seen in the picture, the Evalia looks so much better lowered, sitting on nice BBS alloys, and of course, black tinted glasses and roof. The eyelids might be cringe-worthy on other cars but on the Evalia they end up making the headlamps sleeker, and much more pleasing to look at.