7 Most Hated Facelifted Cars In India

Over time to stay in the game of technology as well as in the market, carmakers tend to update their vehicles. This update is either in the form of a facelift or a generation change. Where a generation change is slow, facelifts are relatively frequent. Now, not always the update these are positive, at least this is what the car buyers think. Hence, the sales numbers are the best depiction. So, today we count 7 cars facelifts that the customers hated.

1. Maruti Suzuki Celerio
   

   

   Beginning with the hatchback from the Indian best-selling carmaker, Marti Suzuki Celerio. Maruti launched the Celerio back in 2014 and has subtly updated since until the December of 2021. This is where the carmakers launched the next generation of the hatchback. Though Celerio gets questionable aesthetics, it sure is a step up from the previous model.

   Worthy Comparo: Tata Tiago CNG VS Maruti Suzuki Celerio CNG- Compared!

   That said, despite the update, the sales numbers of the vehicle have never been consistent. In May 2015, a fair time after the car’s launch, about 6,600 units of Celerio were sold. Now, in May 2022, about 6,300 units were sold. Well, the difference is not much, but the time period is. It’s been almost 6 months since the launch of the next generation still, the sale is tumbling.

2. Hyundai Santro
   

   

   Up next is the Hyundai Santro. It was 1999 when the first Santro was launched, and since then, the car has gone through various facelifts and a couple of generation changes. One of the generation changes was the Santro Xing back in 2003. But the Hyundai Santro Xing was on sale in the Indian market for about a decade with minimal to no updates whatsoever. Later in 2015, the carmaker discontinued the entry-level hatchback leaving a void. But to fill the same, Hyundai launched the next generation of Santro in 2018. However, it didn’t go as the Korean carmaker had hoped. The average sales of the hatchback in FY2022 were only 2,000 units.

   Interesting Read: What Did We Learn From The Death OF The Hyundai Santro?

   But what is the reason behind the low sales numbers? Well, it is the price. For one, the Hyundai Santro used to rival cars like the Maruti Suzuki Alto, Maruti Suzuki WagonR, Renault Kwid, and others. Among its rivals, this hatchback is relatively pricy. And for the target audience, budget is all that matters. Hence, now in 2022, the Korean carmaker Hyundai shelved its ionic hatchback in India.

3. Maruti Suzuki Dzire
   

   

   The next on the list is the tried and tested Maruti Suzuki Dzire. Back in 2008, Maruti Suzuki entered the compact sedan segment with the Swift Dzire. later, the company changed the name to just Dzire. At first, Dzire was among the best-selling cars from the Indian automotive giant. And the demand for this sedan was facilitated by several updates and a couple of generation changes.Here are the Cheapest CNG Sedans in India! | From Dzire to Aura

   Now, the last generation change was launched in 2017, and in 2020 Maruti Suzuki gave the vehicle a small facelift. In this facelift, the vehicle was updated with minor cosmetic updates, and the diesel engine was discontinued. But with the diesel discontinued, the sales of the facelifted Dzire were slightly lowered. Although the number of vehicles sold has remained fairly consistent.

4. Renault Duster
   

   

   It was the Renault Duster that wrote the success story of this French carmaker in India. In 2012 India witnessed the reign of Renault Duster. Due to the positive response, Renault launched the Duster with an AWD drivetrain which again was an instant hit for the automotive junkies. But after implementing BS6 emission norms, Renault pulled the plug on diesel engines in their vehicles, Duster from one of them.

   More about the Renault Duster: The Car You Know, The Story You Don’t

   Then, later Renault launched Duster with a powerful turbo petrol engine in 2020. But it was too late by then and the sales of this compact SUV plummetted. And in Feb 2022, Renault pulled the plug on this engineered market.

5. Hyundai i20
   

   

   The Korean carmaker Hyundai is known to manufacture cars with a lot of features. And Hyundai i20 is among the hatchback that gets the company’s DNA. Additionally, the new Hyundai i20 is the hatchback that comes with the most creature comforts in its segment.

   Interesting Read: Hyundai i20 VS Hyundai i20 N-Line | Is It Just The Looks?

   Not just that, the Hyundai i20 is among the most expensive in the segment the N-Line trims take the price to the next level. Despite the generation change and the addition of the sporty variant, i20 didn’t achieve the sales numbers the company was hoping for.

6. Honda Civic
   

   

   2006 is when the Japanese carmaker Honda launched the iconic Civic in India. It was sleek, it was futuristic and it was a dream car for many kids including myself back then. Under the hood, this vehicle was powered by a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that was capable of generating peak power of 130bhp and 171Nm of torque.

   More about the Honda Civic 2006 vs 2020 Honda Civic | Evolution of a Poster Car

   Well after a facelift due to limited sales Honda decided to end the production of the Civic in 2013. By this time, little did we know if we could ever see the Civic in India again. In 2019, Honda brought back the Civic with a new generation, the same petrol but a new diesel engine. But alas, the legend didn’t do as expected and ended its life in India in 2020.

7. Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
   

   

   Next up is the C-segment sedan, Ciaz, from the country’s best-selling carmaker, Maruti Suzuki. As of now, Ciaz is the most affordable C-segment sedan one can buy, it is also among the oldest to exist in the market. The last update that the company gave this vehicle was in 2018, then the car got a subtle but definite aesthetic change on the outside.

   Here are the 10 Common problems reported on the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

   With that, there were some changes to the interior of the vehicle. Since then, apart from ditching the diesel, Ciaz is still the same and is in dire need of a generation change. Additionally, in 2018, despite the update, the car never reached the expected sales numbers that the company was hoping for.

So, these were the 7 most hated facelifted cars in India. In the comment section, let us know which other car should be on the list.