Everyone knows the expression of the famous aircraft designer Tupolev: “Only beautiful planes can fly well.” This statement is therefore fully applicable to cars.
Cars are often bought simply for “beautiful eyes” – without considering the price tag and technical specifications. But if the design is amateur, neither a fashionable body type, nor marketing support, nor sophisticated design will help attract customers.
Below we have listed the ten most controversial cars of recent times, the design of which, as they say, did not go well. Some of them did not go to the masses, some were quickly withdrawn from production, some had to do “plastic surgery”.
Audi A2
Shown in 1999, the “two” produced the effect of an exploding bomb. Nobody expected such courage from Audi. It was the first microvan in the brand’s history. Against the background of the usual sedans of station wagons, he looked extremely unusual.
For many, even too much – they were ashamed of a gigantic windshield, a sloping roof, a beautiful fifth door. The apotheosis of the strangeness is the hood, which did not come up, but was completely removed.
The main technical feature of the A2 was an all-aluminium body (at that time, such a design was found only on the representative A8). Thanks to the winged metal, the mass of the car was only 895 kg. With a 1.2 diesel engine, fuel consumption was 3 l/100 km – it was the most economical car of the time.
Popularity bypassed A2 side. It was withdrawn from production in 2005. In total, approximately 176,377 copies were released.
Audi A2
Ford EcoSport
Shown in 2012, the Ecosport faced the task of replacing the elevated Fusion pseudo-crossover in the lineup. The new model was even equipped with an all-wheel drive version, which was so lacking in its predecessor.
But with the design (the Brazilian department of the company was responsible for developing the appearance), the car had complete seams. The short, narrow, but disproportionately high body looked like a caricature.
Hanging a spare tire on the fifth door was a ridiculous decision. At least for us. Those who tried to print an ice-crusted spare tire cover in the winter used obscene vocabulary. In general, EcoSport did not get to us. In 2019, Ford had to exit the Russian market due to weak sales.
Jeep Compass
By the mid-2000s, it was already clear that compact crossovers were the future. By this time, this niche was firmly occupied by Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester. And the traditional manufacturer of four-wheel drive cars – the Jeep brand – had nothing in this segment.
In 2006, the Americans responded to the Japanese by showing Compass. The car turned out so ugly that some American publications even included it in the ratings of the year’s failures.
It’s hard to disagree with them: The combination of plump wing-cheeks and round headlights made the Compass look like a hamster on wheels. For brutal Jeeps – so-so comparison. It is not surprising that during the restyling the manufacturer radically changed the exterior, giving it the characteristics of the flagship Grand Cherokee. But time was lost: Compass never became popular.
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