Everything old is new again, as the famous saying has it. This is especially true for carmakers and their marketing departments, which strive to offer vehicles that consistently pull in the big profits, just as when a model was hot, new, and exciting. We’re seeing this as a developing trend, where automakers rely more and more on periodic updates to keep the dream—and the sales—alive.
One recent example is the 2015 Toyota Camry, which has received almost all-new sheetmetal. That exterior restyling, with every panel except the roof redone, makes the Camry look like a brand-new car. That may seem odd, because the existing model, marketed for 2012, wasn’t that old. Consider, too, the Honda Civic, which was redesigned—badly—for 2012, then swiftly upgraded for 2013, and then equipped with a new and more economical CVT transmission for 2014.
Midcycle changes such as those can be good for the automakers because they forestall the drop in demand that often sets in as a design ages. A new exterior, here, a spiffed-up interior there, a new instrument panel, powertrain, or a raft of desirable new electronic features can bolster demand. Chrysler has done this successfully with the 300 and the Dodge Charger, both of which are derived from the Mercedes E-Class sedan from two generations ago. Freshened styling and new powertrains have kept the Chrysler products up to date.
This game of incremental improvements can be good for consumers too, because a car that hasn’t changed all that much is more likely to be reliable. When you have all-new everything, there’s that much more that can go wrong. The best example of the curse-of-the-new comes from Ford. When Ford starts selling an all-new design, it tends to have some pretty serious teething problems, as was the case with the current-generation Fiesta, Focus, and Fusion. It may take two or three years to work the bugs out, but after that they’re fine. Well, usually. But some of the luster has faded, as the public eyes the latest, greatest models.
We’ve often advised people not to rush out and buy an all-new design just because it’s pretty and has neat new stuff to play with. That’s still sound advice, especially since a short time after coming to market, an all-new car may get some even cooler stuff the automakers had up their sleeves.
Checkout our videos below on some recent midlife updates.
—Gordon Hard, Seung Min Yu, and Jake Fisher
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