What is a car facelift?

When you’re researching for a new car you may come across a term something like ‘this is the facelifted Volkswagen Golf’ or ‘the Mercedes E-Class has just been given a facelift’. But what exactly is a facelift? Here’s everything you need to know.

• Facelift term defined
• What exterior items tend to change
• What changes are made to car interiors
• Other major changes in a facelift
• Why car makers update their cars
• When do facelifts happen?
• How much do facelifts cost?
• Should you buy a facelifted car?
• How to grab a bargain

What is a facelift?

A facelift in surgery is an operation where wrinkles are tightened to give the patient a younger-looking face. When talking about cars, a facelift is a term that encompasses a host of design, interior and tech upgrades to a car in order to maintain its appeal.

These days, car manufacturers prefer to add a raft of small changes, rather than make a few big ones, as was the case in days gone by. As a result, you usually need to be a real expert or brilliant at spot the difference to pick out the exterior styling changes between a pre- and post-facelift Mercedes E-Class, for example. Those changes tend to be made to the bumpers, lights and grille. There might be new wheel designs and colour options, too.

Changes to the interior of a facelifted car are usually just as subtle. Maybe some new trim and upholstery options, or even a new air vent design. Bigger changes may be made to accommodate a major upgrade in the on-board technology. A new infotainment system with a bigger screen could necessitate a major redraw of the whole dashboard.

Facelifts may also include updates to engines, gearboxes, chassis control systems and safety aids as well. Especially if there have been big changes in legislation around emissions and safety since the car was first launched.

See what typically changes in a facelift in our video review of the Volkswagen Passat

Why are cars facelifted?

Most car manufacturers launch a new generation of a given model every six to eight years. That’s a very long lifespan for what is, in essence, a consumer good. Apple launches a new iPhone every 12 months and the likes of Hotpoint and Zanussi will completely overhaul their fridges and washing machines every couple of years. Facelifts, then, are a means to boost interest in a model that is past the first flush of youth but still some years from an all-new replacement, providing a platform for a fresh round of media exposure, advertising and dealership events.

There are other reasons for carrying out a facelift. Since a car was first launched, its maker may have completely changed its ‘family look’ – a set of styling cues that identify a car as being the product of a particular manufacturer – therefore, the styling needs a major revamp so the car resembles its newer rangemates. Other cars may have been launched that set the standard in terms of technology or efficiency, so other car makers may introduce facelifts to catch up.

When does a facelift happen?

It was probably Ford that developed the concept of the facelift back when the Model T was in production. Throughout its 19-year run, the Model T received a near-constant stream of updates such that a last-off-the-line 1927 (below right) example was a very different car to the 1908 original (below left).

Other American car manufacturers followed suit and, by the 1950s, most were applying annual changes – facelifts – to their models, a regime that still exists today. That’s why an American car’s age is usually defined by its ‘model year’, rather its date of manufacture or registration, as in the UK.

Car manufacturers from the rest of the world tend not to facelift their cars so regularly. Cars sold in the UK tend to receive a facelift about halfway through their lifecycle, usually three or four years after it was originally launched, as in the case of the Lexus NX, below.

That may be followed by another round or two of smaller updates before the car is replaced. Cars that stay in production beyond the usual six to eight years may receive two or three full facelifts during their life. The Mitsubishi ASX, for instance, has been around since 2010 and is now on its fourth facelift.

This is only a general rule of thumb, though. Some cars sold in the UK barely change at all over a ten-year production run, while others are constantly updated. The Nissan GT-R springs to mind in the latter case, a car fundamentally unchanged since its launch in 2007 but that seems to be updated every time there’s a week in the month. Thankfully, we’re past the time when facelifts were rushed out to correct major flaws.

How much does a facelift car cost?

The changes made in a facelift are usually concentrated in the areas of a car that are easiest to alter – bumpers, lights, etc. But even small changes to a car’s styling and specification cost a lot of money to design, implement and market.

That cost has to be met, so a facelift usually signifies an increase in a car’s list price. How big the increase is depends on how significant the changes are, ranging from a few hundred pounds to several thousand. There are rare cases when the price doesn’t change, though.

Should I buy a facelift car?

In a word, yes. The changes may be small over the original model, but facelifted cars are generally notably improved. And you get the warm glow of knowing you’re driving the latest model!

But bear in mind that the arrival of a facelift means that stocks of the old version need to be cleared before it arrives in showrooms. So, if you don’t mind buying the old version, it’s usually possible to get a hefty discount on the list price, or a tempting monthly payment deal.