Think they can fix the 2026 Kia Tasman with a makeover? Here's our Top 5 car facelifts from Isuzu MU-X to Subaru Solterra | Opinion

The way a car looks can make or break a model, and recently we’ve seen cars such as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Tasman receive so much criticism because of their styling that the brands appear to be working on a quick redesign for them. 

So will the new-look Tasman and Santa Fe translate into better sales? We’ll find out soon, once we see the updated cars and then the sales figures, but in the meantime here are our top 5 car re-designs from the past five years. 

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5. 2025 Nissan Qashqai

Most brands update their models over the course of about seven years between all-new generations. Normally these involve tweaks to headlights or taillights and are often cosmetic changes that are easy to fit onto the existing design. So it’s always impressive when we see a striking new look come along such as with the Nissan Qashqai in 2025.

The Qashqai received a complete ‘face transplant’ giving it an entirely new look. The smaller plunging grille it had worn for years had been replaced by a gloss black textured one-piece grille stretching the width of the car. 

4. 2025 Isuzu MU-X

Isuzu’s seven-seater MU-X SUV has spent most of its life living in the shadow of the D-Max ute it’s based on, but a revamp in 2025 saw it lose its goofy grille and gain a menacing new look.

Isuzu said the mid-life update came after customer feedback and along with the redesigned face the MU-X also gained a host of new features and safety tech.

Isuzu said the restyling incorporated “aeronautical design cues to inject strength and dynamism” while improving aerodynamics.

3. 2026 Subaru Solterra

Subaru’s Solterra EV was massively overhauled just two years after its launch in 2023 due to strong criticism of its range, power, price and styling. The Solterra returned new and improved in 2025 with a redesign that made the SUV unrecognisable from the front.

For Australia the change came even more rapidly, with the Solterra launching here in early 2024 and the updated version having just arrived in early 2026.

The new face was just the tip of the huge changes that had taken place, with a larger battery installed for increased driving range and more powerful motors added. Subaru also dropped the price by up to $7000.

2. 2021 Lexus IS

The Lexus IS hasn’t been sold in Australia since 2021 but it was in that year that the mid-sized sporty sedan launched locally with a redesign so big that this looked like a new-generation and not just an update.  

More aggressive, but more refined the new IS had a wider body, a bigger grille, new headlights and LED running lights and new taillights.

1. 2023 Hyundai Sonata

The 2023 Hyundai Sonata was hit with a stunning makeover. The facelift took a fairly dull-looking sedan and turned it into a desirable, sleek and modern four door.

A new frontal design incorporating a thin LED strip skirting the bonnet edge, large lower grille and a beautifully treated tailgate with restyled taillights completed an exterior design which looked more new-gen than makeover.

The updated Sonata’s cabin also received an overhaul with new tech and features.