Thoughts on 2015 WRX vs 13/14 BRZ

[chas3wba0]

^I feel like Kia designs are mostly shameless knockoffs and mish-moshes of other brands' styling. They bite especially hard off of Honda (best example: Forte vs. Civic [image borrowed from driveaccord forum])

Apologies if

[nonicname returns]

Originally Posted by mwjcyber

Subaru Does Awesome Concepts, Boring Production Cars
Posted on: Nov 24, 2013 | 22,266 reads

"Guys at Subaru, are you paying attention here?
First off, we’re Subaru fans here, so consider this constructive criticism directed towards its designers: Guys, what’s up with your production cars lately, specifically the new WRX? It’s packaged right and affordable, yet it looks like a tuned Toyota Corolla. Your BRZ ain’t bad but it could have been much prettier. And yet your latest concepts, specifically the Cross Sport, Legacy and WRX look incredible. So what’s going on here? How hard is it to turn a sexy concept into an attractive production car? Apparently it’s hard for you."

"Heck, even Toyota has made better styling efforts with its latest Camry and Corolla. Neither of those is wonderful, but at least that Japanese automaker tried. Look, Subaru, you make awesome cars but your designers need a good kick in the balls. Our advice: hire away a top designer from a European brand. Kia did just that and now look at its cars. So now it's up to you. Are you going to continue building boxy and bland-looking cars forever or are you going to grow a pair and actually build cars that look like your concepts?"
-CarBuzz

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2013/11/...-Cars-7717285/

I couldn't agree more with you.
This is what I wrote to SOA blog in nasioc:
To SOA Blog,
Thanks for spending time around nasioc listening to what the subaru fans have to say.

I'm an industrial designer and i've been a wrx fan for 10 years now.
I'd like to make an observation from a profesional designer's point of view.
The new car's aesthetics are controversial. We can all agree that the larger part of people do not find the car visually appealing. This has been the case for pretty much every WRX ever. People learn to live with the looks simply because the car is a great performer. I think it's time Subaru addresses this unresolved issue. Take the approach kia did, look where they used to be and where they are now. Their cars are much better looking now than 5 years ago.
This is for the sake of subaru's brand. A better looking car will bring higher sales and even stronger followers.

Yes looks are subjective but you can clasify something as "generally good looking"
When the greater percentage of people agrees which is not the case for this car. Saying this new wrx is good looking is denial and acceptance. If a car has to "grow on you" then the designer failed to do it's job. The front doesn't match rear, flares don't match, proportions are off, etc. On top of that all subaru's look too different. This car has no relation to the BRZ. This should all be managed by the design team.

I'm just a individual but i'm sure i speak for thousands and thousands of people. I know subaru sales are great but i've never heard of a company not wanting to do even better. The way to do that is to sell a better design. Either get a design consultancy or different designers, sorry to be so direct but they are not doing a good job. Change is good, change is needed.

I hope this is taken as a constructive critique

This is what he responded:
"Much appreciated. We try to stay away from debate on design as it's eye and beholder stuff. It 'is' hard to argue against being sold out every month... but we appreciate your view point."

[Trmx2]

I'm honestly not a fan of this design at all. Some of the others have said it looks like a wrx-civic mashup. I agree not attractive or aggressive looking at all. Most likely for the money too, there are going to be other 4 door competitors with similar performance and better design.

[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by chas3wba0

^I feel like Kia designs are mostly shameless knockoffs and mish-moshes of other brands' styling. They bite especially hard off of Honda (best example: Forte vs. Civic [image borrowed from driveaccord forum])

Apologies if

That Forte design was penned before Kia hired Audi's designer.

[SirBrass]

Considering the lines of their best-looking car (BRZ) wasn't even done by Subaru, but by TRD (aero design was part of Toyota's contribution... same folks who did the very good aero on the butt-ugly Prius did the aero for the 86 twins).

And the WRX had a functional ugliness, like an A-10 Warthog: looked unique and that unique-but-not-beautiful look was attractive in and of itself. Now Subarus are starting to look like every other generic car out there and that truly IS ugly. Ugly not in the sense of a deep flaw (see Nissan Juke for a good example of "flawed ugly" in the extreme) but in the sense of unbearable blandness. Subarus have always had their main beauty underneath the hood and underneath the body, but at least the body exuded this sense of "I'm powerful. Watch me." Now they exude "I'm generic. Ignore me."

[chas3wba0]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

That Forte design was penned before Kia hired Audi's designer.

Ah, I see. Good to know. Let's hope their new cars don't just look like Audi imitations, then

Originally Posted by SirBrass

Considering the lines of their best-looking car (BRZ) wasn't even done by Subaru, but by TRD (aero design was part of Toyota's contribution... same folks who did the very good aero on the butt-ugly Prius did the aero for the 86 twins).

And the WRX had a functional ugliness, like an A-10 Warthog: looked unique and that unique-but-not-beautiful look was attractive in and of itself. Now Subarus are starting to look like every other generic car out there and that truly IS ugly. Ugly not in the sense of a deep flaw (see Nissan Juke for a good example of "flawed ugly" in the extreme) but in the sense of unbearable blandness. Subarus have always had their main beauty underneath the hood and underneath the body, but at least the body exuded this sense of "I'm powerful. Watch me." Now they exude "I'm generic. Ignore me."

It will be good for those who want that "sleeper" look, I suppose

[SirBrass]

There's "sleeper" (doesn't look fast, doesn't have prominent "speed" parts) and "bland". The new WRX direction is "bland", not "sleeper." A wingless 2007 STI Limited is "sleeper." A Golf GTI is "sleeper" (more or less). The new WRX isn't "sleeper." It's just asleep and snoring

[mwjcyber]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

There's "sleeper" (doesn't look fast, doesn't have prominent "speed" parts) and "bland". The new WRX direction is "bland", not "sleeper." A wingless 2007 STI Limited is "sleeper." A Golf GTI is "sleeper" (more or less). The new WRX isn't "sleeper." It's just asleep and snoring

^ Exactly!

[dontpanic]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

There's "sleeper" (doesn't look fast, doesn't have prominent "speed" parts) and "bland". The new WRX direction is "bland", not "sleeper." A wingless 2007 STI Limited is "sleeper." A Golf GTI is "sleeper" (more or less). The new WRX isn't "sleeper." It's just asleep and snoring

hoping its better in person...

[sprintertrueno86]

Originally Posted by mwjcyber

Subaru Does Awesome Concepts, Boring Production Cars
Posted on: Nov 24, 2013 | 22,266 reads

Your BRZ ain’t bad but it could have been much prettier.

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2013/11/...-Cars-7717285/

I disagree. The BRZ is like 80-90% of the concept without the aggressive fenders and body kit.

The WRX looks like 7.38% of the concept.

[Low&Slow]

Oh cool! a suuped up Ford Taurus!



Wait..

[WolfpackS2k]

^That's a Ford Taurus.

[Superhatch]

Originally Posted by nonicname returns

It 'is' hard to argue against being sold out every month... but we appreciate your view point."

This quote from SOA is the only one that matters in this thread.

[Whitigir]

Originally Posted by chas3wba0

^I feel like Kia designs are mostly shameless knockoffs and mish-moshes of other brands' styling. They bite especially hard off of Honda (best example: Forte vs. Civic [image borrowed from driveaccord forum])

Apologies if

You are Correct.

They have an SUV with the Front look so Close to a Lexus RX. My wife always have a hard time telling them a part from the side view to the front view.