Five cars that look like they're smiling you can buy on carsales

In 2021 we need more smiles, and more reasons to smile. So why not combine the two and buy a new car which comes with its very own smiley face. We’ve previously spoken about cars with grilles that give off the impression of a face and smile and through some highly in-depth analysis found that cars with smiles sold in greater numbers. So if you’re looking for a new car, why not start by looking at one that smiles back at you. Here are five cars you can buy on carsales that look as if they are smiling.

Since 2009, the Mazda 3 design has been giving off a beaming big grin. During that generation of Mazdas between 2009 and 2013, a big smiley face was almost mandatory with other models such as the 2 and MX-5 giving off a happy vibe like no other. New Mazda 3s are just as smiley but you can’t go past the 2009-2013 variants. We really want to know why they’re just so happy all the time!

French cars have always had a certain je ne sais quoi about them in terms of design. The Peugeot 208 surprisingly is the more conservative model in the family yet still gives off a happy smile. We’re pretty sure it's happy because it knows that it’s a little pocket rocket that moonlights as a city runabout.

The Austin Healy Sprite is a classic and a smiler from way back. The Sprite became affectionately known as the frogeye in the UK and the bugeye in the US, thanks to its round headlights which were mounted on top of the bonnet. Even with its nicknames, this little roadster of yesteryear is one cute character-filled happy chap.

If the smiley grille of the first-ever Hyundai i30 Sedan was any larger they probably wouldn’t be able to fit the headlights onto it. Unlike its hatch counterpart’s more snout-like grille, the sedan uses Hyundai’s new waterfall grille which looks similar to shark teeth. So other cars better watch out. It’s probably also so smiley because it no longer has to go by the very under-loved Elantra name in Australia.

The new Ford Puma SUV takes many style cues from current Ford stablemates such as the Focus and the Escape, but the Puma has the real cheeky smile one of the family. The pint-sized SUV’s front is almost exclusively smiley grille and big wide-eyed headlights. But when you’re in one of the most competitive segments in the most competitive car market in the world, all you can do is smile and hope for the best.

Related: It’s official, cars are designed to have a face

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