Confusingly, fascia is used for two completely different things in the automotive world.

In British English, a car's fascia or facia is its instrument panel and dashboard area - which lies in front of the driver and front-seat passenger. It is used primarily in enthusiast and specialist circles.

In recent American English usage, a car's fascia is its front-end "look" - grille, headlamps, front bumper, and other details. This area is possibly the most critical in defining a car's identifiable look, and is also the easiest to restyle when a car's styling needs to be refreshed. Again, this word is mostly being used by the auto trade and automotive journalists.

The term fascia is also used to describe the rear of the vehicle. The total of the front and rear fascias can make up a fourth of the exterior of the vehicle.

Furthermore, the fascia is used to describe the single panel that conceals the bumper, front or rear, and ties the bumper element visually with the sides of the vehicle -- often including a inlet for cooling. 93% of fascias are made of TPO (thermoplastic olefin elastomer). This material is high gloss, has thin wall capability, improved paintability, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

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