''Fascia'' () is a term used in two areas in the automotive world. ''Fascia'' often refers to the decorative panels of a car's

dashboard For business applications, see Dashboard (business). A dashboard (also called dash, instrument panel (IP), or fascia) is a control panel set within the central console of a vehicle or small aircraft. Usually located directly ahead of the drive ...

, or the dashboard assembly. Regulations affecting

bumper Bumper or Bumpers may refer to: People * Betty Bumpers (1925-2018), American activist, First Lady of Arkansas, wife of Dale Bumpers * Dale Bumpers (1925–2016), American politician, governor of Arkansas and senator * Bumper Robinson (born 197 ...

design in the late 1970s saw the increasing use of soft plastic materials on the front and rear of vehicles. ''Fascia'' was adopted then as the term to describe these soft areas, but is now increasingly used as a general term for a car's set of front-end components:

grille Grill or grille may refer to: Food * Barbecue grill, a device or surface used for cooking food, usually fuelled by gas or charcoal, or the part of a cooker that performs this function * Flattop grill, a cooking device often used in restaurants, ...

headlamp A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for ...

s, front

, and other details. A bumper valance panel, a piece that is mounted on top of the bumper, or is right under it, is also considered a part of the vehicle's fascia. Carmakers often design the body panels that form the nose of their vehicles to have a unified look across their model line (see the ‘shark’ grille by Mitsubishi, or ‘tiger-nose’ grille by Kia ). The word comes from the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

word ''fascia'' (), meaning ''stripe''.

References

Automotive body parts {{Automotive-part-stub de:Armaturenbrett