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

In British English, a car's fascia is its instrument panel and dashboard area - what 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.