The current Toyota Camry is coming due for replacement, not coincidentally soon after its crosstown rival the Honda Accord received a major redesign for 2023.
Normally, news of an impending new Camry might elicit yawns, or sheer indifference. After all, amongst midsize sedans, a typically stuffy, practical bunch, the Toyota has long been the safe, boring choice. Well, it has been, until recently-today’s Camry is easily the most adventurously styled, sportily tuned of the breed, a trend we think will continue into the next-generation Camry due for 2024 or 2025.
For an idea of what to expect from the next Camry, let’s take a look at the segment it’ll be shaped by. Sedans (and cars, generally) are losing ground to trucks and SUVs, fast. Numerous mainstays of the midsize sedan space have faded from the marketplace, from Ford’s Fusion to the Mazda 6, and more are set to expire soon. But look at those sedans that have held on, the Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5 (neé Optima), Nissan Altima, and the Honda Accord.
These four-doors have pivoted to louder, more shouty styling and adopted sportier meins in a bid to keep buyers’ attention. After all, one must assume anyone still buying a car instead of an SUV or truck is doing so because, at least in part, they want something carlike and fun to drive. Styling that’s low, wide, and un-SUV helps signal their desires to others. In this crucible of form and performance crushing the kind of staid function midsize sedans once thrived on, prepare for the Camry to get wilder.
Author: Alexander Stoklosa
Source: MotorTrend.com