Next-gen Toyota Camry Headed for Detroit, Hopes to Rekindle the Midsize Fire

Midsize cars just don’t excite like they used to. North American buyers have happily made the switch to voluminous crossovers and SUVs, turning the once top-ranked segment into a raisin on the vine.

Toyota hopes to change that, announcing that next month’s North American International Auto Show will reveal the next generation of the first midsizer off anyone’s lips — Camry. Perhaps realizing that name recognition and safe styling is no longer a surefire plan for sales dominance, the automaker has scheduled its uber-sensible sedan for an image makeover.

Going by a teaser photo released by Toyota yesterday, the 2018 Camry adopts much edgier styling cues. Forget about the rounded-off beige boxes of the 1990s (though they’ll always have a place in this writer’s heart).

While we don’t have the whole picture here, the vehicle’s aggressively reshaped rear bumper (complete with air vents, faux or functional) and sweeping character line merging the C-pillar and trunk lid could cause palpitations and feelings of confusion in traditional Camry buyers. Spy photos suggest an even wider grille up front.

“For years, we’ve had a reputation for high-quality, durable products that were perhaps somewhat conservative in design,” said Bob Carter, Toyota’s U.S. sales head, in a Bloomberg interview. The time is right to shake things up, Carter said, as the midsize sedan segment needs a boost.

“But perhaps now we’re going to see some real innovation that should sustain it, and who knows, bring some growth back,” he said.

The upcoming Camry won’t be alone at NAIAS. Expected to join it is the 2018 Honda Accord, and the next-gen Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Altima could also make an appearance. Crossover popularity aside, Toyota still needs to keep its midsize rivals at bay.

Riding on the global TNGA platform that underpins the Prius, the 2018 Camry could ditch its optional V6 in favor of a turbo four-cylinder. It could also drop weight through the use of aluminum — strategies already adopted by other models in this segment.

[Image: Toyota]