Photo: jlord8/Instagram
Right now, the Japanese automakers are showing that classic four-door sedans (Camry, Corolla, Maxima, Altima, Accord, or Civic) are still very much alive and kicking. So, maybe, the Detroit Three gave up on them prematurely.
While they are under assault from the ever-growing infusion of old and new CUV plus SUV and truck nameplates, passenger cars are not yet on their deathbed. And iconic nameplates – especially from the Japanese automakers but also from Europeans - and even new entries into the fold like Tesla’s Model S and 3, or Lucid Air show there is enough fight left into sedans, for example, to warrant a second thought. Besides, some automakers are not even standing idle and are actively trying to reconcile all customer wishes.
For example, Toyota has recently decided to allow its mid-size luxury Crown nameplate to give the North American market another shot at achieving glory. As such, the sixteenth generation (S235) model has returned to the region and now acts as the $39,950 crossover-sedan hybrid Crown – settling all by itself into a fresh niche. Sure, there are other rugged sedans out there, like the second-gen VB Subaru WRX – but the compact AWD four-door is neither as large nor as posh and has not been received all too well, either.
Anyway, if Toyota’s Crown is successful, we might see other carmakers trying to emulate the recipe and lure in both CUV and sedan enthusiasts to a singular, unified model style. Until that happens in the real world, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is always keen on giving us a preface of what could be. As such, meet Jim, the virtual artist better known as jlord8 on social media, who has CGI-dropped yet another Detroit Three sedan based on a hulking SUV, this time around the mid-size Ford Explorer.
His most recent hypothetical and unofficial idea for an off-road-ready sedan was based on the full-size fifth-gen Cadillac Escalade and the 682-hp four-door sure gave out a bundle of mixed digital feelings, as far as the author’s fan base was concerned. Now, the smaller and potentially cheaper mid-size Ford Explorer ST crossover-sedan is following suit and the debate is heating up, for sure. As such, some folks only see it as a “bloated” idea, others think it’s just a “thick Ford Taurus,” a few had lots of suggestions for improving the design, and a bunch simply decided they would take it home – if real.
One thing is for sure, though, as more and more automotive observers feel that the market is heading towards crossover sedans, maybe it is time for the Big Detroit Three to start thinking about retconning their decisions to abandon the passenger car sectors. Right, or wrong?
For example, Toyota has recently decided to allow its mid-size luxury Crown nameplate to give the North American market another shot at achieving glory. As such, the sixteenth generation (S235) model has returned to the region and now acts as the $39,950 crossover-sedan hybrid Crown – settling all by itself into a fresh niche. Sure, there are other rugged sedans out there, like the second-gen VB Subaru WRX – but the compact AWD four-door is neither as large nor as posh and has not been received all too well, either.
Anyway, if Toyota’s Crown is successful, we might see other carmakers trying to emulate the recipe and lure in both CUV and sedan enthusiasts to a singular, unified model style. Until that happens in the real world, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is always keen on giving us a preface of what could be. As such, meet Jim, the virtual artist better known as jlord8 on social media, who has CGI-dropped yet another Detroit Three sedan based on a hulking SUV, this time around the mid-size Ford Explorer.
His most recent hypothetical and unofficial idea for an off-road-ready sedan was based on the full-size fifth-gen Cadillac Escalade and the 682-hp four-door sure gave out a bundle of mixed digital feelings, as far as the author’s fan base was concerned. Now, the smaller and potentially cheaper mid-size Ford Explorer ST crossover-sedan is following suit and the debate is heating up, for sure. As such, some folks only see it as a “bloated” idea, others think it’s just a “thick Ford Taurus,” a few had lots of suggestions for improving the design, and a bunch simply decided they would take it home – if real.
One thing is for sure, though, as more and more automotive observers feel that the market is heading towards crossover sedans, maybe it is time for the Big Detroit Three to start thinking about retconning their decisions to abandon the passenger car sectors. Right, or wrong?
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