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Three big redesigns unveiled at North American International Auto Show 2017

Benjamin Yong on January 18, 2017

North American International Auto Show 2017 sign
The 2017 North American International Auto Show, held in downtown Detroit’s Cobo Center, runs from Jan. 8 to 22. Photos by Benjamin Yong.

This year at the Motor City’s premier automotive event, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), aside from the usual assortment of concepts and future tech teasers, the big news was focused around the next generation of a group of well-established models from Honda, Toyota and Lexus. Let’s take a look.

2018 Honda Odyssey front

2018 Honda Odyssey

Making its world debut in Detroit, Honda’s best-selling minivan gets a complete redesign. Besides its obviously sleeker profile and addition of the “flying wing” front grille also found on siblings like the Civic and Ridgeline, there are a ton of new features. The Magic Slide second row seats can be configured in countless a ways to allow for different seating positions, easy access to the third row and increased storage capacity.

2018 Honda Odyssey cargo

Drivers no longer have to wonder what’s going on behind them — utilizing a camera, CabinWatch shows rear passenger activity on the eight-inch Display Audio screen, and CabinTalk allows two-way communication via the on-board speaker system and rear entertainment system headphones. And parents of messy children and/or pets can breathe easy, because the HondaVac built-in vacuum returns for 2018.

2018 toyota camry front

2018 Toyota Camry

Including the latest version that was just revealed in Detroit, there have now been eight generations of the Toyota Camry. And it shows no signs of slowing down. Based upon the Toyota New Global Architecture platform, the family sedan — offered in gasoline or hybrid form — takes on a, dare I say, sporty appearance, expressed through a two-piece grille, stylized front and rear bumpers and lower hood and roofline.

2018 Toyota Camry XSE

At the top of the five-grade lineup are the SE and XSE, both wearing even more aggressive front and rear fascias, larger wheels, lip spoilers and black accents. Inside, all Camrys are available with “futuristic” equipment such as three interlinked displays consisting of a 10-inch HUD, seven-inch multi-information instrument cluster display and an eight-inch screen responsible for audio, navigation and climate control readouts.

2018 lexus ls 500

2018 Lexus LS 500

When the Japanese luxury nameplate launched in North America nearly 28 years ago, everything was riding on one vehicle: the LS 400. It set all kinds of benchmarks in terms of comfort, value, quality, etc., and Lexus is hoping to do it all again with the 2018 LS 500. Like the original, this flagship is rear-wheel drive and embodies the latest signature Lexus design language.

2018 lexus ls 500 side

Resting under the hood is a powerplant developed using the company’s ties with F1 racing. Perfectly balancing performance and efficiency, a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 produces 415 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, tuned to deliver quick acceleration and a throaty yet refined exhaust note. As a first for a premium passenger car, the engine is mated to an advanced electronically controlled 10-speed automatic transmission capable of anticipating driver input.

How Toyota VALVEMATIC technology works

Benjamin Yong on January 3, 2017

Every auto manufacturer has a collection of jargon to describe proprietary technology and design: VTEC, SKYACTIV, Fluidic Sculpture. One you may have heard of recently is Toyota’s VALVEMATIC, found in the latest 2017 Toyota Corolla.

This performance and efficiency-boosting feature can be experienced specifically in the Corolla LE ECO trim. Launched in other markets previously, VALVEMATIC made its North American debut in 2014 when the eleventh-generation model was first launched.

Toyota VALVEMATIC engine

Enhancing the company’s Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i) system — which continuously varies the timing of the opening and closing of intake valves depending on the driving demands to improve output, VALVEMATIC is also able to automatically adjust the amount of lift based on engine conditions.

Basically, this means if the vehicle is cruising along in the city with minimal load on the motor, the valve opens up less, using less gas and improving consumption. At higher speeds, more lift is initiated, increasing intake of air and fuel to help get things moving along quicker. Other benefits of the setup include a smoother process of drawing air into the cylinder and more stable combustion meaning fewer CO2 emissions.

2017 Toyota Corolla LE ECO Green Mica

As a result, efficiency is improved by five to 10 per cent, and engine performance by at least 10 per cent. Again using the Corolla as an example, the LE ECO makes 140 horsepower while standard trim levels produce 132. Fuel consumption in mixed city and highway use is 6.8 L/100 km, compared to 7.3 L/100 km in the normal non-VALVEMATIC-equipped LE, both variants mated a Continuously Variable Transmission with intelligent Shift (CVTi-S).

Still curious? Talk to one of our product advisors at any of our 4 Toyota locations located in: Richmond, Port Moody, Abbotsford, and Peace Arch.