Here's the official word from Toyota on the new Cumry:
'Vanilla' sundae
Toyota's Camry, the best selling car in the U.S. for the past seven years, was redesigned for 2006 and debuted at Detroit this week. Toyota itself acknowledged that the previous car, while a sales leader, was often described by its owners as "vanilla", "bread and butter" and "dad's car."
"A play-it-safe-redesign of the Camry was out of the question," said Don Esmond, a senior executive with the carmaker. "The market, and the segment in which Camry competes, is just too competitive."
Instead, the Camry has a more "athletic" look, along with cues in the headlamps and grill that connect it to both its full-sized sibling, the Avalon, along with the company's new subcompact Yaris.