SEDANS HOLD ON WITH LUXURY AND ELEGANCE
From Jaguars to Toyotas, the show floor is teeming with four-door cars
Sedans might not be as prevalent on our roads as they once were, but that doesn’t mean automakers will be dropping the fourdoor conveyances any time soon.
Here are five of the tried-andtrue people movers that are well worth checking out.
2017 TOYOTA CAMRY
Front and centre of the Toyota display is the eighth-generation Camry, a nameplate that has, for the past two years, been the bestselling car in the sedan segment. Now featuring a bold new design with a lower centre of gravity and a wider stance, the Camry strikes a sleeker profile than the outgoing model.
The car is available in five grades: L, LE, XLE, SE and topof-the-line XSE. The three powertrains choices are a 3.5-litre V6, a 2.5-L in-line four-cylinder and a hybrid with a new fourcylinder gasoline engine. The first two get a new eight-speed automatic, while the hybrid features a continuously variable transmission.
2017 JAGUAR XE
Jaguar became well known in the 1970s for the classic lines of its XJ sedans, or, in the parlance of the British, saloons. While the XJ continues in the range as the automaker’s full-size luxury sedan, Jaguar recently entered the compact sedan market with the all-new XE model.
For the 2017 XE, Jaguar introduces an optional torque-on-demand all-wheel-drive system and numerous driverassistance technologies, such as a driver-condition monitor and Apple Watch connectivity. With muscular design language on the outside, Jaguar backs up the aggressive stance with a choice of three engines, including a 340-horsepower 3.0-L supercharged V6, a 240-hp 2.0-L turbocharged in-line four and a 180-hp 2.0-L turbocharged diesel in-line four.
2017 LEXUS GS F
Recognizable by its enlarged mesh grille and oversized air vents, the new GS F strikes a very sporting pose. Check out the aerodynamic profile of the highperformance luxury sedan from Lexus; it sits wide and low on 19-inch aluminum wheels. From the rear, the car features stacked quad exhaust diffusers and a carbon-fibre spoiler. Inspired by the cockpit of a fighter jet, the GS F’s cabin has high-back sport seats and a multi-information display, plus a head-up display system. Get up and go is provided by a naturally aspirated 5.0-L V8 that delivers 467 hp and 389 pound-feet of torque, making the 2017 GS F the most powerful sport sedan Lexus has produced.
2017 SUBARU LEGACY
Over at Subaru, the automaker is showcasing its Legacy sedan, now with a new Sport trim and Technology package. This gives the car, powered by the company’s venerable 175-hp fourcylinder boxer engine backed up by a continuously variable transmission, a dark grey front grille, 18-inch machined blackfinished alloy wheels, two-tone sport fabric seats with blue stitching, side sill spoilers and carbon-design dashboard trim. The Technology package adds Subaru’s EyeSight pre-collision braking and adaptive cruise control, together with a number of driver-assistance features, including lane- keep and highbeam assists. Other niceties are proximity key with push-button start, steering-responsive fog lights and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
2017 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TRENDLINE+
Volkswagen’s Passat was originally launched in 1973, and in North American was called the Dasher. The Passat proper arrived in 1990, and the vehicle has since undergone some major changes. At the VW booth is an example of the 2017 Trendline+, a very well equipped base model of the mid-size sedan that features 16-inch alloy wheels, App-Connect smartphone integration, automatic headlights, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, rear-view camera and six-speaker sound system with 6.33-inch touch screen. No longer available with a standard transmission, it is powered by a 1.8-L in-line four-cylinder engine capable of 170 hp, mated to a sixspeed automatic with Tiptronic shift control.
Jaguar became well known in the 1970s for the classic lines of its XJ sedans, or, in the parlance of the British, saloons.