For this post, I've chosen to feature a fairly recent Toyota Motor Corporation platform used for some of its most important brands sold in North America. Those cars are the Toyota Camry, Toyota Avalon, and the Lexus ES.
More specifically, the Camry is the model introduced for the 2018 model year, the Avalon is the 1919 model (the final one, as Avalons were discontinued after 2022), and the 2019 Lexus ES. The links each note that these cars share the same platform.
Toyota has the financial punch to invest in tooling for a comparatively large number of detail variations on the basic form, which makes today's presentation even more interesting because the designs are superficially quite different.
The Avalon and Lexus have a 113.0 inch (2870 mm) wheelbase, whereas the Camry's wheelbase is 111.2 inches (2820 mm). I need to note that the Avalon was the Toyota brand's upscale North American model while the Camry is Toyota's best-selling sedan in that market.
First, some side-views.
The difference in length lies between the B- and C-pillars: note the wider rear door. The Lexus' roofline has a different taper than the Camry's. Door handles are in the same relative positions, but most side sheetmetal differs.
As noted, same wheelbase as the Lexus. Roof curve is the same, but the Avalon is a six-window car, unlike the others. The door handles and beltline seem the same as the Lexus'. Again, differing side sheet metal. Greenhouses forward of the B-pillar are virtually the same for all three
The three cars have differing sheet metal, trunk lid cutlines, and even backlight windows.
Rear bumper impact areas seem the same on the cars.
Note the "knock-knee'd" grille structure theme that echoes ...
... the Lexus brand's upside-down back-to-back Lexus "L" theme used since the mid-2010s.
All three cars feature similar shaping in the vicinity of the fender fronts, also hood profiles. However, the Avalon's grill lacks the pinched theme seen above.
Interestingly, the 2021 Camry facelift dropped the pinched look, replacing it with wide, horizontal bars à la Avalon.
Some frontal views for comparison. All three have their brand symbol placed high and centered. Hood cut lines are similar.
I hate this grille theme, distinctive though it is.
There is a subtle, wide "V" theme in the central grille area formed by subtle shaping of the horizontal bars. The framing is unrealistically large. But too-large grille elements have been on Audis for many years and are recently found on some BMW models.
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