Detroit 2017 is the year of the Floating Roof

Of all of the new cars unveiled at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, I think that most will agree that this is the year that the floating roof entered the mainstream.  Automakers are increasing looking for ways to be expressive in their designs as regulations push them closer to homogeneity.  One of the ways automakers have been able to do that is with a floating roof.

The idea of a floating roof is less complex than it sounds.  It involves the C pillar being painted in black to blend in with the rear side windows.  Nissan was an early adopter of this design trend, utilizing a floating roof on the Maxima and the Murano.  Toyota followed next by including floating roofs on the latest Prius and the Lexus RX.  Now it seems like a floating roof is the latest design trend to make a car look more futuristic after LED lights and digital display screens.  No less than three all new cars debuted at Detroit with either a standard or optional floating roof.  All of these cars compete in hotly contested segments, and come equipped with other features to help them stand out from the crowd.  

2018 Toyota Camry
It seems like just yesterday that the Toyota Camry was redesigned for 2014.  As part of CEO Akio Toyoda's quest to inject more passion into his cars, the Camry has been treated to yet another update.  Four trim levels are offered: LE, XLE, SE, and XSE.  A hybrid model returns, too.  Surprisingly, as many automakers move to smaller turbocharged engines for their performance models, a V-6 engine is still available in the SE and XSE.  Styling across the lineup is more aggressive with sharp lines designed to mimic those of sister brand, Lexus.  The rear vents underneath the taillights appear taken directly from the Lexus LC500.  It is unclear which trim levels will receive the floating roof.  At least the XSE will get it, but it might be a bit extreme for the hybrid models.

2018 GMC Terrain
I know that the Terrain has been around for a long time.  It debuted for 2010 shortly after GM's bankruptcy to fill the void left by the departed Pontiac Torrent as a platform partner for the Chevy Equinox.  While the Equinox was a popular seller, the Terrain never really generated comparable numbers.  GM has fixed a lot of those problems for 2018.  The new Terrain is much lighter, having lost 465 pounds.  It's also 3.2 inches shorter and 0.4 inches narrower.  The floating roof design element gives the car an air of lightness lacking in the original car.  Unlike the Camry mentioned above, the Terrain is turbo-only.  No six cylinder engines are offered.  Perhaps the strangest change to the Terrain is the deletion of a conventional shift lever.  In its place is a horizontal arrangement of buttons and levers to select gears.  Park, neutral, and low are selected by pushing buttons.  Reverse and drive are activated by pulling up on switches that resemble window controls.  It seems like a case of reinventing the wheel, but GMC claims that removing the gear lever frees up space for storage, something that people buying crossovers look for.  Now there is a place for passengers to put their phone or music player within convenient reach of two USB ports.

 

2018 Honda Odyssey
Honda is keeping the minivan segment alive with the completely new Odyssey.  Following the template set by the Chrysler Pacifica, Honda made a great effort to make the Odyssey more aesthetically pleasing.  It utilizes Honda's current corporate face, and has character lines along the side panels similar to the old Mazda 5.  The floating roof works well here given the vast size of the C pillar.  Gimmicky features include CabinTalk which allows the driver to speak to passengers through the audio system.  Toyota already has something like this.  Hard to believe someone can be so engrossed in whatever they are listening to that they can't notice someone talking to them from ten feet away.  Another feature is called CabinWatch which displays a live feed from the middle row of seats on the infotainment screen, because it is clearly so difficult to turn your head to see what's going on behind you.  Honestly, technology for the sake of technology makes me sick.  I remember when my mom drove my family around in her minivan.  There was no advanced driver aids.  If we wanted entertainment, we listened to CD players--the car's cassette player never worked--or we read books.  Being a car enthusiast, I mostly just stared out the window and identified passing cars.  If my sister and I really needed something to distract us on long road trips, we folded the middle row down, strapped a small TV on top of it, and watched VHS tapes.  It was powered by the van's cigarette lighter.  Minivans today might as well be top of the line RVs compared to when I was a kid.

Wow, that got unexpectedly heated.  Anyway, floating roofs are now in vogue and we should expect them to appear on numerous cars in the next few years.