When Toyota pulled the sheet off of the 2018 Camry at the Detroit Auto Show a few months back, we were quite literally stunned by what sat in front of us. The crappy econobox from the late 80s and early 80s has officially grown up. So much so, in fact, that we even took the time to compare it to the Mercedes E-Class. It actually fared pretty well. But see, here’s the thing. Over in Toyota’s home country of Japan, the Camry has a slightly different face, and even more important than that, it’s going to be offered in TRD and Modellista form too!

As far as the Japanese version of the Camry, there really aren’t too many differences to note. It does have a different fascia with a much larger grille. As such, it gets rectangular fog lights and a sporty lip at the bottom. The headlights are also more toned and feature clear side markers. Around back, it gets a different rear fascia and a different set of tail lights. Whether or not it’s more attractive is a matter of opinion, but one thing that I can say for sure is that I want to know when we’re getting the TRD and Modellista versions here in the U.S. See, the TRD gets a much larger lip, sportier side skirts and a new lip in the rear as well – basically a four-piece lip kit. There’s no word on any performance enhancements, but with the TRD badge being prominently displayed, I certainly hope there are some. As for the Modellista, it gets some healthy doses of chrome and likely offers up more luxurious materials inside.

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2018 Camry TRD

2018 Camry Modellista


The two models you see above are sportier and more luxurious versions of the Camry, and two models that, so far, have evaded our clutches here in the U.S. Toyota’s Japan website doesn’t yield any worthwhile information about either model, aside from the images you see above. And, it’s hard to estimate as we don’t even know what kind of juice the base Camry will pump out here, but we expect it to offer up around 300 horsepower from its 3.5-liter in range-topping form. So, when it comes to the TRD model, I suspect we would see some suspension enhancements, new software for sportier shifting, and hopefully a mild power increase as well.

As for the Modellista, I suspect it’s all about interior luxury and comfort. With absolutely nothing to go on, it’s hard to say what it might offer, but the picture you see above will give us a general idea. For starters, the overall design doesn’t differ from what we have in the U.S. Well, not outside of it being right-hand drive, anyway. But, if this is the Modellista interior, it will offer real wood trim, chrome trim accents, and soft-touch materials just about everywhere.

So, with that said, it leaves two very important questions: When are we getting the Carmy TRD here in the States and can I have one with some extra power on the side? Tell me what you think about the TRD and Modellista in the comments section below.

2018 Toyota Camry (U.S. Market)