Auto Show 2018-Toyota-Camry-XSE-rear-three-quarters-1
2017 Detroit Auto Show Design Cliché of the Year

Everybody’s gotta have a floating roof

Super Cool 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser roof is usually painted in different colors than the body. The color dropped slightly behind the front windows of the car, perhaps creating a modern floating roof. Nissan Bush The idea of a float-colored roof C-or D-pillar inserted in a black, it visually cut off the roof from the body. This looks innovative third-gen Murano Island in 2015, just looks like a legitimate family resemblance, the next one appears in the eighth-gen 2016 maximum. Now everyone has to float the roof. We counted at least eight of the more and more annoying thematic exhibition buildings in Detroit.

Chevrolet Bolt EV

2017-Chevrolet-Bolt-EV-C-Pillar

This might be the most Murano-y floater on the floor. Hey, at least Chevy’s electron-burner didn’t copy anything from Nissan’s Leaf.

GMC Terrain

2018-GMC-Terrain-C-pillar

We can imagine that the Chevy design team might have conceived its floating roof before the Murano broke cover, but it’s hard to believe GMC’s Terrain designers never saw a Bolt.

Toyota C-HR

2018-Toyota-C-HR-C-Pillar

Toyota took the high road, placing its roof-floating sliver of black way up by the drip rail.

Honda Odyssey

2018-Honda-Odyssey-C-Pillar

Honda takes the low road, aligning its floatation device down at shoulder level.

Lexus LC 500

2018-Lexus-LC500-C-Pillar

Et tu, Lexus? We suppose you’ll claim you’re not channeling Nissan but rather Aston Martin. (The DB11 floats its roof, as well, but Aston no longer displays in Detroit.)

Toyota Prius

2017-Toyota-Prius-C-Pillar

OK, this fourth-gen Prius is just here for completeness, but it gets a pass on the grounds that it first appeared in 2016 and was hence clearly designed before the Murano broke cover.

Toyota Camry XSE

2018-Toyota-Camry-XSE-C-Pillar

These last two differ from the others in not featuring body-color roofs. Come to think of it, as shown in white with black roofs, they both rather resemble the Faraday Future FF 91—or rather, it resembles them.

GAC Trumpchi GE3

2018-GAC-Trumpchi-GE3-C-Pillar

Last but by no means least likely to copy a design trend is China’s Trumpchi brand, which makes us wonder, “Is this the comb-over of roof designs?”

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