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Automobiles must evolve to remain competitive. To keep their cars fresh, automakers run product cycles that typically last four to seven years before a vehicle is redesigned from the ground up. In between, cars are treated to a “midcycle refresh” that usually includes new front and rear fascias, updates to infotainment systems, the addition of the latest safety technologies, and perhaps new interior designs.

For the 2015 model year, Toyota is refreshing three of its vehicles, the subcompact Yaris, the Sienna minivan and America’s best-selling car, the midsize Camry. The Yaris and Sienna get typical midcycle updates, but the extent of the changes to the Camry goes beyond that. And Toyota may need it to recapture its hard-earned U.S. market share, which peaked at 17 percent in 2009 and now hovers between 13 and 14 percent.

More emotional Camry

Last redesigned for the 2012 model year, the Camry for 2015 gets a striking new look, a higher quality interior and suspension tweaks. It gets these changes despite strong sales. The Camry remains the best-selling car in America, and through September sales are up 5 percent while the segment is down 1 percent.

“We see an opportunity for more expressive styling and a more premium interior. We also heard some desires for more spirited driving experience,” said Camry marketing chief Rick LoFaso. “Happening at the same time was a direction from our president, Akio Toyoda, that consumers shouldn’t buy a car just because it’s the right choice, they should also buy a car because they want to buy it. Not just a rational reason, but also an emotional reason.”

The new exterior is the most obvious expression of that new emotional direction. Every body panel, except the roof, is new, and the new design trades Toyota’s usual conservative approach for a much bolder look.

When it was redone for 2012, the Camry’s interior featured some new soft-touch materials, but it also suffered from some cheaper materials that smacked of cost-cutting measures. The new model gets a new dashboard design and more soft-touch surfaces.

The interior also gets the next generation of Toyota’s Entune infotainment system. This system, which controls the entertainment, communications and navigation functions, now comes with a customizable home screen, swipe capability, voice recognition training, and cache radio that can rewind up to 20 minutes of programming.

To further extend the emotional element, Toyota is expanding the Camry’s sport-tuned offerings. A new XSE model gets even firmer suspension settings than the SE model, which had been the sportiest in the lineup, plus 18-inch wheels instead of the SE’s 17s. The hybrid also adds an SE model. Toyota says the 2012-14 SE model, which also had those sport features, accounted for 45 percent of sales and drew a buyer with a median age of 45 versus 57 for the rest of the lineup.

Our take: All told, these changes do make for a more emotional Camry. The exterior design is truly attractive and is now a reason to buy the car. The interior changes may be more important. The new interior looks and feels much more substantial, placing it at or near the top of the class. The suspension changes, on the other hand, do little to change Camry’s conservative driving dynamics. The good news for those with a sportier bent is that Toyota is now offering more sport-oriented models. Our advice, however, would be to choose the Mazda6 or Honda Accord if sportiness is your main concern.

Minor minivan update

The Sienna was last redesigned for the 2011 model year, and the new changes are more like a typical midcycle refresh. Toyota put most of its focus on the interior. “We analyzed consumer feedback and rejection reasons and we identified the interior styling as one of the main consumer feedback items that needed improvement,” said Cooper Erickson, the Sienna’s marketing chief.

Interior changes include the same next-generation Entune system the Camry has, additional soft-touch surfaces on portions of the dashboard, and a new instrument panel design with a multi-information display between the gauges.

Other changes include retuned shocks and springs, increased rigidity, aero fins on the taillights, LED daytime driving lights upfront, a new grille design for most models, and an available blind spot monitor.

All models go up in price between $840 and $1,455.

Our take: While the Sienna’s interior changes do make it more comfortable and usable, the soft-touch surfaces are added sparingly and the look is something less than upscale. However, that’s the norm for this class. The updated Entune system helps the Sienna stay in touch with the times, and the additional spot welds and suspension tuning provide an extra bit of composure. The added equipment makes the Sienna a better value, especially in the important $35,000 range.

Better-looking Yaris

Offered only as a hatchback since the 2013 model year, Toyota’s entry-level car also gets refreshed for 2015. The new look is most obvious on the sport-oriented SE model, which features a black front grille, black exterior trim, a rear spoiler, and 16-inch alloy wheels.

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“The focus there was primarily on exterior styling, but more so interior,” LoFaso said. “We had more customer feedback on the interior appointment of Yaris than we did on Camry.” Those interior changes include a soft-touch dash face, a new instrument panel with a multi-information display between the gauges, new seats, and less noise thanks to an acoustic glass windshield and more sound-deadening material.

Our take: The Yaris’ new look is indeed an improvement, especially for the SE model with its black-accented alloy wheels. The other models continue with wheel covers and the entry-level look they impart. The interior is a bigger improvement. It’s quieter, the seats are more comfortable, and it adds soft-touch surfaces to a class that doesn’t often have them. However, these materials feel more spongy than supple, and the Yaris is still obviously built to its mid-$14,000 starting price.