I mean there is a certain understanding that cars are going to look a bit the same. They are going after the same customers after all, but it would be nice to see a bit more innovation. There is certainly more room for experimentation (that is still pretty risk-averse) than car makers are doing right now.
Any examples of unique cars in this segment?
You also have to consider buying motivations and demographics. Is this demographic using their vehicle as a surrogate for 'image'? How integral is the uniqueness of their transportation to their overall strategy and value of image?
Then you have to take the demographic ideals and compare them with the manufacturers intentions, which is ultimately sell as many cars as possible to as many people as possible. Vehicle design inevitably aims at maximising consumption before production even begins. If the chief competitor in segment looks a certain way, functions a certain way and appeals in a certain way its logical for a company looking for those EXACT same virtues to copy or appropriate those virtues as their own...
The ideal of the demographic doesn't dictate the ideal of the manufacturer, the manufacturer dictates the consumers ideal.
It costs money to have a soul, that's why Ferraris look like Ferraris and not Hondas...