In Australia it was the halcyon days of the big ‘six’ family sedans from Ford and Holden
when Toyota muscled in with Camry, a four-cylinder mid-size sedan, blowing the Falcon
and Commodore off course.
Fast forward to the late 1990s when the Japanese automobile giant pinned the future of
the electrification of its vehicles on hybrid petrol/electric power with the Prius. Now a lost
legend, the so-popular Prius was to become the staple of taxicab fleets around the
world. Since, Toyota has stayed on script by backing hybrids across the board to the
exclusion (almost) of full EVs.
Indeed, the latest Camry sedan comes only in hybrid guise. Toyota Australia Vice-
President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley says: “Customer
demand for Toyota’s fuel-saving Hybrid Electric technology has grown ever-stronger in
recent years, and the new Camry’s hybrid-only lineup reflects that demand.”
Three spec levels – Ascent, Ascent Sport and SL – cover the range. The trio gets off the
ground with the Ascent at $39,990, plus on-road costs, edges to $42,990 for the Ascent
Sport and leaps to $53,990, for the Smick SL. The Ascent Sport was on test.
Toyota has taken this opportunity with the Camry to introduce its fifth-generation
petrol/electric hybrid powertrain to Australians for the first time with its improved
performance and low fuel consumption of just 4 litres per 100 kilometres. The Camry
Hybrid can accelerate from rest to 100 kilometres per hour in 7.2 seconds.
This, together with the company’s latest active safety technologies and increased
comfort and convenience, is wrapped in a sleek exterior which adopts Toyota’s Hammer
Head design language.
The Camrys are covered by Toyota’s five-year unlimited kilometre and service
warranties capped at $255 per service.
STYLING
Happily, the newbie has little reference to the stodgy Camry of old: sharp as a tack, this
one. Maybe it does sit on the same platform as its predecessor, but, with a longer front
overhang, stretched by 35mm, the body fits like an expensive pair of skinny jeans.
Toyota’s Hammer Head design language, first seen on the bZ4X SUV and C-HR EVs
this year, speaks with Camry’s C-shaped headlight cluster and forward-sloping bonnet.
Daytime running lights frame the inner section of the headlight cluster, with an upper
grille section connecting the two headlights giving the new Camry’s front fascia a solid
presence.
Illumination performance, especially the spread of light, has been improved over the
outgoing Camry to provide a better driver’s view at night. Taillights follow the Hammer
Head styling, matching the headlights.
Both the Ascent and Ascent Sport are offered with elegant multi-spoke 17-inch alloy
wheels with 215/55R17 tyres, while the flagship SL steps up to 18-inch alloys.
INTERIOR
In keeping with the silky-smooth powertrain, the cabin décor creates a seamless flow.
Top quality materials textures amount to an elegant ambience. Despite the sleek
exterior, there’s been no skimping on space.
The Sport variant takes in eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support,
wireless smartphone charger. Buyers need to step up to the SL for rear side and back
privacy glass, leather accented upholstery, panoramic sunroof, eight-way power
adjustable front seat (heated and ventilated), power adjusted steering wheel and nine-
speaker JBL audio. All at a cost.
The boot offers a generous 524 litres of luggage space that can be increased by
dropping the split/fold backrest for longer items. Under the floor is a space-saver spare,
an unexpected bonus in a hybrid car these days, when most carry a fiddly and at-times
ineffective tyre repair kit.
INFOTAINMENT
Digital instrumentation is displayed on a 7-inch screen on base Ascent, while the Sport
version jumps up to a 12.3-inch screen producing easy-to-read, customisable info for
driving and vehicle systems. Climate, audio and driving controls are separate for safety
and ease of operation.
Maintaining the steady improvements to comfort and convenience, Toyota’s latest-
generation multimedia system features sat nav, and Bluetooth connectivity, plus
wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, through 8 or 12.3-inch touchscreen displays
depending on grade.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The new Camry is the first to make use of the fifth-generation 2.5-litre Hybrid Electric
powertrain, improving fuel consumption by up to 11 per cent, depending on grade. That
returns a figure of 4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle.
CO2 emissions are a claimed 91g per kilometre.
The combined ICE/electric power output has been increased by 10kW to 170kW,
compared to the outgoing Camry, generated through a combination of the
138kW/221Nm 2.5-litre petrol engine and 100kW/208Nm permanent magnet
synchronous motor mounted on the front axle.
SAFETY
Latest technology has also found its way into the new Camry courtesy of Toyota’s
Safety Sense active technology, including improved detection of other road users, active
cruise control parameters, plus the addition of new standards of blind spot monitoring,
rear cross-traffic alert, emergency driver support and safe exit assist.
DRIVING
Toyota was the first automobile manufacturer to put a petrol/electric hybrid system into a
full production vehicle, the Prius.
Despite an ever-increasing number of pretenders to the throne since, the fifth-
generation Camry Hybrid set-up still stands on its own above the crowd.
The new hybrid system drives the front wheels via an electronic continuously variable
transmission with Normal, Eco and Sport modes, together with an EV mode which lets
the car be driven solely on electric power over short distances at low speeds.
Improved fuel consumption of just 4 litres per 100 kilometres is just the beginning. The
Camry Hybrid can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in a nifty 7.2
seconds.
Take-off is smooth and linear, with next to no noise from under the bonnet until the ICE
is called on to chip in. The same goes for overtaking. There is an absence of shift
intrusion between the power sources.
Taking advantage of the improved smooth, linear performance of the powertrain, Toyota
engineers have retuned front and rear suspension to make the Camry more engaging in
its handling, while maintaining ride comfort.
The same goes for braking with a newly developed electronic control system employing
a hydraulic booster enhancing brake feel and optimising energy recovery in
regenerative braking.
Power steering has also seen refinement with more direct feel and responsiveness
through speed-sensitive assistance. Above all, the new Camry maintains a balance
between its manual and automatic driving aids. There’s little interference with the driver
unless he or she has asked for it.
SUMMARY
If the new Camry is anything to go by, Toyota appears to have backed a winning treble
with its long-standing concentration on developing petrol/synchronous electric motor
systems. The trio deserves to be up with the leaders in the hybrid family sedan
segment.
RATINGS
Looks: 8/10
Performance: 8/10
Safety: 8/10
Thirst: 7/10
Practicality: 7/10
Comfort: 7/10
Tech: 7/10
Value: 8/10
AT A GLANCE
MODEL LINE-UP
Toyota Camry Ascent $39,990
Toyota Camry Ascent Sport $42,990
Toyota Camry SL $53,990
Note: These prices do not include government of dealer delivery charges. Contact your
Toyota local dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (Toyota Camry Ascent Sport 2.5-litre 4-cyl petrol/electric hybrid, CVT,
FWD)
ENGINE
Capacity: 2487cc
Configuration: four cylinders inline
Maximum power 138kW @ 6000rpm
Maximum torque: 221Nm @ 3600-5200rpm
Fuel type: Petrol 95 RON
Combined fuel cycle: (ADR 81/02) 4.0 L/100km
CO2 emissions: 91g/km
HYBRID SYSTEM
Front motor generator: Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Maximum power: 100kW
Maximum torque: 208Nm
Battery: Lithium ion
Capacity 4Ahr
DRIVELINE: CVT, front-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT, AND CAPACITIES
Length: 4920mm
Width: 1840mm
Height:1445mm
Wheelbase:2825mm:
Turning circle: 12.2m
Kerb weight: 1565kg
Fuel tank:50L
BRAKES
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Disc
STANDARD WARRANTY
Five years / unlimited kilometres
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