Outstanding value; feature-packed; ride and handling the best Camry yet
Not the segment’s most cutting-edge looks; no diesel option
Toyota Camry dominates the mid-size sedan segment, even in runout mode this year accounting for one in every three vehicles sold. Car Showroom has just driven the all-new fifth generation Toyota Camry and it surprised us with much-improved on –road dynamics (ride, handling, performance), significant gains in interior space and remarkable value-for-money (prices for both entry-level and range-topping models unchanged from the previous version).
Camry is a big deal for Toyota Australia – not only is it the backbone of the company’s massive export program (worth $1 –billion per year), Australia alone is the world’s fourth-largest Camry market. Camry is also a big deal for the national economy - Toyota employs 3,200 people at its Altona plant in Victoria, engages 1,200 supplier companies and spends about $2.8-billion locally each year and Toyota dealers employ a further 17,000 people and inject $340-million annually into the economy.
At the heart of the all-new Toyota Camry is an all-new 2.5-litre petrol engine which will be built in Australia thanks to Toyota investing $300-million to upgrade its engine manufacturing plant. The local engines come on-stream next year and until then, Camry will be powered by engines imported from Japan.
Toyota Camry Overview
All-new model, all-new model lineup for the Toyota Camry. Entry- level (the model chosen by fleet operators and rental car companies mostly) remains the ‘Altise’, while the models more popular with private buyers are now called Atara (available in ‘S’, ‘SX’ and range-topping ‘SL’ grades).
Good news on the pricing front with the entry-level Toyota Camry Altise listed at $30,490 (unchanged from the previous ‘Altise’) and the range-topping Atara SL is stickered at $39,990 (same as the previous ‘Grande’).
The full range of the all-new Toyota Camry is:
Altise $30,490
Atara S $33,490
Atara SX $35,990
Atara SL $39,990
Toyota Camry Engine
Power comes from a new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine (as mentioned initially sourced from Japan but switching to local production next year). Toyota Camry Atara models (with twin exhausts) deliver 135kW/235Nm, while the entry-level Altise (single exhaust) loses just a smidgen to 133kW/231Nm.
Overall refinement for the all-new Toyota Camry is considerably better and certainly the new powerplant and standard six-speed transmission (with throttle-blip downchanges when shifted sequentially) are major contributors to the improvement. Toyota has dropped Camry’s manual transmission – it accounted for less than three per cent of sales.
Despite the 15 per cent power gain, fuel consumption is impressively reduced by 11.3 per cent to average 7.8l/100kms – that’s a full litre better than the previous model. Emissions are down to – by 25 per cent to 183g/km.
Toyota Camry The Interior
All-new Toyota Camry certainly steps-up inside with a very modern look highlighted by a nicely contoured new dashboard design, new instruments, new seats and new materials. There’s also noticeably more space – 15mm more ‘couple distance’, 50mm extra knee room for the centre rear seat passenger and 46mm more knee room for the two outer rear seat occupants.
The Toyota Camry Atara SL we first drove looked distinctly up-market with its beige leather interior, contrasting black carpets and woodgrain trim
Instrumentation is a three-gauge layout, including a fuel consumption gauge which is positioned just a little too close to the fuel gauge and is sometimes difficult to differentiate.
We liked the new-design steering wheel (adjustable for rake and reach with simple remote control buttons for audio etc). We also liked the clean, uncluttered layout for the centre console audio/navigation and the lower console around the new design gear lever with two nice, deep cupholders and a deep storage box.
Camry Alise runs a six-speaker audio system, Atara S and SX score the 6.1-inch screen and reversing camera. Range-topping Toyota Camry Atara SL goes further with a 10 speaker JBL audio, including a seven-inch touch screen, Digital radio and live traffic updates.
Toyota Camry Atara SL also gains two new , high-tech features – a blind spot warning system (lights in the exterior mirrors alert the driver and flash should he operate the indicators) and automatic high beam headlights (default to high-beam but detect other cars and switch to low-beam). Interestingly, the Japanese-sourced automatic high-beam system had to be re-adjusted for Australian conditions as it detected the red reflectors on our white guide posts and thought they were other cars – the system was fine tuned on rural roads on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsular.
All-new Toyota Camry provides 515-litres of luggage space and the rear seat split-folds 60:40 for load-carrying versatility.
Toyota Camry Exterior & Styling
While some may say the all-new Camry presented Toyota with the opportunity to push the boundaries of Camry styling in a more cutting edge way, the reality is you can’t argue with 18 consecutive years of market leadership here in Australia and number one best-selling model achievements in North America.
That said, there’s no doubt the all-new Toyota Camry does take a bolder path in the looks department with a more purposeful on-road presence than previous models. Toyota also set-out to achieve more differentiation between the entry-level Camry Altise and upscale Atara models.
The Atara lineup gains a sporty front bumper, mesh grille (the lower part divided into three sections), side skirts and twin exhaust tailpipes. Atara SX goes further with a ‘double aperture’ rear bumper and bootlid spoiler.
Toyota Camry Altise sits on 16-inch alloy wheels while the Atara versions score 17-inch alloys in a stylish five ‘double spoke’ design. Fleet buyers of the Toyota Camry Altise can again opt for steel wheels at no extra cost.
Toyota Camry On The Road
We grabbed a range-topping Toyota Camry Atara SL and, comfortably seated in our leather seats, surrounded by woodgrain trim and with the standard satellite navigation to guide us, set-off on a circuitous route from Toyota’s Port Melbourne HQ to Ballarat in central Victoria. That route covered suburban driving, freeway, secondary rural roads and some dirt.
On the freeway, as expected the all-new Toyota Camry cruised easily with nice responsiveness from the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder and smooth shifts from the six-speed automatic. We liked the new electric power steering – a much improved ‘straight ahead’ feel (the previous Toyota Camry was a tad vague in its feel on the freeway).
But it was the country roads where the biggest change in the all-new Toyota Camry becomes apparent. Engineers at the Toyota Technical Centre Australia in Notting Hill, Victoria were responsible for the suspension calibration and their tuning for Australian conditions is first-rate.
While spring rates are similar to the existing Toyota Camry, the local tuning focused on damper settings. The goal was a flatter ride and improved rear-end grip during cornering – and that has been achieved.
As well, the local tuning sought to provide better noise isolation, especially over bumps. While mechanical noise is significantly reduced, we did notice some tyre noise on some road surfaces.
Toyota Camry Challenges
All-new Toyota Camry doesn’t deliver radical, cutting-edge new style. It’s evolutionary for sure, but the facts speak for themselves – this is a conservative market segment and conservative Toyota remains the world’s number one car maker.
And against major rivals Ford Mondeo and Mazda6, Toyota Camry doesn’t offer a diesel engine model – the upcoming Camry hybrid will be the fuel-sipping alternative.
Toyota Camry Verdict
No doubt about it, with the all-new Camry, Toyota has delivered where it counts – lots of kit means outstanding value-for-money, there’s more interior space and the on-road dynamics are vastly superior to any previous Camry. The new 2.5-litre engine and six-speed automatic play major roles in those improved dynamics and when you factor-in 11.3 per cent better fuel consumption…well however you look at it, the all-new Camry comes to market ready to again dominate the mid-size segment.
Sure the styling remains conservative, but we quite like the looks and they certainly won’t ostracize traditional Camry buyers.
And – here’s a big plus – all-new Camry is made in Australia. Hey we’re allowed to be parochial and Toyota’s massive investment in direct and indirect jobs and manufacturing excellence deserves to be applauded.
Toyota Camry The Opposition
Toyota Camry entry-level Altise is priced at $30,490 and takes on the Mazda6 Touring at $31,450. With 133kW/231 Nm, the Altise outguns Mazda6’s 125kW/226Nm.
Ford Mondeo starts at $30,990 and is also outgunned by Camry – 118kW/208Nm for Ford’s2.3-litre petrol engine. There’s no doubting the quality and style of the German-sourced Mondeo.
Holden’s Korean-sourced Epica is keenly priced from $28,490 but is soon to be replaced by the all-new Malibu. Epica’s 2.5-litre six-cylinder engine delivers a meager 115kW/237Nm.
