With global sales approaching 18 million vehicles, Toyota Camry is one of the superstars of the world automotive market and continues to be Australia’s best-selling mid-size sedan. So all eyes are now on Toyota as the Australian operation wheels-out a major update which is labeled the boldest Camry ever.
Only the roof is carried-over from the previous model as Toyota gives the Camry a more athletic and assertive look best illustrated in a unique-for-Australia sports model called the Atara SX. It is Toyota Australia’s biggest facelift development with more than 800 new parts (that’s 20 per-cent of the total).
There’s also a freshened interior and extra technology including an accident-avoiding pre-collision safety system, active cruise control and lane departure alert. LED DRLs are standard across the range.
But the biggest news is the new price range. Starting from $26,490, the updated Toyota Camry is up to $5,000 less than the model it replaces.
And to ensure the new model captures buyers straight-away, ‘Driveaway’ prices add just $2,500 to cover all on-road costs and dealer delivery making Camry the best-value Toyota you can buy. In fact you have to go back 18 years to see Camry prices like these.
Toyota Australia will build 90,000 Camrys per year at its plant in Altona, Victoria (70,000 per year for export markets) and is confident the new model will continue the unbroken run of 21 years as Australia’s best-selling mid-size passenger car. Toyota is committed to Camry production for both local and international markets until 2017 and says this is certainly not the last model - in fact a further update is planned for this time next year.
Toyota Camry Overview
Major update…major model changes for the 2015 Toyota Camry. There’s an extra hybrid variant and the Atara SX is a genuine sports model boasting styling enhancements and a unique Australia-U.S.A developed wheel/tyre/suspension/steering kit which is certainly impressive.
And range-topping Toyota Camry Atara SL debuts a suite of extra safety specifications. Included are a radar-based pre-crash collision warning system, active cruise control, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure alert.
The lineup is:
| Grade | Petrol | Hybrid |
| Altise | $26,490 | $30,490 |
| Atara S | $29,490 | $32,490 |
| Atara SX | $31,990 | -- |
| Atara SL | $37,440 | $40,440 |
But to give the updated Camry a fast start, Toyota has launched with some astonishing ‘Driveaway’ prices: Altise petrol $28,990. Altise hybrid $32,990, Atara S petrol $31,990, Atara S hybrid $34,490, Atara SX $34,490, Atara SL petrol $39,940, Atara SL hybrid $42,490.
Toyota Camry Engine
No mechanical changes for the updated 2015 Toyota Camry.
So we have two versions of the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine (133kW/231Nm for Altise or 135kW/235Nm for the Atara grades). And there’s the Atkinson cycle 2.5-litre petrol hybrid with combined output of 151kW/213Nm.
All drive the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.
Combined-cycle fuel consumption for the petrol engine is rated at 7.8l/100kms and for the hybrid it’s 5.2l/100kms.
Toyota Camry The Interior
Compared to the major exterior styling update, changes inside the 2015 Toyota Camry are relatively mild. Immediately obvious is the new-design three-spoke steering wheel (nicely shaped and just the right thickness) and new trim materials.
There are also some revisions to the instrumentation and an upgraded multi-information display (MID) for Hybrid and SL models. The MID sits between two Optitron gauges (different displays for petrol or hybrid) and shows various switchable functions.
However there’s a bunch of technical updates included in the upgrade package. For example Atara grades which are fitted with the Toyota Link connected mobility will be able to log onto Pandora music streaming.
However range-topping Toyota Camry Atara SL is the only one with standard satellite navigation. This is included with the upscale 10-speaker JBL audio system with its seven-inch colour touchscreen (6.1-inch in other models.
Toyota Camry Exterior & Styling
Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in North America for 13 consecutive years - and for 17 of the last 18 years - so it should be no surprise design work for this latest update was undertaken by the company’s CALTY design studios in Newport Beach and San Francisco, California and Ann Arbor, Michigan – the same studios responsible for the Kluger, RAV4 and the racy FT1 sports car concept. CALTY chief Kevin Hunter jetted to Australia for the national media preview.
That Camry re-design task came under the umbrella of Toyota President Akio Toyoda’s direction for bold, exciting, fun-to-drive cars. Yes the Camry is no exception.
“We’re way past bland and boring,” Mr Hunter explained. “New Camry is more expressive, more beautiful, more exciting and more engaging.”
Only the roof carried-over from the previous model and wherever you look the new Toyota Camry has crisp edges, more dramatic lines and surface movement. The low, wide front-end showcases slim-line headlights and larger grille.
From the side you notice the sporty wheel arch flares and the sleeker glass with a dramatic new C-pillar.
Sporty Atara SX models ride on black 18-inch alloy wheels (unique lightweight flow-formed specially made by ROH in South Australia) with low profile Bridgestone tyres sourced from Poland. These are optional in silver on SL models.
Toyota Camry On The Road
The star of the new Toyota Camry lineup is the unique for Australia SX model which not only looks sporty - its black 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with low profile 45-series aspect ratio tyres and black honeycomb mesh grille - it rewards behind the wheel thanks to significant chassis developments to enhance driving dynamics. As well as enhanced straight-line stability courtesy of a revised differential pre-load - standard on all models - the SX scores a quicker ratio steering rack (sourced from the North American Camry with only 2.85 turns lock-to-lock compared to 3.15 turns in other models), a sporty shock absorber package (developed by Hitachi), 11 per-cent stiffer front springs, stiffer upper supports, forged aluminium links between the anti-roll bar and struts and stiffer bushes.
This was all tested in prototypes at Toyota’s Fuji proving ground in Japan, the Anglesea Proving Ground in Victoria and of course extensively on local roads. Testing validated the findings of local engineers who were confident their sporty Camry package would meet Toyota’s international benchmarks despite exceeding the previous 17-inch size limit for wheels and also replacing the conservative steering rack ratio then mandated by Head Office in Nagoya, Japan.
And, you guessed it – the package works very well. We proved that during a spirited drive in wet conditions from Melbourne up to Healesville over a route which included the famous ‘Black Spur’ road. Our Toyota Camry SX, particularly in ‘Sport’ mode and changing gears manually via the steering wheel paddle shifters was noticeably more dynamic than any other Camry we’ve driven.
There was nice weight and feel for the steering and immediacy about the turn-in which you don’t associate with production Camry models. Same mid-turn where the Toyota Camry SX exhibited poise and balance even when pressing on in the damp conditions.
We also got behind the wheel of Toyota Camry S petrol and while it wasn’t as pointy and dynamic as the SX it was still very good. And both showed impressive levels of refinement with nice isolation from traffic and other outside noise.
Toyota Camry Issues
A great job on the new exterior looks – unfortunately interior styling changes are nowhere near as comprehensive.
Toyota Camry Verdict
At last there is some international collaboration in Toyota’s design and product planning and the result of this Australia-U.S.A-Japan co-operation is the best Camry range yet. We think it is the best-looking Camry by a long shot.
Make no mistake, Camry will be an ongoing model for Toyota Australia but this major facelift is both giving local manufacturing a memorable farewell and also ensuring Toyota’s stranglehold on mid-size segment sales will continue unchanged. Staggering price cuts sure help there.
The revised range makes sense, the SX in particular is a good steer, and of course Toyota’s production quality is a worldwide benchmark.
Toyota Camry The Competition
While the Toyota Camry is the sales king of mid-size sedans (on the back of 65 per-cent of fleet/rental sales), the two www.carshowroom.com.au favourites are the all-new Ford Mondeo and the Mazda6. But in many ways they operate in a higher atmosphere with prices starting at $32,790 (Mondeo) and $32,540 (Mazda6) – that’s $6,330 and $6,050 respectively more than the Toyota Camry Altise.
But Toyota Camry does compete head-on with the American-designed Holden Malibu. We like the looks of the Malibu and it’s certainly spacious inside, but now the starting price for the CD model grade is $2,400 higher than Toyota Camry Altise.
As we write the European-derived Hyundai i40 (another mid-sizer we really like) is about to be updated but the current version starts at $31,990 (Active grade) – that’s $5,400 more than Camry Altise.
