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on 25
Nov
2011 |
All rights reserved.
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Here comes the 7th
generation Toyota Camry. It is a little bit more stylish, more
spacious, more refined and better built than its predecessor,
yet the philosophy running behind it is so familiar. As always, it is
not interested to steal the hearts of motoring journalists at all. We
have always been criticizing the Camry for boring to look and to drive.
Even with the latest update, I don't think it can change much of our
view. However, it is undeniable that the Camry understands the needs of
American average families much better than us, otherwise it would not
have topped the US sales chart for 13 times in the last 14 years !
Its winning formula is simple: affordable pricing, high
practicality plus dependable quality.
Despite of its global presence, the Camry is primarily designed for the
North American market. Its size, its engines and cost structure are all
tailored to the taste of American families. On the flip side, this mean
it is difficult to achieve the same success elsewhere. In Japan, people
are put off by its large size. Its large-capacity four and six-cylinder
engines
are rejected from the domestic market due to higher tax bands, leaving
only the hybrid model – which is benefited from green car tax breaks –
to soldier on. In Europe, its position is even substituted by the
smaller Avensis. Only Australia and New Zealand buy a lot of Camry, as
their social environments are closer to the US. Anyway, with North
America sales topping 400,000 units a year, Toyota does not bother to
change its philosophy yet.
It might be a little exaggerating to call it "old wine in new
bottle", but the underpinnings of the new Camry is a mild evolution
from the old car. Toyota is wise to keep its size unchanged,
considering the call for lower fuel consumption. Its length, width,
height and wheelbase are all identical to the old car. Nevertheless, it
still manages to deliberate a little bit more room inside, such as 15
mm more rear legroom and 8 mm more rear headroom, thanks to thinner
front seat backs and a flatter roof respectively. There is also more
elbow room deliberated by thinner door panels, so the car can seat 5
adults in comfort.
The new sheet metal is more stylish than the old one,
especially the revised nose and sharper headlamps (remark: JDM version
gets a
slightly different fascia and headlamps, which is not as stylish as the
American version shown here). The whole body gets more angular, losing
some
softness of the old design yet it achieves a better drag coefficient at
0.28. Conservatism is still its main design theme though. It could look
bland beside a Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5 or Opel Insignia.
The monocoque chassis is made of higher percentage of high-strength
steel at locations where matter, such as A and B-pillars. This saves
weight while increases structural rigidity. Toyota claims a kerb weight
reduction of 70 kg for the petrol models. Our figures are not as good,
but still a saving of 43-52 kg is admirable when most rivals are still
gaining weight. The Hybrid is even more remarkable with a reduction of
100 kg, thanks to more compact power electronics and a smaller fuel
tank.
Such weight savings are welcomed because both engines are actually
carried over from the old car. The base (also the
better selling) 2.5-liter four-cylinder Dual-VVT-i engine produces 178
horsepower, while the 3.5-liter V6 pumps out 268 horses. These figures
are unchanged from last year, but the reduced drag and kerb weight
should
make the cars marginally quicker in straight line. Especially for the
case of V6, its sub-6 seconds 0-60 mph acceleration is the
best among rivals. Powertrain refinement is also good, just as expected.
To compensate the lack of direct injection and turbocharging, Toyota
reduces its fuel consumption by conventional means, i.e. a taller final
drive ratio for lower rpm crusing, lower resistance tires, the adoption
of electric power steering and the aforementioned reduced weight and
drag. Consequently, the Camry returns EPA consumption figures close to,
if not exactly matching, its more advanced rivals.
On the road, everything is familiar to the existing owners of Camry.
Although the cabin is packaged with more soft-touch materials and
better equipment, it is still more about practicality than
desirability. Drivers will welcome the slimmer A-pillars, which aid
visibility. Thanks to a tauter chassis and better insulation, wind and
road noise is even more subdued than before. Ride quality is improved
again. The car still
biases strongly towards the comfort side, as its old-fashioned
all-strut suspension is not as all-round as modern multi-link setups.
Keen drivers will continue to dislike this car for its floaty
ride on high-speed undulations, its relatively loose body control or
its numb steering,
especially on the 2.5-liter model where a cheaper EPS is used (V6 gets
a more expensive EPS, which has a more progressive response and better
weighting, if not more road feel). Admittedly, the new Camry is sharper
to handle than ever, but that is only in relative terms. As rivals are
also progressing, its gap remains.
In America, you can choose the sportier SE model, which comes with 15
percent stiffer springs, 50 percent firmer dampers and revised
steering. Still, it can't overcome the limitation of its suspension
geometry. If you push it into corner, you will get lots of body roll
and understeer that you won't find in an American Volkswagen Passat or
Ford Fusion.
For this reason, I think the powerful V6 is a waste of materials and
fuel. The most senisble model should be the Hybrid. It is also
the most improved among the three. By using a new 2.5-liter
Atkinson-cycle engine and higher efficiency hybrid components, it
achieves an EPA rating of 41 mpg city and 38 mpg highway, some 25
percent better than the old car! It goes without saying that it tops
the class for fuel economy. The hybrid is also a bit more powerful,
with a combined output of 200 hp instead of the previous 187 hp.
Besides, the electric brake and throttle have been reworked to deliver
much more linear response, matching its best rivals. Finally, the Camry
Hybrid is
very reasonably priced. Toyota uses its matured hybrid technology and
superior economy of scale to trump rivals on price lists.
All these improvements sound subtle when compare with its fast
progressing
rivals, but the Camry still shines on its
traditional strengths – dependable quality, high practicality and
affordable prices. Now also enters green credential. A desirable car it
may never be, the Camry should satisfy the majority of family men and
women.
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Verdict:  |
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