Toyota Camry

	Toyota Camry
	Debut: 2011 Maker: Toyota Predecessor: Camry (2006)

Published on 25 Nov 2011

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.

Verdict:

Published on 28 Sep 2014

Camry facelift 2014

With the introduction of new Honda Accord, Mazda 6, Chrysler 200 and Hyundai Sonata, competition in the American mid-size family sedan segment gets intensified. Sales leader Toyota Camry needs a refresh to fend off the competition. Toyota said the facelift involve 2000 new components, but it seems to me most changes are focused on the outside. When the Mk7 arrived in late 2011, it was criticized for looking like a soap bar. To make the soap bar more stylish is not easy. Toyota's designers at the California studio gave it a prominent cheese slicer grille and reshaped headlamps at the nose. On the sportier SE model (red car below), it even gets an aggressive mesh grille which is quite an eyesore to me. At the side, in order to make the C-pillar to appear slimmer without actually modifying the monocoque chassis, it adds a piece of black plastic to the pillar, pretending to be an additional quarter window. These makeups actually destroy the harmonious feel of the original design.

The rest of the car gets relatively little attention. The cabin gets only minor upgrades of equipment, trims and sound insulation. The three choices of powertrain, i.e. 2.5-liter four, 3.5-liter V6 and 2.5-liter hybrid, are carried over intact. The chassis has added some spot welds to increase rigidity. Other modifications include 10 mm wider tracks, slightly retuned suspensions and power steering.

On the road, the Camry is a marginally slower than the outgoing car thanks to the extra weight of a few dozen kilograms, but it is still quick enough, especially the V6. Noise level is noticeably lowered, but the promise about improved ride quality, handling and steering response are too slim to be detectable. This means it is still one of the most boring family cars to drive.