These are black, dark days for the sedan. The car type was not so popular in the Netherlands
as elsewhere in the world; we preferred hatchbacks and station wagons. But the emergence of SUVs and crossovers is fatal for the time-honored carriage with trunk. From the smallest sedans to most luxury limos, they dust in showrooms because people prefer a high entry. The fact that you pay a lot more for that is clearly not daunting. And it is precisely in that harsh climate that Toyota brings back its great sled from the past: the Camry.
The car replaces the Avensis, which has disappeared from the scene. The car is not completely new. It has been available in other markets such as the US and Australian since 2017. Technically we have also known the car here a little longer. Under the skin, it is largely the same as the Lexus ES, a model that has replaced the Lexus GS with us since last year. If you look at the general specifications, you will see that this car, just like the ES, has a hybrid powertrain with 218 hp. That power only goes to the front wheels. The car has a relatively large 2.5-liter engine, which delivers (a meager) 178 hp. The electric motor adds 120 hp, but as is often the case with hybrids, you cannot just add those numbers together. It does make the delivery range of the Camry clear, because the hybrid is the only version that is here in the showroom. No diesel, no slip-on, no fat power sedan. Like every Toyota hybrid, including the Camry, it is only available with automatic transmission.
We have received the most luxurious version as a test car, the Premium. He has few loose options, because in the Netherlands the brand mainly works with versions, which makes ordering easy. The Camry may be based on the Lexus ES, but the design is slightly different. Toyota has shaken off the boring of the past, but you can not call the Camry very tight. An overdose of slats on the nose and the wide taillights make it a typical Asian car. We often see design departments there where design moves on a completely different level than in Europe. That line is continued on the inside. The dashboard is definitely higher quality, but the lines go in all directions. Beautiful materials and beautiful buttons are alternated with cheap covers and simple plastic. That is also a combination that we no longer look up to in a Japanese car.
The multimedia system is extensive and offers many options, but is cluttered and cumbersome to operate. Also a pity that it is not available with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which Toyota has long kept out. For some models, the brand is now over, there may also be hope for the Camry in the future. If we move to the back seat, the Camry turns out to be in a class of its own. Our Premium version even has a separate control panel for rear passengers in the center armrest. We normally only see that with cars that cost triple. You sit regally and can even adjust the backrest of the seat electrically. Space for head and legs is generous and the whole feels luxurious. Unfortunately, you can’t flip the sofas to create more trunk space, which reduces its deployability.
The hybrid system is as we know it from Toyota: a very economical engine with an efficient but powerless Atkinson barrel, which is coupled to an electric motor through a planetary system to compensate for the lack of torque of such an engine. The whole works smoothly and flawlessly, and with the power of more than 200 hp you rarely suffer from an annoying CVT cry. It is always good to gain momentum in the car. However, what you should not count on is a direct throttle response. The power is there, but only with a lot of delay in the operation. The idea is to drive from A to B at your leisure. But the results are impressive. Toyota knows better than anyone how to make hybrids economical; the years of experience are paying off. And not only on paper, the cars also score very well in practice. The Camry is no exception. The car is hefty and heavy, and only uses petrol, but we effortlessly make it to 1:18, which is amazingly good. You should not expect a lot of driving pleasure, but the car is not as soft as an old Camry. The extremely unwieldy is out and the car copes well with the hectic Dutch traffic. Meanwhile it is very comfortable, very quiet and also very economical.
The Dutch importer does not expect to sell an extremely large number of them and that may be a pity. The Camry deserves more attention than it is likely to receive, especially at a time when interest in cars without high entry has been decimated.