Toyota Australia was today part of an unheralded simultaneous global preview of the all-new Toyota Camry and Car Showroom was there.
Due on-sale locally the last week of November, the all-new, seventh generation Toyota Camry delivers fresh looks, more room inside, more power and 10 per cent less fuel consumption (thanks to a new 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and a six-speed automatic transmission).
In a significant shift, the all-new Toyota Camry debuts some new model names. Entry level will still be called the Camry ‘Altise’, but then other variants will be under the umbrella of ‘Atara’ – a unique nameplate for Toyota Australia.
All-new Toyota Camry is entering production now, Camry Hybrid is expected in the first quarter of 2012, followed by the V6-powered Toyota Aurion mid next year.
The Toyota Camry unveiled today at Toyota Style Australia’s Port Melbourne design studios (which provided input into the global process) was the new ‘Atara’ model and its extra exterior features included a three-piece front spoiler, mesh grille, side skirts and a bootlid spoiler. Toyota did not let us see the interior (hidden behind blacked-out windows) but vision from the North American unveiling at Toyota’s plant in Georgetown, Kentucky showed a much more contemporary appearance than the current Camry
While styling of the all-new Toyota Camry is unquestionably an evolution of the current design, in fact every body panel is new and, in the metal, the newcomer looks more precise and athletic than previous Camrys. As always it’s the detail that counts – as well as that all-new body, Toyota’s next generation Camry runs 90 per cent new/modified components and, despite the larger interior dimensions, it’s stronger, more aerodynamic and 70kgs lighter than the existing version.
External rearview mirrors and tail-lights with fin-shaped housings as well as curved underbody panels are just part of the aerodynamic details. In addition to their contribution to reduced fuel consumption, the aero-stabilizing fins on the mirrors and rear lights create air vortexes for improved body stability at speed.
Inside, Toyota has worked hard to add extra space for Toyota Camry occupants. The front seats, pedals and tilt/telescopic steering wheel have been moved forward by 7mm, and the rear seat hip points have been shifted backwards by 8mm to provide 15mm more rear seat leg-room plus – helped by sculpturing of the front seat backs - 46mm more rear seat knee-room.
Underneath there’s beefed-up rigidity, re-designed suspension and the expected safety features - stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electric power steering and more. Toyota is expecting five-star NCAP barrier test results globally.
According to Peter McGregor, Toyota Australia’s product planning chief, major improvements in refinement will pay-off with significantly enhanced interior quietness in the all-new Toyota Camry. Car Showroom will get behind the wheel in early November as part of Toyota’s national media preview.
Toyota Australia has staked a massive part of its future on the all-new Camry, with substantial investments in tooling, new equipment and a $300-million upgrade of its engine assembly plant in Altona, Victoria. Currently Toyota Australia employs 3,200 people with thousands more employed by 1,274 supplier companies from whom $2.8-billion worth of parts are purchased each year.
In addition, Toyota’s 278 Australian dealers employ 12,000 people and inject $340-milllion buying goods and services from their local communities.
Here’s an insight into how complex Toyota Australia’s engine assembly is. While initially, Camry and Aurion will use imported engines, when the new plant is on-line from the third quarter of next year, it will build Atkinson Cycle four-cylinder and six-cylinder petrol engines (the latter for the Aurion) and Otto Cycle four-cylinder petrol engines for the Hybrid Camry.
Toyota Australia is one of only 13 Toyota locations globally with the capability to develop a new vehicle from first design drawings to production start-up. Toyota says 75 per cent of local production (Camry and Aurion) will be sold in foreign markets – that’s massive export dollars and balance of trade figures benefitting the Australian economy.
