View the Toyota Hybrid Camry »
Porsche and Ferrari don’t often follow the humble Toyota Camry, but in the Hybrid race, the German and Italian supercar manufacturers are in ‘catch-up’ mode.
Toyota’s groundbreaking petrol-electric Hybrid Camry debuted earlier this year as a natural follow-up to the historic Prius. And while the Prius has grown dimensionally in its latest guise and remains a superb hatchback, it’s the Hybrid Camry – a conventional mid-size sedan – which asks the question: “Well, why wouldn’t you consider a Hybrid?”
With 2,000 Hybrid Camrys sold already this year, in some ways the newcomer is a victim of the sales success of its more mundane sibling. Major fleets, car rental companies and private buyers continue to purchase the regular petrol Camry models in big numbers – but they should be risk takers because Hybrid Camry is very, very good.
Hybrid Camry Overview
Car Showroom has just spent a week behind the wheel of the entry-level Hybrid Camry. ‘Our’ Hybrid Camry was priced at $36,990, while an extra $3,000 gets you the Luxury model scoring leather seats with electronic adjustment, rain-sensing wipers and more.
But it’s under the skin that counts. Toyota says Hybrid Camry’s officially rated fuel consumption of just 6.0l/100kms saves motorists traveling 20,000kms per year about $700 in fuel compared to a full-size Australian-made six cylinder sedan (Commodore or Falcon).
For exhaust emissions, over 12 months, a Hybrid Camry traveling 50,000kms (the typically distance covered annually by a commercial operator) will emit 3.8 tonnes less of carbon dioxide.
That’s what you get with Hybrid Camry…and in these times of global warming and diminishing fossil fuels, it doesn’t get more important than those considerations.
Hybrid Camry Engine
Toyota invested substantial dollars into its Altona, Victoria plant to gear-up for Hybrid Camry production. There are 300 unique parts and clearly, under the bonnet is the area most changed.
The secret to Hybrid drive technology is mixing and matching of petrol and electric drive, according to the conditions. Hybrid Camry uses electric power exclusively for take-off, low speed operation and reversing.
In fact there are two electric motors (MG1 and MG2). MG1 is mainly a generator and starter motor. The other one (MG2) delivers 105kW of power, 270Nm of torque and drives the Camry’s front wheels via a reduction gear, which multiplies the torque.
Hybrid Camry’s petrol engine is a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder - like the conventional Camry - but it uses an Atkinson Cycle (longer expansion stroke on intake) to optimize fuel economy. The petrol engine delivers 110kW at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 187Nm at 4,400rpm.
Combined petrol/electric power is 140kW, however - with an official ADR81/02 combined cycle fuel consumption of 6.0l/100kms - Hybrid Camry is the most fuel-efficient Australian-made vehicle. And with CO2 emissions of just 142 g/km, Hybrid Camry is also the cleanest car made ‘Downunder’.
Hybrid Camry drives the front wheels via a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).
Hybrid Camry Interior
Two significant interior changes for Hybrid Camry – the boot and the dashboard. Otherwise it’s the usual high quality, well-equipped and spacious Camry we know.
In the boot, the batteries for the electric motors are stored under the rear parcel shelf - which means Toyota had to jettison Camry’s normal folding rear seat. There is still slide-through access on the driver’s side, which Toyota says is large enough for a snowboard.
Despite the nicely engineered battery storage set-up (complete with its own cooling system) located directly behind the rear seat, Hybrid Camry delivers 389litres of cargo capacity.
The two Hybrid Camrys come with Optitron instruments and in the entry-level model we tested, the dashboard features a compact driver-selectable readout displaying fuel consumption information and driveline configuration (whether you’re using electric or petrol and/or making charge for the batteries). Higher grade Hybrid Camry Luxury models - fitted with the optional satellite navigation system and its seven-inch colour monitor - score the extensive vehicle operating monitor from the Prius with standout colour graphics.
Hybrid Camry also has a unique centre console with a ‘B’ position on the gearshift gate.
Our test car was fitted with the standard (usual Toyota, high quality) six-speaker, six-CD audio system with Bluetooth and USB/iPod connectivity. A big plus for Hybrid Camry is the standard reversing camera (4.3-inch screen on the standard model as tested or seven-inch on the Luxury model with satellite navigation).
Hybrid Camry Exterior & Styling
Despite extensive styling work by Toyota Style Australia…well, let’s say they’re subtle, but important changes, but only Camry enthusiasts will readily pick them.
Optimized fuel consumption was the key, so you notice the sharper front bumper and smaller upper grille (improved airflow). Harder to spot are aerodynamic covers under the engine, fuel tank and rear floor – all up the changes bring the aerodynamic co-efficient of drag down to an impressive 0.27.
And, like all Toyota/Lexus hybrids, its blue-tinted headlights and LED rear combination lamps with clear covers distinguish the Camry.
Hybrid Camry On the Road
Immediately obvious around town is Hybrid Camry’s significantly quieter operation compared to its conventional siblings. That’s not only when the vehicle is operating in ‘electric-only’ mode as – for example - petrol-engine idling-stop technology turns-off the petrol engine when stationary.
As a result, Toyota Australia’s engineers insisted on a new acoustic windscreen and a range of extra sound-absorbing materials to provide further interior isolation from engine and road noise.
More firsts for Hybrid Camry are the Electronically Controlled Brake system (ECB – a brake-by-wire system) with regenerative braking, Electric Power-assisted rack-and-pinion Steering (EPS) and Toyota’s Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) which combines control of the stability control, traction control, ABS anti-lock brakes and power steering.
In addition, with the boot-mounted battery pack transforming weight distribution to almost 50:50, Toyota’s chassis engineers grasped the opportunity to recalibrate the suspension set-up. Spring stiffness has been increased (up 8.5 per cent at the front and 12.5 per cent at the rear), suspension damping rates are different and there is a stiffer front engine mount.
Toyota says the changes have delivered less front-wheel-drive understeer.
At the limit, you can detect firmer chassis dynamics and more precise roll control, but you’ll never confuse the Camry with say the Lexus LFA supercar sports car. And like conventional Camry’s the 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine gets a bit noisy at high revs.
Toyota scored top marks for the refined way the petrol engine starts and cuts-in when you accelerate and for the standard reversing camera in both models – a proven safety feature for families that should be compulsory.
Hybrid Camry Challenges
Apart from the petrol engine getting noisy at the upper limit (just like conventional petrol Camrys) we did find the battery pack storage in the boot restricted cargo space somewhat for a weekend trip and as a result could compromise Hybrid Camry’s marketplace competitiveness for family buyers.
Hybrid Camry Verdict
If you’re in the market for a mid-size sedan and Camry is on your radar, there’s no reason to not consider the hybrid model.
There’s no extra degree of difficulty in day-to-day operation and Toyota Service Advantage delivers fixed price servicing for the first three years of ownership. And if you still think the technology is too risky, consider this: Toyota launched the Prius nine years ago in 2001 and since then has been required to replace just three faulty batteries.
Hybrid Camry Competition
For hybrids you can only currently choose between the Camry, its Prius sibling or the Honda Civic. We do like the Civic’s interior style.
Thumbs-up:
Planet-saving technology without compromise; nicely made
Thumbs-down:
Needs a re-think on boot space; petrol engine noisy at speed
