Toyota Camry was first launched in India 2002. This car, with its sleek design and refreshing looks, was quite appreciated in the Indian auto market. Later on the company launched its face lifted models with better exteriors and refurbished interiors. Many Indian luxury car buyers have shown their preference for this model ever since its launch and the brand name Toyota has become associated with reliability and its global standards are acknowledged by one and all.

With the increasing competition among the 20 Lakh budget cars, the Toyota Company has come up with the new Camry through which Toyota is aiming to recapture the market in the segment which it was facing pressure from other cars like the Honda Accord and the Hyundai Sonata Transform.

The Technicalities

The New Camry comes with a 2362 CC petrol engine power giving an output of 167PS@6000 rpm, and torque of 224Nm @ 4000 rpm. 

Comparing the car with its segment rivals, we can see that the cars deliver quite similar power, though the Camry is the lowest in the three. Of course, these small difference matter would not matter to great extent within the city.

The car comes in two models, W1 and W2. W1 has a 5-speed manual transmission and W2 has an automatic gearbox. Further, the W3 variant has the same features of W1 but comes with a moon roof. Similarly, the W4 is the W2 plus moon roof.

The car has a wheelbase of 2700mm and ground clearance of 150mm and it is well-suited for the Indian driving conditions. The car has a turning radius of 5.4 meters.

Befitting a car of its stature, the Camry’s engine uses top-notch quality and transmission technology. It makes 60kmph in just 4 seconds. As for mileage, though perhaps less relevant for the luxury car buyers, it delivers a fair 7.9kmpl in city and 11kmpl on the highways. The automatic transmission delivers slightly lesser mileage than this.

Design and Style

Toyota cars are known for their quality interiors and design, and this car does deliver. The Camry leaves you impressed with its exteriors but its interiors are no less. It has a spacious boot and cabin. Moreover, you get cleaner air in the cabin as compared to other cars, thanks to its Plasma Cluster ionizer technology.

The exterior has been tuned well with bolder foglamps and 10 spoke alloy wheels. The body style is very dynamic and catches the attention.

Unfortunately, the backseat was considered less in the New Camry. Rear seat passengers may experience lack of comfort due to its non-ergonomic design.

The car is laden with all expected luxury features such as a 10 CD changer in the boot, automatic climate control option, power features in front seat for maximum comfort, body coloured retractable rear view mirrors, body colour protective moldings, and more.

The car comes with the expected security features like seat belts for front and rear seats, ABS, TCS EBD, Driver and passenger air bag, Brake Assist, side air bags, central door locking system, high mounted stop light, keyless entry with security alarm, door intrusion beams and door ajar warning lamp.

Special features of the Camry include the moon roof (W3 and W4), rain sensing wipers, hydrophilic OVRM, 8 way adjustable driver seat, 4 way adjustable passenger seat, dual zone AC, plasma cluster AC, and rear AC vents. Obviously, the features are aimed at providing best of the comfort.

Though most of the features are common with that of Sonata and Accord, the features of New Camry are surely ahead of the others, since the latest technology has been applied.

Colours and pricing

The new Camry is available in 5 colour options, viz. Super White II, Silver Metallic, Black, Beige Mica Metallic and Light Blue Metallic.
The New Camry has been priced at Rs. 20 lakh and above and definitely falls on the costlier side.

Driving

The driving experience of the new Toyota Camry is an excellent one. The dual link suspension and advanced McPherson Strut suspension at the rear lends an extremely smooth ride. It also adds to the driving stability of the new Camry. When you sit behind the steering wheel and glide at higher speeds, you will find that the unique cruise control system easily enables you to control the car and navigate coolly. It does not matter whether you are driving on the highway or fighting your way through city traffic. The cruise control system helps you to navigate efficiently at all speeds.

Conclusion

There are lot of goods in the New Camry to make it one the best luxury cars in the segment. The major attractions are the externals and the interiors which are aimed at providing best of the Luxury feel for the Passenger.

If the capacity the of engine and hence the overall performance had been increased, then it would have been much ahead of the segment and could possibly beat BMW 3series and Mercedes C-Class.

Nevertheless, as it stands the New Camry is an excellent choice for any luxury car buyer looking for the latest technology in his car.