Toyota is moving at a frantic pace with new model launches. This year has already seen the launch of the new RAV4 and Corolla, and now the return of the Camry.

The Camry is a large saloon model that competes with the likes of the Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Passat.

The Camry is a hybrid, in line with current Toyota trends, and the entire powertrain is identical to that of the RAV4.

The only engine on offer is a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol hybrid, which produces 218 horsepower.

The car is built on the same chassis as the Corolla and RAV4, a TNGA chassis.

The car is available in three trim levels, Active, Style and Premium.

Active includes features such as LED headlights, smart headlights, leather upholstery and Toyota Safety Sense safety equipment including adaptive cruise control. The car also features a 7-inch touchscreen display, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable front seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, window dimming and dual-zone climate control.

As the name suggests,Style adds a touch of style with 18-inch alloy wheels and optional light leather upholstery, among other things. In addition, the screen size is increased to eight inches, and a blind spot warning system is added to the safety equipment.

As the name suggests,Premium includes near-luxury features such as JBL Premium Audio, electrically adjustable rear seat backrests and a windscreen display. It also comes with a power-adjustable steering wheel and sunshades on the rear and rear side windows. Premium passengers can also adjust the radio, air conditioning, seatback tilt and rear window sunshade from the rear seat armrest. Parking assist is also available.

A relaxed drive

The car feels very stable to drive and it’s easy to find the right driving position. The seats and steering wheel are electrically adjustable.

The dashboard is dominated by a large touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard. It is easy to use and clear.

The instrument cluster features traditional gauges, with displays for the trip computer and navigation in the centre. A colour windscreen display is also available as standard.

According to the importer, the Camry is intended for taxi use, among other things. This is one of the reasons why the car is only available in Finland with leather seats.

Rear-seat passengers have plenty of legroom and headroom.

In the standard version, the rear seat swivels 60/40 to increase boot space.

The Premium version has an electric tilt for the backrests and therefore the backrests cannot be tilted to increase the boot space.

The Camry was very quiet on Croatia’s smooth asphalt roads, but on rougher stretches the tyre noise carried clearly into the cabin.

The car is only available with a sedan body and the boot is not very big. There is between 500 and 524 litres of space.

The car has three driving modes, Eco, Normal and Sport. Only the engine and throttle are affected by the driving mode. There is not much difference between the modes, but the most economical way to drive is in Eco mode.

On bumpy mountain roads, the car’s own gauge cluster showed fuel consumption of less than six litres per 100 kilometres.

In practice, the hybrid feature is hardly noticeable, so it’s mainly just the instrument panel that shows which engine is driving the car at any given time.

In normal driving, the engine is almost inaudible, but when accelerating hard, the sound of the petrol engine is audible in the cabin, but not disturbingly so.

The car has a speed limit sign recognition system, which worked well in practice.

The lane-keeper has two modes of operation. One warns only by beeping, and the other also turns the steering wheel according to the lane lines.

For whom?

Toyota markets the car as a taxi, among other things. With its space and hybrid powertrain, the Toyota is only used for cars
the Camry is well suited to taxi use.

Other user groups include motorists who like the sedan body style. In addition, many Avensis users may prefer to switch to the Camry rather than the Corolla.

The Camry buyer doesn’t have much choice. There are only three models in the price list, according to trim level.

The Active trim level has CO2 emissions of 120 g/km, the Style trim level 125 g/km and the Premium trim level 126 g/km.

The Active version costs €38 665, the Style version €41 495 and the Premium version €44 785.

It is worth noting that navigation is not standard on the base model. You have to pay almost €980 extra for it.

The Camry is also not suitable for towing a caravan or a trailer, as the car is not available with a tow hook, at least not at the moment.

The Finnish importer is still investigating whether it would be possible to connect a trailer to the car. It is also not allowed to put a roof load on the car.

The importer expects to sell around 550 Camrys this year.