New Camry 2012

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New Camry revealed
Toby Hagon
August 24, 2011

Aussie-made mid-sizer gets major overhaul keep it ahead of new rivals.

Toyota has revitalised its Camry sedan with an all-new model that includes a new four-cylinder engine, upmarket interior and new model variant to help reposition the locally produced mid-sizer against imported competitors.

As well as a new Hybrid Camry, the new Atara model that is unique to Australia will slot between the entry-level Altise and upmarket Grande in an expansive new line-up.

The name of the until-now secret new model has nothing to do with a retro gaming console but is a combination of a Hebrew word for crown and a longer Japanese word for new.

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Nomenclature aside, the Atara has the task of making the loved-by-fleets Camry appealing to private buyers who typically gravitate to SUVs or other mid-size cars such as the Mazda6, Honda Accord Euro or Subaru Liberty.

While the Altise will still be the government and fleet car of choice – it lacks the goodies of more expensive variants – and the Grande is for those chasing affordable leather-clad luxury, the Atara is designed to appeal to families and couples looking for something sharper than your average Camry.

As well as additional features and a flashier set of wheels, the Atara also gets a unique look to help differentiate it from other Camrys.

Atara models will get such sports-focused extras as dual exhausts — eeking an almost irrelevant extra 2kW of power in the process — larger alloy wheels, and some electronic features usually reserved for luxury cars. Think blind spot warning systems and an automated high-beam system that dips the headlights for oncoming vehicles.

It doesn’t transform the car that’s often been criticised for being too bland, but it does inject some spark into a somewhat staid personality that’s been likened to whitegoods on wheels.

“Camry remains one of the most valuable nameplates in the industry,” says Toyota Australia executive director of sales and marketing Matthew Callachor, adding that the power of the Camry brand puts it on more buyers’ shopping lists.

That, he says, will be enough to get people at least considering the next generation of a car that brings large car space – even more so now, courtesy of a slightly wider cabin, revised interior packaging and larger boot.

Combined with the sleeker new interior — there’s even stitching on the dash, delicate metallic touches and a dark plastic finish that bring some formality – it gives the Camry more of a fighting chance in what is one of the most competitive areas of the market.

Dig deeper, though, and there’s still plenty of Camry lurking beneath the cleaner exterior.

The basic underpinnings are largely unchanged, save for tuning of some driving components, revised front suspension (it’s more compact to help meet stricter pedestrian protection regulations) and an electric power steering system that helps reduce fuel use.

There’s also a new 2.5-litre engine, which lifts power by 16kW to 133kW.

Those more discerning owners will spend less on fuel though, with claimed fuel use dropping by “around 10 per cent” from the current car's 8.9 litres per 100km figure when fitted with a manual transmission (auto: 8.8L/100km).

Even more impressive is the Hybrid Camry, which drops 17 per cent to 5.0L/100km, making it a cleaner alternative to diesel-powered cars using similar quantities of fuel.

And while private buyers will no doubt appreciate the opportunity to reduce weekly fuel bills, that’s also a figure likely to be welcomed by fleets, which are increasingly watching running costs as fuel prices again rise.

The Camry will go on sale in Australia from the end of November, with Hybrid Camry models arriving in the first quarter of next year.