Toyota’s family car not only has to take on competing sedans, it has to take on utility vehicles, too
Don’t believe everything that you hear or read about family sedans being overrun by utility wagons of every size and description. The 2018 Toyota Camry shows there’s still an abundance of life in the traditional family four-door.
The eighth-generation Camry that’s now on sale has undergone what can be considered Toyota’s version of radical surgery. Nearly all the car’s bits and pieces are produced from fresh molds and stampings, yet the car still manages to remain, well, Camry-like. That’s critically important for a vehicle that year after year (for the past 15) tops the midsize sedan field in popularity. It was the choice of 400,000 North American buyers in 2016.
To update its long-standing superstar, Toyota extended the length by only about an inch and the width by less than an inch. The distance between the front and rear wheels, however, has grown by a generous 3 inches, which translates into more interior legroom. The roofline is slightly lower, as are the seating positions, which according to Toyota means a lower center of gravity.
Passengers in those seats will enjoy one of the more stylish cabins in the segment with lots of leather and wood trim available with premium trim levels.
But it’s the Camry’s sheetmetal that will likely garner the most interest. The grille, nosepiece and rear end have been more aggressively shaped, while the sloping rear glass has a more fastback appearance, not dissimilar to the Audi A7 Sportback. The net effect is a hunkered-down sedan with a sporting stance that just might lure younger buyers to scope out the brand.
The Camry platform is 30 percent stiffer than that of the previous generation. Toyota claims that the new architecture adds a “fun driving experience that plays on all the senses.” That’s marketing jargon, but part of that improved sensory feeling includes a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 206 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. That’s 28 more horsepower and 16 more poundfeet than the previous 2.5.
Optional is a 3.5-liter V6 with an output of 301 horses and 267 poundfeet, up from 2017’s 3.5 that was rated at 268/248.
For both engines, power is directed to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Note that, unlike most of the competition, both powerplants are naturally aspirated (non-turbocharged). They are also at the thrifty end of the fueleconomy scale, especially the fourcylinder that delivers a rating of 29 mpg in city, 41 on the highway and 34 combined.
Want better? The 2018 Camry Hybrid combines a 2.5-liter fourcylinder with a 118-horsepower electric motor to generate a net 208 horsepower. The base Hybrid LE uses
lithium-ion battery technology and achieves 51 mpg in the city, 53 highway and 52 combined, which is way up from 2017’s 40/37/38 numbers. Interestingly, the better equipped SE and XLE Hybrid trims are fitted with older-technology nickel-metal hydride batteries. Economy in those models takes about a 10 percent hit in combined city/highway use when compared to the lithium-ion cells.
The batteries are now located beneath the rear seat instead of the trunk, which means stowage volume matches non-hybrid versions, and the rear seatbacks can be folded forward.
Pricing for the base Camry L — one of five gasoline-model trim levels — starts at $24,900 ($28,700 for the Hybrid LE), including destination charges. The L, LE and SE provide all the basics plus a number of active-safety technologies (which leads the class).
The top-end XSE and XLE are loaded with premium content, including dual-zone climate control, heated and leather-trimmed seats and a JBL-brand audio system with navigation system.
As the shift to utility vehicles shows no signs of abating, Toyota seems more determined to take them on by infusing plenty of styling, comfort, fuel efficiency and performance into its star sedan.