Camry wasn’t broke, but Toyota made it better
Best-selling sedan even more appealing with updated exterior and interior designs
With the Camry being one of the best-selling vehicles in the North American market in recent years, you might be tempted not to mess with a winning formula.
But that is not what Toyota did, giving the sedan a total overhaul for the 2012 model year. Instead of standing pat, the Japanese carmaker redesigned just about everything on the Camry.
And the results of all that work are positive, with the Camry’s exterior design becoming more appealing in my opinion, and the interior more cozy and quiet.
Another reason the Camry is a popular seller is its price, with an LE model starting at $23,700. The top-of-the-line XLE V6 trip is a full $10,000 more at $33,700.
There’s also a hybrid version of the Camry with a price of $26,990.
For the week of testing, we drove the Camry SE V6, which comes in at $29,700, but is very well equipped for that price. Once you add preparation charges and levies, the price comes to $31,380 before taxes.
On the safety front, the Camry SE V6 comes with four-wheel disc brakes, antilock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist and a full complement of airbags, including curtain airbags, knee airbags and rear side curtain ones.
Standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, satellite radio, navigation system, Bluetooth, USB audio input, 6.1-inch display, LED brake lights, steering -wheel - mounted controls and a sport-tuned suspension.
Design:
Just about everything is different on the 2012 Camry when compared to the previous model.
Its new look is more angular, less rounded. The most dramatic example of that is the front end, with redesigned headlights, grille, air intakes and a flared contour at the bottom.
A slight rise in the beltline gives the Camry a forward-leaning appearance, a sporty look that matched the sport-tuned suspension in the tester.
At the back, the flared look continues on the rear bumper, sharing attention with the nicely shaped rear tail lights and a subtle spoiler on the trunk lid on the SE tester.
Even the design of the 18-inch alloy wheels is rather attractive, capping off some good work by the exterior designers.
On the inside, I was impressed by the Camry’s new passenger cabin. There’s a nicely laid out and logical centre stack and plenty of controls on the steering wheel, which felt excellent between my hands.
The dashboard might be an issue for some because of the hard plastic, which is accented by faux stitching that doesn’t quite give the desired effect. What does work nicely, however, is the keyless entry and push-button start, meaning the key fob never has to leave your pocket.
Performance:
With the tester being a Camry SE V6, power is delivered by a smooth 3.5-litre V6. I found nothing to complain about as power is read- ily available and the engine doesn’t complain when pushed a little hard.
It has 268 horsepower and 248 foot-pounds of torque at the command for the driver, and there’s no hesitation when they are all called upon.
The other available engine in the Camry line is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder. It is rated at 178 horsepower and 170 footpounds of torque.
Both engines are paired to a six-speed automatic super electronically controlled transmission (Super ECT) with overdrive and sequential shift mode. The SE trims offered with either engine also add paddle shifters.
While the smaller engine probably produces enough power to make the Camry a good everyday vehicle, the V6 kicks things up a notch. With the sport-tuned suspension and 18-inch wheels, the V6 Camry is very fun to drive and responds well to your throttle and steering inputs.
Driving/utility:
This five-seat family sedan proved to me why it is one of the best-selling vehicles on the market.
With a new look that will likely further enhance its appeal, the Camry is also a winner thanks to the quality of its drive.
With plenty of power from the V6 and the sport-tuned suspension, the Camry felt fairly nimble for a family sedan.
Surprisingly, even with that powerful engine under the hood, very little noise was heard in the passenger cabin. Only when pressed really hard during a fast acceleration does the engine noise become very noticeable.
And at highway speeds, there isn’t much of an intrusion by wind and road.
I also found the seats, with a nice patterned material, to be very comfortable, offering plenty of lateral support for when you decided to take the Camry through some quick turns.
There’s also a good-sized trunk at 15.4 cubic feet, giving you plenty of room to pack for family outings, or simply fill it with golf bags for a weekend of fun.
With improved looks, a comfortable ride, lots of storage and an affordable price tag, it’s easy to see why the Camry has been so popular, and will likely remain one of the top sellers in its new form.