First CKDCamry Hybrid rollsout
UMW Toyota Motor on Monday rolled out the Camry Hybrid, its first locally assembled hybrid. It expects to produce over 7,000 units of the hybrid this year, kickstarting the first of several improvements and enhancements of Toyota models for 2015.
More details about the hybrid would be revealed at its official launch next month, with pricing widely rumoured to be sub-RM200,000.
It was indicated that the engine will come from a plant in China and the hybrid system from Japan.
The car makes use of a Hybrid Synergy Drive, paired with an Atkinson cycle version of the standard 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine, producing 157bhp and 213Nm of torque and joins the 1.6kWh sealed nickel-metal hydride battery for a net system power of 203bhp and a claimed fuel consumption figure of 19.6km per litre.
A hybrid battery warranty of eight years with unlimited mileage will be offered. The hybrid and the conventional Camry are being produced at Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB), a unit of UMW Toyota Motor.
Since 2010, UMW Toyota Motor has invested RM180mil on the CKD Camry project which includes the hybrid variant and the new 2.0-litre Camry.
According to UMW Toyota Motor chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin, the hybrid version of the Camry was pack- aged to meet consumer expectations.
“Starting with the CKD Camry Hybrid, this is our opportunity to prove we are at par with major Asia-Pacific affiliates in manufacturing and sales potential,” said Asmat.
Since 1994, UMW Toyota Motor has sold more than 116,000 units of the Camry.
Toyota’s rival, Honda, led the charge when it became the first car maker in Malaysia to assemble the Jazz Hybrid locally in November 2012.
Just over a year later, Mercedes-Benz joined the bandwagon with its locally assembled S-Class hybrid, which is sold out until 2015.