Welcome return to UK For Toyota Camry
Julie Marshall spends a week with the long absent saloon - now with hybrid power
WHEN it was suggested I might like to take a Toyota Camry for a test drive I realised it was a car I hadn’t come across for a while.
Turns out it was a lot longer than I’d first realised.
The lack of a diesel option meant that sales of the original petrol-poweredsaloonslumped in the UK and Toyota ditched it back in 2004.
It’sbeenasoar-awaysuccess acrosstheworld,though:soldin 100countrieswithsalesofmore than 19m.
With the backlash setting in against diesel-powered vehicles Toyota thought it the right timetoreintroducethespacious comfortable eighth generation Camry into UK dealerships at the beginning of 2019
However,thistimearoundit is equipped with hybrid power only - an electric motor works alongside the 2.5-litre four-cylinderpetrolengineandcharges up automatically as you drive.
TheCamryisefficient,deliveringaround50mpgandthough
not exactly sporty, it is nippy enough with a 0-62mph time of 8.3 seconds.
If there is sufficient power available in the battery, the EV mode button allows you to switch the car to full electric power. This means the car can be driven for a short time on pure electric power - ideal if you’re in a slow-moving queue of traffic.
Although we didn’t go very far in the Camry in our week together - lockdown restrictions and severe winter weather taking their toll - it received a fair amount of attention. The jury is out as to whether the massive full-width front grille is beautiful or just plain ugly. It certainly catches the eye whatever your view.
Therearislessfussyandhas much more classic lines and from the sides it looks smart and one could say almost unremarkable.
The interior is composed of qualitymaterialsandiscomfortable in every way. A great place to be.
Supportive and well padded seats, an adjustable steering wheel, and controls that are easy to hand, doing just what you’d expect them to do.
You’ll soon get used to the driver interface and adapt your driving style to make the best use of the hybrid system and its capacityforself-charging.It’sno surprisethatgentlebrakingand smoothaccelerationaretheway to maximise the efficiency, as withanypowerplant.Butatleast withtheCamrythedigitalgauge gives you the information as to how you’re doing at a glance.
Surprisingly the infotainment system lacks a few basics such as Apple CarPlay and AndroidAutobuttheToyotaTouch 2 with Go multimedia and navigation system should suit most purposes. We liked the fact that there are buttons around the touchscreen.
The comprehensive list of safety features includes pedestrian detection,adaptive cruise control,lanedeparturewarning, blindspot detection, high beam and road sign assist. There’s also a warning beep every time a speed camera comes into view.
There’s a colossal amount of room in the back with the seats splitting 60/40 to make full use of the rear storage space which, even without the seats down is 524 litres.
Despite the Camry’s length it proved easy to park due to the clear reversing camera.