tomarnidhi
Well-known member
The Camry isn’t new to India. Previous-gen Camrys in India have played a big role in showing us what luxury was. And now, an all-new Camry’s coming. Well, it’s called ‘all-new’, but it still uses the tried-and-tested platform of the last-gen model, with some modifications, of course.
What’s really all-new in the India-spec Camry is the 2.5-litre dual-VVT-i petrol engine that replaces the last Camry’s 2.4-litre one. It now puts out 179bhp and 233Nm – that’s 13bhp more. It also carries on the legacy of refinement of Toyota’s engines. Sadly, there’s no diesel option here.
The five-speed auto ’box makes way for a new sequential-shift six-speeder. Shift quality is pretty good and it changes quickly and seamlessly. It’s up there with DSGs in terms of quality, although paddle shifters would’ve been nice.
On the highway, the Camry returns a respectable 12.6kpl. The added ratio helps keep the revs low at highway speeds. In city traffic, it’ll deliver 7.1kpl, which, for the size of the engine, isn’t all that bad. It’ll do the dash from naught to 100kph in 8.93 seconds.
The steering is light at low speeds, which helps manoeuvre this biggie around town. But it doesn’t weigh up the way it should with an increase in speed. Feedback is decent but some more would’ve been nice.
Ride is impeccable. At low speeds, it swallows potholes without a fuss but it’s also not so soft that you don’t have the confidence to throw it around bends at high speeds. Straightline stability has always been the Camry’s strong suit, and this one is no different, but it still isn’t an enthusiast’s delight.
Outside, the new Camry gets generous splashes of chrome. The new grille makes the car look wider than it actually is. The back is more Lexus than Toyota, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s definitely a big improvement over the older Camry’s bulbous back.
Inside, fit and finish set something of a benchmark. The quality of materials used justifies the cost. Even though it gets all the necessary features, it’s nowhere close to the VW Passat. The Camry lacks a sunroof and rear-seat audio controls, which you expect in a car in this segment.
At Rs 28.91 lakh (on-road, Mumbai), there’s hardly anything to complain about in this car if you’re looking for something under Rs 30 lakh, but it lacks that essential something that’ll tempt you to ignore the lack of a diesel engine.
The numbers
4cyl, 2494cc, 179bhp, 233Nm, petrol, 0-100kph – 8.93s, 30-50kph – 1.84s, 50-70kph – 2.29s, 80-0kph – 25.73m, 2.56s, 210kph, 9.8kpl, Rs 28.91 lakh (on-road, Mumbai)
The verdict
The new Camry does almost everything perfectly, but the lack of a diesel engine may just cost it the battle.
