Test drive: Toyota Camry, an exotic saloon that's here to stay

After 7 generations and nearly 20 million units sold, we put to the test the all-new Toyota Camry, the eighth generation, now available at Spanish dealerships

I can’t deny that the test drive of the Toyota Camry hybrid particularly excited me, especially after having driven such direct alternatives among European saloons as the Peugeot 508 and the Renault Talisman, both models with traditional powertrains, and having gotten to know its close relative, the Lexus ES, first-hand.

Be that as it may, for its styling, mechanical layout and behaviour, I wanted to have the new Toyota Camry, the eighth generation of its long-running history, in my hands. It finally arrives in Spain eager to offer a very Japanese look (lines sculpted to the maximum) with driving that is as efficient as possible (full hybrid powertrain), in which Toyota is one of the standard-bearers, along with the dynamism that every Japanese manufacturer brings to its cars. I was not mistaken.

The look of the new-generation Camry

The family resemblance of the Toyota Camry is evident, especially if you know the Lexus ES, the premium saloon from the luxury range of Toyota. Although they don’t share the same design, face to face you realise they are family and closely related.

If the “samurai mask” covering the front of the Lexus is incisive, sharp and cutting, the endless parallel lines that seem to shape the face of the Toyota are only slightly altered by a kind of bird gliding across the sky in ECO mode or in sailing mode, between angular, Oriental-looking eyes, too.

If the silhouette of the saloon with coupé traces is more elegant on the Lexus, aimed at a public with a generous budget, the Toyota’s aspires to be the more modest yet equally stylish option compared with its relative.

If the rear ends, in both cases, with two taillights sharpened toward the centre of the boot, with a sober finish in a kind of spoiler reminiscent of duck-tail designs, the Toyota’s is somewhat more dynamic than the Lexus’s.

But, rather than comparing, the look of the Toyota is very correct for the type of car it is. That is why it is simple but attractive, dynamic but not sporty, classic but with solutions borrowed from more eye-catching bodies. Overall, a success for a saloon that aims to be the most popular general-purpose sedan on the roads connecting towns and distant cities.

Interior space and driving as the main draw

Because, if one thing is clear when you start the test of the Toyota Camry, it is that it is designed to be enjoyed from the inside. Whether from the rear seats or the front passenger seat, there is more than enough space and comfort to make it a comfortable car for long journeys. The boot, with its well-arranged layout and volume (524 litres), also does its job.

The car I drove was the Advance trim, one of the three currently available, marketed as the Toyota Camry Advance. This level, although calling it intermediate would be inaccurate given the gap between it and the fleet-oriented version, is also available as the Business, while the top-of-the-range Luxury package does correspond to equipment below the top of the range.

While it is true that this Toyota Camry Advance features materials of modest quality, such as the cloth seats, the absence of flashy elements or superficial or dispensable features, such as the multifunction screen between the rear seats of the Luxury, is not missed, since, both as passenger and driver, this car invites you to enjoy the journey rather than the pastimes needed along the way to make the trip to the destination more bearable. Because, besides meeting my theoretical expectations, in terms of dynamics this car left me pleasantly surprised.

Designed to be driven and enjoyed

The fourth-generation hybrid engine, the 2.5 Dynamic Force unit delivers, when the electric motor fully assists, up to 218 CV that behave very well: it is restrained at steady speeds in ECO mode and delivers with composure when you need to extract the best of its potential.

The steering is communicative and the chassis has a setup that becomes genuinely fun when the road becomes more varied and demanding. You cannot expect the behaviour of a sports saloon, but it is a dynamic sedan, partly thanks to its low centre of gravity, which feels planted when cornering, and in a good way.

Another point that surprised me was the transmission.

Although the use of CVT-type gearboxes may cause reluctance among those of us who enjoy driving, in this car the evolution and improvement of the transmission gives rise to an improved automatic gearbox.

It can also be operated manually from time to time, using the lever on the centre console, which helps find a gear better suited to the driving situation and, therefore, more rewarding to use, and it is not as annoying or shrill to the senses, especially to the ear and the eye, because on other occasions, as happens with other models from this brand or others, such as the test of the Subaru XV with CVT transmission, it can produce sensory mismatches between the engine speed sound and what the rev counter needle indicates.

Fuel consumption and environmental commitment of the Toyota

Be that as it may, speaking of needles, the fuel consumption figure during the test of the Toyota Camry was 5.9 litres of petrol consumed per 100 km driven.

Of those, according to the data provided by Toyota, at least 43 of those km were covered in EV mode, meaning between 20 and 25 percent of the journey was driven in “zero emissions” mode. In driving situations without sudden moves, it is very easy for the car to switch into electric mode, as well as for the pace to drop when you lift your foot slightly off the accelerator.

Thanks to the Auto Glide Control assistant, in ECO mode, the setting used for most of the route driven, the vehicle prioritises regeneration of the electric battery and applies the restraint that allows the inverter or regenerator to intervene.

https://youtu.be/wfacPMjpcbs

Conclusion: Toyota Camry test

As I said at the beginning, my intention in testing this car was to find out whether the Toyota Camry can stand up to saloons of the general-purpose kind but with proven aesthetic and dynamic appeal, along with a good dose of quality interior space.

The conclusion is that, while it is not as eye-catching as the Peugeot 508 nor as well balanced in driving as the Renault Talisman, the test of the Toyota Camry allows me to say that, for me, this car is more understated than the lion brand’s but more emotional to drive than any of the other alternatives.

Without a doubt, the Toyota Camry has come to the exam well prepared, with a proposal that can establish it as one of the most popular saloons on our streets and roads and, above all, a car whose prices, now at the start of its sales, are so competitive that there is no doubt that considering a purchase is a wise choice.