New Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry competes for bestselling car honours worldwide. Camry was adjudged the 'Premium Car of the Year' at NDTV Profit Car India and Bike India Awards for 2007.

After receiving huge success in the US as a midsize family sedan, the Camry was launched in India in 2002. It is technologically advanced, stylish and reliable. It was revised in 2006, which is evident in its every corner. Updates include a roomy interior, additional luxury-oriented features and a 165 bhp engine mated with a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. While the Camry comes with a 3.5-litre V6 engine in other markets, the luxury car is offered with a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder VVT-i engine in India. It has two trims -- the W1 with manual and the W2 with automatic transmission.

The engine, transmission and handling have also received changes along with the overall styling. This revised Camry competes with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Honda Accord and Skoda Superb.

The Camry gets a heady 2.4-litre in-line four-cylinder engine, generating 165 bhp @ 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 224 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. It drives the front wheel through a 5-speed manual or the all-new 5-speed Electronically Controlled Transmission (ECT) that uses sensors, actuators and an electronic control unit to monitor speed of the vehicle, gear position selection and throttle opening. The VVT-i engine is seamlessly smooth and the Toyota gearbox is buttery soft, making the combination top-notch. The VVT-i is more eager to rev harder, higher and quicker. Associated artificial intelligence in valve timing works wonders in keeping the engine start and stop very quiet. The Camry is a good sprinter, making 60 kmph in just 4 seconds and the speedometer needle goes beyond 200 kmph, if you are keen on it. The riding pleasure of the Camry is much refined; handling is also sportier in the revised model. Vehicle Stability Control, in co-ordination with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) systems, adjusts throttle and braking to curb over-steer and under-steer. Push the pedal to the metal and the car comes to a halt in no time. The front McPherson Strut suspension and the rear dual link struts are tuned for high-speed as well as city drives. Solid build and sound-insulated cabin characterise the Camry.

There are many styling cues carried over from the previous models. It has smooth, sculpted looks of previous models and resembles a lot of its predecessors. The flared wheel arches are elegant. In the front, the distinct crease lines on the hood, headlights and the bumper have been redesigned. A W-shaped grille has replaced the reverse semi-circular grille. Extended edges of the door panels look like rocker panels. There are significant changes in the rear too. A deep crease divides the huge rear bumper into two parts and the taillights have also been redesigned, which look similar to those of the Honda Accord. Standard wheels now measure 16 inches instead of the previous 15 inches.

The base variant comes with SBRP215/60R16 94V, all-season tyres, dual color-keyed power adjustable exterior rearview mirrors, power windows with one-touch down feature on the driver's side, rear window defroster, dual sunvisor, intermittent windshield wipers and front as well as rear colour-keyed bumpers.

Toyota is renowned for great finish quality and the new Camry is another feather in their cap. The compact dash has been redesigned with the centre stack extending down till the gear shifter. The steering gets a telescoping function and contains mounted controls. The ventilation system uses a new "Plasma cluster" ioniser technology that helps reduce airborne mold spores, microbes, fungi, odours, germs and bacteria inside the passenger cabin.

The Toyota Camry is equipped with an array of good safety features such as ABS, EBD, vehicle stability control, Dual SRS airbags and front-cum-side impact protection.