Ciprian Florea wrote:After some seven years on the market in which it has taken Toyota’s U.S. sales in the midsize segment to new heights, the seventh-generation Camry is being prepared for retirement as a brand-new sedan is coming into the spotlight, Revealed at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, the eighth-generation Camry is a significant departure from its predecessor and signals the beginning of a new era for the American-made midsize.
Although made extremely popular by its comprehensive standard features list, good fuel economy, solid safety, and affordable sticker, the Camry was often criticized for its bland looks and included in "best cars for older drivers" tops more than once. Toyota is actually struggling with this across the board, but it has managed to roll out more youthful designs with its latest Corolla, RAV4, and especially the C-HR. The previous Camry’s facelift made a few steps in that direction, but the eighth-generation model brings the approach we’ve been waiting for.
Although the new design is clearly evolutionary, the Camry is a lot more appealing to look at. The front grille and emblem are now framed in a body-colored elements, the lower grille is bigger and sportier, the side vents are significantly larger, while the headlamps have more angular design. Pair all of the above with the creased, muscular hood and you’re looking at a midsize that’s anything but bland.
Moving onto the sides, Toyota finally ditched the boring belt line that ran undisturbed from the front fenders to the rear for a more exciting character line that highlights the beefier wheel arches. The two-tone rims and the black window trim gives it a decidedly sporty look you wouldn’t expect from a Camry. Of course, the model shown here is actually an expensive trim and the lower versions will feature more chrome, but I don’t see how a bit of bling would ruin the excellent proportions of the sedan. Around back we can see more features we don’t usually find on a Camry. There’s the protruding spoiler atop the nicely sculpted trunk lid, the new taillights with vent extensions toward the apron, and the revised bumper with quad exhaust pipes and diffuser-like elements.
All of a sudden I feel like shouting "shut up and take my money!"
The cabin also seems like a great place to spend time in. The redesigned dashboard comes with a funky, V-shaped center stack, optimized seating positions, more upscale upholstery and trim, a seven-inch instrument cluster, and a 10-inch head-up display. It also has a new infotainment screen with smartphone-like menus, navigation (standard), on-board Wi-Fi, and an upgraded JBL sound system. The latter two are optional.
Under the hood, there a range of all-new drivetrains. The base model comes with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit that should offer better power and torque than the current 178 horsepower and 170 pound-feet. It may seem surprising that Toyota went all-motor again instead of choosing the turbocharged routed, but the Japanese company claims that the longer stroke and higher compression ratio will deliver best-in-class fuel economy. Next up is a redesigned 3.5-liter V-6, shared with the Highlander and Sienna. Again, output figures aren’t available, but expect more than the previous 268 horses and 248 pound-feet, as well as more than 21 mpg city and 31 mpg highway.
Finally, the Camry Hybrid combines the 2.5-liter four-cylinder with a revised continuously variable transmission that features a new Sport mode that simulates a six-speed transmission. This model also has a new battery pack and Toyota promises "Prius-like city/highway" fuel economy, which should be around 54 and 50 mpg, respectively. The sedan also gained a stiffer chassis and suspension for improved dynamics, but we will talk more about that in our review.
Although I’ve always liked the Camry for being the fair and reliable midsize sedan that it’s been for quite some time, I often felt that Toyota was a bit shy about giving it the bold and sporty look that its deserves. And seeing all those TRD-made concept at each SEMA Show since the seventh-gen model has been around made it that much more frustrating. Well, those time are long gone and the Camry is finally living up to its potential as a midsize that’s not just for the middle-aged and elderly to buy and drive.
At first glance, the new Camry will revolutionize how most people see this family car, and if things go according to plan, it should become even more popular. Of course, it all depends on power, fuel economy and all that stuff we don’t know much about, but all should see notable improvements. The Camry never really lacked power or features compared to the competition and I don’t think this will change, especially in this day and age when automakers are stuffing even the base model with all sorts of features to keep customers happy. All that the Camry needed was a sportier, more youthful design, and it has finally received it!
