New Camry no price increase but bigger engine

[Jim Goose]

Toyota resists price increases for new Camry
Barry Park
December 7, 2011 - 1:33PM

Toyota resists price increases for new Camry
Barry Park
December 7, 2011 - 1:33PM

Comments 16

Camry gets more power

Toyota's mid-size best seller has a new engine and more technology.

Australia's best-selling mid-size car gets more power, better fuel efficiency for same money.

Toyota is looking to woo family buyers back to its locally-built Camry with more power, reduced fuel consumption and no price hike.

The seventh generation comes with a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 133kW of power and 231Nm of torque in base form, up from 117kW and 218Nm on the previous model.

More expensive models get a fuel exhaust system that lifts power and torque marginally.


The new engine is matched to a new six-speed automatic transmission, which cuts fuel use from 8.8L/100km to 7.8L/100km - a 13 per cent reduction. The manual transmission has been dropped.

The new range is clearly split into fleet and private buyer models for the first time, with the base model Altise separated from more expensive Atara models by a new grille, sideskirts and different exhausts.

Atara models will come in S, SX and SL versions.

Toyota says interior space has grown, and the drive experience has sharpened up with tweaks to the suspension, aerodynamics and brakes to help with roadholding.

The entry-level Altise keeps both its $30,490 price tag and the 16-inch alloys it added late last year, although, oddly, buyers can opt to replace the wheels with a set of steel rims for an extra $100. For another $500 they can also add a reversing camera.

All models now get seven airbags including a driver's knee airbag, Bluetooth streaming, seatbelt reminders for all seats, a full trip computer and - in a first for the Camry - electrically assisted power steering.

The $33,490 Atara S - up by $1000 on the Ateva it replaces - introduces a more upmarket look including chrome exterior trim, foglamps, and a sports bumper grille, dual-zone air-conditioning, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, and an electric-adjust driver's seat as standard fit-out. Options include leather seats and a sunroof.

Stepping up to the $35,990 Atara SX - a $2000 jump over the Sportivo it replaces - adds leather trim, stiffer suspension and a rear-lip spoiler, among other bits of go-fast trim.

Where the Sportivo, which had a body-stiffening brace behind the rear seat that meant the rear seats could not split-fold, the SX lacks the brace and keeps the same rear-seat functionality as the rest of the range. The only option for the SX is a sunroof.

The range-topping $39,990 Atara SL, which replaces the Grande, also comes without a price rise.

It gains leather-accented interior with plastic wood, a premium 10-speaker audio system that includes a digital radio, satellite navigation with live traffic updates, a monitor that can warn if another vehicle is driving in the car's blind spot, automatic wipers, and automatic headlights that even dip the high beam if another car is in sight.

It gains reversing sensors as well as a more up-market reversing camera that shows the course of the car. Again, the only option is a sunroof.

Toyota says the Atara name, unique to the Australian market, means ''crown'' in Hebrew.

Unlike the previous locally made 2.4-litre version, the new 2.5-litre unit will be imported until an update of Toyota's Victorian casting plant comes on stream late next year.

The hybrid version won't be available until the first quarter of next year.Camry gets more power

Toyota's mid-size best seller has a new engine and more technology.


Australia's best-selling mid-size car gets more power, better fuel efficiency for same money.

Toyota is looking to woo family buyers back to its locally-built Camry with more power, reduced fuel consumption and no price hike.

The seventh generation comes with a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 133kW of power and 231Nm of torque in base form, up from 117kW and 218Nm on the previous model.


The new engine is matched to a new six-speed automatic transmission, which cuts fuel use from 8.8L/100km to 7.8L/100km - a 13 per cent reduction. The manual transmission has been dropped.

The new range is clearly split into fleet and private buyer models for the first time, with the base model Altise separated from more expensive Atara models by a new grille, sideskirts and different exhausts.

Atara models will come in S, SX and SL versions.

Toyota says interior space has grown, and the drive experience has sharpened up with tweaks to the suspension, aerodynamics and brakes to help with roadholding.

The entry-level Altise keeps both its $30,490 price tag and the 16-inch alloys it added late last year, although, oddly, buyers can opt to replace the wheels with a set of steel rims for an extra $100. For another $500 they can also add a reversing camera.

All models now get seven airbags including a driver's knee airbag, Bluetooth streaming, seatbelt reminders for all seats, a full trip computer and - in a first for the Camry - electrically assisted power steering.

The $33,490 Atara S - up by $1000 on the Ateva it replaces - introduces a more upmarket look including chrome exterior trim, foglamps, and a sports bumper grille, dual-zone air-conditioning, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, and an electric-adjust driver's seat as standard fit-out. Options include leather seats and a sunroof.

Stepping up to the $35,990 Atara SX - a $2000 jump over the Sportivo it replaces - adds leather trim, stiffer suspension and a rear-lip spoiler, among other bits of go-fast trim.

Where the Sportivo, which had a body-stiffening brace behind the rear seat that meant the rear seats could not split-fold, the SX lacks the brace and keeps the same rear-seat functionality as the rest of the range. The only option for the SX is a sunroof.

The range-topping $39,990 Atara SL, which replaces the Grande, also comes without a price rise.

It gains leather-accented interior with plastic wood, a premium 10-speaker audio system that includes a digital radio, satellite navigation with live traffic updates, a monitor that can warn if another vehicle is driving in the car's blind spot, automatic wipers, and automatic headlights that even dip the high beam if another car is in sight.

It gains reversing sensors as well as a more up-market reversing camera that shows the course of the car. Again, the only option is a sunroof.

Toyota says the Atara name, unique to the Australian market, means ''crown'' in Hebrew.

Unlike the previous locally made 2.4-litre version, the new 2.5-litre unit will be imported until an update of Toyota's Victorian casting plant comes on stream late next year.

The hybrid version won't be available until the first quarter of next year.

[Iggypoppin']

That front bumper is a bit Subaru isn't it??

[Smoke Pursuit]

Honda Accord Euro much???

[stevz]

The rear is absolutely hideous

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Honda Accord Euro much???

If you look at the Camry side on, you see a lot of the current models predecessor in the side profile, like when BA-FG keep door handles, except Toyota skipped a model?

[Iggypoppin']

What the hell happened to the rear? The front is no where near as bad!

[Fab]

Originally Posted by Iggypoppin'

What the hell happened to the rear? The front is no where near as bad!

Doesn't really matter if the rear or the whole car is ugly, it'll still sell like hot cakes.
I quite like it. It'll look good in black.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Fab

Doesn't really matter if the rear or the whole car is ugly, it'll still sell like hot cakes.
I quite like it. It'll look good in black.

Selling like hotcakes?

Not last month, only 978 of them but yeah, that trough in sales wont last long....

If Ford had a competitor for each of Toyota's vehicles sold in Australia, they would do much better,
and if they actually sold better vehicles across the board, then they could possibly out sell Toyota....

Are we on the verge of seeing Ford actually doing something bold to help their cause?

God I hope so....

[Brazen]

7.8L/100km is impressive, will be a popular fleet vehicle.

[jpd80]

An Ecoboost Mondeo achieves similar or better fuel economy, Time Ford got yhr message out there...
1.6 Ecoboost with stop/start technology actually gets diesel like 5.5 l/100 km, shame it's not here...

[Ben73]

The back will look even worse in NON red

[Matty4]

:zzz :zzz :zzz

edit: smilies no worky..

[duaned]

Any interior pics floating around in cyber-space?

[2011G6E]

Oh dear...that actually looks...

....good...

[Franco Cozzo]

I quite like the look of that, good move Toyota, not so bland.

[Brazen]

Diesel cometh

http://www.caradvice.com.au/150256/t...lla-and-camry/

Toyota Australia wants BMW diesel power for Corolla and Camry

Toyota Australia says it will import models such as the Corolla and Camry featuring BMW diesel engines if they become available for the local market.

BMW and Toyota last week announced a new collaboration that would see the German car maker exchange its small-capacity diesel engines for access to the Japansese manufacturer’s hybrid knowledge.



The car makers will also work together on lithium-ion battery development.

Toyota Australia currently offers diesel engines only in its hardcore 4WDs, the Prado and LandCruiser, as well as its commercial vehicles such as the HiLux ute, but the company wants to extend compression-ignition drivetrains to its passenger cars and car-based SUVs.

Toyota will primarily use BMW’s 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre turbo diesels to help boost sales in Europe where diesels account for more than half the market.

The company’s Australian subsidiary is also hoping the engines to be offered locally, where sales of diesel-powered vehicles continue to grow.

“If they were offered to Australia we would take [the diesel engines] for sure,” says Toyota Australia’s corporate manager of product planning, Greg Gardner.

“We are going to expand our range of diesels and SUVs over the next few years.

“[For Toyota] this is a short-term solution to solve a particular need. Of course European [diesels] tend to be manuals, where Australian buyers prefer automatics.

Gardner lists the Corolla small car and Camry medium car (pictured above in just-released new-generation form) as two obvious candidates for diesel power, while pointing out there’s a RAV4 diesel already available in Europe that would also appeal.

Specific details about the BMW engines haven’t been released, but CarAdvice understands the 1.6-litre turbo diesel is the 82kW/270Nm unit found in the Mini Cooper D as well as the new 1-Series and 3-Series.

This engine itself is a detuned version of BMW’s 2.0-litre turbo diesel that would be the second offering to Toyota.

[Paxton]

Still Ugly. Still as desirable as gonorrhoea.

[csv8]

The Atara SL has a Digital radio, as should FG2 G6E...aussie car makers are slow on the uptake of digital radios....

[FPV GTHO]

What the hell was the old Sportivo doing with a rear strut brace...

btw, Toyota only want to do diesel because someone else has done it for them already. Ford wont rush out to put diesel into Falcon for a small percentage sales when they still need to do all the hard work, even if half the work might already be done with diesel Territory now.

[2011G6E]

Diesel makes perfect sense in countries who don't have a predatory government that artificially taxes it into a region where a fuel that's cheaper to produce ends up costing far more than petrol...it should be probably 30 or 40 cents less than petrol, and given our big distances here, extremely efficient diesel cars should be the weapon of choice, but they aren't because everyone can drive past a servo and see it priced up to 10 cents a liter more than petrol.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

btw, Toyota only want to do diesel because someone else has done it for them already. Ford wont rush out to put diesel into Falcon for a small percentage sales when they still need to do all the hard work, even if half the work might already be done with diesel Territory now.

I have a feeling Toyota would have to do work locally for a diesel Camry, as other Camry markets like the US and Middle East wont want it. In Europe the Avansis is the family car over there which is significantly different to the camry.

Funny how Toyota sees room in Australia for a 4 cylinder which has better economy than a Mondeo EcoBoost as well as a Hybrid as well as a diesel!

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Funny how Toyota sees room in Australia for a 4 cylinder which has better economy than a Mondeo EcoBoost as well as a Hybrid as well as a diesel!

It all comes down to Toyotas philosophy of being #1 in automotive sales. They will do what it takes.

Diesel engine, like the hybrid, will not be manufactured or likely assembled in Australia. Simply fitted.

[Resurrection]

*yawns*

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Funny how Toyota sees room in Australia for a 4 cylinder which has better economy than a Mondeo EcoBoost as well as a Hybrid as well as a diesel!

The only weak player in Mondeo's line up is the old 2.3 I-4 auto with 9.5 l/100 km,
Replacing that with the American Fusion's 2.5 should match Toyota's new engine.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by jpd80

The only weak player in Mondeo's line up is the old 2.3 I-4 auto with 9.5 l/100 km,
Replacing that with the American Fusion's 2.5 should match Toyota's new engine.

Yeap, Autocar N.Z. December 2011 issue described driving the previous Mondeo 2.3 as "a never ending cruxifiction" but they really liked the new 2.0 Ecoboost Titanium.

Can't help but wonder why we don't get the version you mentioned the 1.6 Ecoboost with economy of 5.5 litres per 100 km's, it would sell like bloody hot cakes wouldn't it ? Ford are barking mad not to bring that model down under.

New Camry looks a much better bet than the previous model, mind you improving significantly on that one wasn't hard with the bar set so low in the first place

[Poetic Justice]

I've driven this car, did so on Monday. Quite a nice car; a far better offering from Toyota than its predecessor.

Some nice things about it; particularly as mentioned the digital radio in the SL (previously 'Grande') model is nice as is the lane change monitor as the Mondeo offers. Honestly hadn't heard of it before but I also saw it on a Ford advertisement so must give it props.

The car drives significantly better, and our drive day featured a NVH comparison to the Mazda 6 and the Hyundai i45 which the Camry seemed to do a whole lot better on the ride and quietness compared to its competitors though I can't say much for Mondeo. Mondeo must not sell very well otherwise Toyota would have one there to compare it to.

The 'Atara' range which includes S, SX and SL is what Toyota aims to the private market. The Altise which remains is aimed more so at fleet.

Its a nice car, but the 'nice' side that has been added in my opinion excites me more so for the release of the update Aurion in 2012, as with the greatness of the new Camry matched with a great engine will see a fantastic car. Were it to be RWD, Ford/Holden would be soilng themselves.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by SCUD

The car drives significantly better, and our drive day featured a NVH comparison to the Mazda 6 and the Hyundai i45 which the Camry seemed to do a whole lot better on the ride and quietness compared to its competitors though I can't say much for Mondeo. Mondeo must not sell very well otherwise Toyota would have one there to compare it to.

The Mondeo is the 2nd highest selling car in the medium class behind Camry, and the reason why they probably didn't have one to compare the Camry too is because it would show up how poor the Camrys steering and handling are compared to it.

They are the dullest, most boring hunks of junk on the road today, and I would never even look twice at it, but then again i'm not over 70 with a purple rinse and a cardigan, and I do have a pulse, so i'm not its target market.

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

The Mondeo is the 2nd highest selling car in the medium class behind Camry, and the reason why they probably didn't have one to compare the Camry too is because it would show up how poor the Camrys steering and handling are compared to it.

They are the dullest, most boring hunks of junk on the road today, and I would never even look twice at it, but then again i'm not over 70 with a purple rinse and a cardigan, and I do have a pulse, so i'm not its target market.

Granted, but at least the new model is streets ahead of its predecessor, that's all I can say about it. It doesn't mean I overly like it, or would buy one, but it's better nevertheless.

Originally Posted by chevypower

Toyota would be smart if it offered a 2.0 GTDI engine like Falcon, Taurus, Passat, Sonata, Optima. People keep wrongfully saying that the Japs are ahead of the game.

If Toyota's relationship with BMW goes ahead then it seems like this will be a definite possibility..

[THE SLUG]

Boring and ugly....and wheres the V6 option?

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by THE SLUG

Boring and ugly....and wheres the V6 option?

It's called the Aurion. They've been selling them since 2006.