When the Camry was at its most popular, it was a favourite with bank managers, taxi drivers and the Garda fleet buyers. Big, comfortable, reliable and pretty fast, it was, nevertheless, a car of its time. A thirsty 2.4 litre petrol engine made it a bit too exotic even for 90s Ireland.
Now, 14 years on, the Camry is back and in line with Toyota’s current policy, it’s a hybrid. Its arrival has already generated quite a bit of interest, which goes to show that brand names - once established - have a long shelf life. Presumably people of a certain age are keen to find out if the latest Camry offers the same qualities it once did.
One thing is certainly different this time around, though. The original car was renowned for its boot space (long before the Skoda Superb arrived on the scene and saw off everything in its path for interior and boot space).
Now the Camry has a limited 427 litres of space in order to accommodate the hybrid battery. For comparison, the Superb has just under 600 litres and that’s before the seats come down.
Prices for the Camry start at €39,750. The Sol version, which costs €41,750, is expected to be the most popular option.
Toyota’s Safety Sense comes as standard and the package includes automatic high beam headlight selection (meaning you don’t have to respond to different situations by dipping the headlights yourself), adaptive cruise control and lane departure alert with steering control.
Radar sensors and cameras help detect potential collisions and monitor road signs. LED lights, smart entry, rear privacy glass, power retractable heated door mirrors, rear view camera, dual climate control and three years servicing are all standard across the range.
The Sol version has leather upholstery, heated seats and satellite navigation. LED lights, smart entry, rear privacy glass, power retractable heated door mirrors, rear view camera, dual climate control and three years servicing.
The hybrid system should provide very good fuel economy, despite the size of the engine, but we’ll have to wait on a full road test to see just how economical the car is. It’s in dealers now.
