Ninth-generation Toyota Camry breaks cover, becomes pure hybrid

Toyota Camry is one of the cars that have been in business for a long time, since March 1982. Now, the Japanese car manufacturer has taken the wrap off the new generation Camry, which comes as a pure hybrid car. This means the ninth generation Toyota Camry will come with a 2.5-litre inline-four engine paired with two compact electric motors, increasing the range for the midsize sedan as well as minimising its tailpipe emission. What's more interesting is that being a pure hybrid car, the new generation Camry has essentially turned into a bigger Toyota Prius.

The ninth-generation Camry comes as a heavy refreshed iteration instead of an all-new car. It rides on the same TNGA-K architecture that underpins the eighth-generation model. However, the updated model comes with a reworked suspension with new shocks and revised tuning, which ensure better riding comfort for the occupants. Toyota claims the car offers enhanced responsiveness and agile handling.

On the design front, it looks similar to the predecessor, with a large lower front grille and slim LED headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights. The taillights too come with LED treatment. The new Camry gets a wide range of colour options including Ice Cap, Wind Chill Pearl, Celestial Silver Metallic, Underground, Midnight Black Metallic, Supersonic Red, Reservoir Blue, Ocean Gem and Heavy Metal. The last two paint options come as a new addition to the list. The sedan runs on 19-inch wheels.

Moving inside the cabin, the new Camry comes with a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment screen. The top trims get 12.3-inch displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment system. The infotainment system gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, in addition to having a wireless charging pad. The top-end trim gets a 10.0-inch heads-up display. There's also a nine-speaker JBL audio system inside the cabin.

On the safety front, the new Camry gets Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite, which includes a pre-collision system that detects vehicles and pedestrians, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure assist, road sign assist, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The top trims offer an optional Premium Plus Package that adds traffic-jam assist, front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, panoramic view monitor, and front and rear parking assist with automatic braking.

On the powertrain front, the new Camry gets a 2.5-litre inline-four engine with two electric motors, churning out a combined output of 222 bhp peak power with front-wheel drive or 229 bhp maximum power with all-wheel drive.

Toyota Camry is not a big seller in India as it once was for the automaker but it retails around 150-200 units every month, which makes it a familiar model in the country. With the growing demand for hybrid models, the new Camry could find a better success rate in India, if Toyota brings it here.