Toyota Camry Hybrid Gets New Updates In India

The hybrid sedan now comes with an all-black cabin along with a few additional features, while its price remains the same  

Toyota has silently introduced the 2018 model year sedan Camry Hybrid with a few updates. The Camry’s sales have been dwindling since the Government increased taxation in 2017 on hybrid cars under GST. The slow sales forced the Japanese automaker to even temporarily halt the Camry’s production in October 2017 so that it could clear up its inventory. The production kick-started again recently in February and Toyota has now added a few more goodies in the 2018 Camry Hybrid, probably to counterbalance its significantly increased asking price (from Rs 31.98 Lakh in early 2017 to Rs 37.22 lakh ex-showroom, Delhi) now.

2018 Toyota Camry: What’s new? 

• Comes with an all-black interior against the previous dual-tone black and beige 

Pictured: Previous model 

• The faux-wood inserts have also been refreshed 

• Features tan-brown leather upholstery compared to the relatively lighter beige offered before
• A new three-spoke steering wheel replaces the chunky four-spoke unit available before

The updates on the 2018 Toyota Camry are limited to its interior. In fact, these were introduced with the 2015 facelift in neighbouring markets, especially the new three-spoke steering wheel. The new darker theme and tan-brown upholstery should make the cabin look more premium than the usual beige.

Besides these, Toyota has carried over the additional features that were introduced with the Camry in January 2017. Last year, Toyota comprehensively updated the Camry’s equipment list with features such as nine airbags, a 12-speaker JBL sound system, Qi wireless charging pad for suitable smartphones, LED fog lamps, tyre pressure monitoring system and updated infotainment system. The Camry is definitely better loaded than its only direct rival, the Honda Accord, in terms of features. Unlike the Camry, which is assembled in India, the Accord is imported via the CBU (completely built unit) route and is priced at Rs 43.21 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). 

The introduction of the minor update model now is probably a hint that Toyota is not considering to bring the new-gen Camry to India anytime soon. The latest eighth-gen Camry made its global debut at the 2017 Detroit Motor Show in January, while the Asia-spec model was revealed in Japan in May 2017. We expect it to be launched here in 2019.

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