2024 Toyota Camry: First Drive Review

The new Toyota Camry’s package will make you question the premium for those German luxury sedans

The Toyota Camry is a strong-hybrid petrol luxury sedan, known for its reliability and comfort. The latest ninth generation model has been launched in India at a price tag of Rs 48 lakh (ex-showroom). Its only direct rival is the Skoda Superb (now a full import), but it also undercuts smaller luxury sedans like the Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3 Series, and Audi A4.

So what does the new Camry have in store for you?

Design

The designers at Toyota have been doing a fantastic job globally and the treatment on this new Camry reflects that. A car carrying the Camry nameplate, historically known for being an efficient and comfortable cruiser, has no business looking as sharp and sporty as it does. 

It has a razor sharp nose with a wide grille that has a hint of Lexus in it. Everything is sharp, right from the creases on the hood to the LED DRLs to the contours of the air dam, which combine together to give it a rather sporty look. That feeling is amplified by the low slung stance of the Camry along with its stylish 18-inch alloys.

The sleek C-shaped LED taillights and the creases on the rear bumper might not be as sharp as the front, but they do balance the design of the Camry, giving it an overall chic look that’s not too far from being in the sports sedan category. 

The ‘Sprint Edition’ however, fits well in that category. It adds a touch of go-fast feel in the styling with the blacked out roof, alloys, front lip insert and spoiler. However, these are dealer level add ons, and you can opt for them separately too as per your taste.

Boot space

With 587-litres of on-paper space, the Camry’s boot has more than enough real estate to store a full suitcase set and then some. We couldn’t actually test it out fully due to lack of suitcases, but the boot is deep with a wide opening and we did manage to fit in a full human. 

So everything from your family’s weekend getaways to airport runs should be covered with ease. Additionally, it gets a hatch in case you want to store some long items like a golf club, or just want to access the boot from the rear seat itself. Sweet!

Interior

Getting in and out of the new Camry does take more than the usual duck of the head because of its low roofline. But once inside, the Camry won’t really give you reasons for any grouses. The dual tone black and brown theme is rich to look at and premium to touch. Adding a bit of a contrast are the Piano Black panels and Silver inserts, which have been executed tastefully.

 

The overall design is very Lexus-like and the 12.3-inch infotainment system takes up most of the room. But thankfully, there are physical buttons for all your major controls, not just around the centre console but also on the steering wheel. So it doesn’t require unnecessarily additional steps and the attached distraction for changing something as simple as your temperature settings.

From a quality standpoint, everything feels solid and well put together in pure Toyota fashion, but with an added degree of plushness. The driver will appreciate the powered tilt and telescopic adjustment of the steering wheel, which coupled with the 10-way adjustable seats truly offer a comfortable driving position for all sizes. And while the seats too feel comfortable and supportive, the seats at the rear is where you would want to spend most of your time. 

Rear Seats

The experience is comparable to a business class seat with the amount of adjustability and space on offer. Knee and footroom is generous, and even more so if you move the front passenger ahead using the ‘boss mode’ feature. 

Despite the sloping roofline, headroom isn’t too compromised and is acceptable even for people around the 6ft mark. There’s only a small room for improvement in underthigh support, which despite being adequate, could’ve been better to make the whole experience nearly flawless.

Drop the central armrest down and you’ll have the option of electrically reclining your seats, along with options to control the media, rear sunblind and temperature settings. But when you don’t want to use it, the central armrest doesn’t fit flush with the backrest, which is very non-Japenese engineering. Making matters more troublesome for the middle passenger is the central tunnel underneath, which restricts the footroom on offer. Therefore, it’s best to use the  Camry to seat four.

All four doors have bottle holders and the central console has ample space with two cupholders, an open tray and a wireless charging pad. The storage underneath the front central armrest is generous, the glovebox size is adequate. Rear occupants get a seat back pocket along with cupholders in the central armrest. For charging, there’s a 12V socket, three type-C ports at the front and two at the rear. 

Features

The new Toyota Camry’s features list is good enough to go neck and neck with a few German luxury sedans. Here’s a runthrough of its highlights:

All creature comforts have been taken care of, with the list including three-zone climate control, 10-way powered and ventilated front seats with memory setting, auto IRVM, sunroof, wireless phone charger, keyless entry, push button start stop, and auto wipers. 

Safety

The safety kit is made up of 9 airbags, ISOFIX mounts, electronic parking brake with auto hold, vehicle stability and traction control, hill start assist, tyre pressure monitoring system and level-2 ADAS.

We couldn't experience the ADAS tech fully in our limited time. From experience with the Innova Hycross, we know that Toyota understands Indian conditions well and has one of the most India-friendly ADAS we've tested. Naturally, we expect the Camry to be no different. That said, we'll reserve our final word till we get more seat time.

Drive experience

The Toyota Camry continues to be powered by a strong-hybrid powertrain, comprising a 2.5-litre NA petrol engine with a small Lithium-Ion battery and electric motor paired. It is paired with an e-CVT gearbox and the combined output stands at 230PS and 208Nm. 

The powertrain is a smooth operator, and operates the best when driven calmly. It has enough power for all your commuting needs. It crawls from a standstill in EV mode and picks up speed smoothly. Thanks to the changes made to its hybrid powertrain, the Camry can now drive in EV-only mode for longer than before and the engine kicks in seamlessly when it senses the need for more power. If there's enough charge, it’ll jump back to EV-only when you’re cruising as well. As a result, you will be able to get very close to that claimed 25.49kmpl fuel efficiency figure in the real world.

It’s not a quick car that will evoke any emotions within you, but it has enough oomph to overtake in the city and at high speeds as well. Refinement is good until you floor the throttle and ask the engine to work really hard, but after that quick overtake, it settles back into the smooth and refined cruiser. 

There’s even a dedicated button for sports mode, which sharpens the throttle response and helps with the quick overtakes. So while the Camry can cover ground rather quickly, it will be best enjoyed when driven in a smooth and relaxed manner.

Ride and Handling

Toyota has improved the ride quality of this new Camry by making it a little stiffer than before. As a result, movement inside the cabin is much more controlled than it used to be. Regular potholes and speedbreakers are smoothly ironed out and it maintains comfort over the rougher patches as well.

It even soaks up the highway undulations and expansion joints rather well, and stays planted at higher speeds. Ground clearance seems acceptable for a sedan. While we didn’t scrape the underbody even with three people onboard, you will have to remind yourself that it is a sedan and consequently look out for the occasional infamous speed breaker.

Now we didn’t get to carve a corner in our short time with the Camry, but it remained composed during lane changes at higher speeds. The steering felt direct and confidence inspiring, while the body movement was controlled, which hints that the Camry should be poised around a corner too. More on that when we get more time with the car!

Verdict

The new Toyota Camry has improved over its old model in every possible parameter. It looks more upmarket, feels more premium, packs more features and modern safety tech along with an updated hybrid powertrain that was already very efficient to begin with. 

In this new generation, the Camry has got a sense of understated luxury that draws you away from the big German boys. Looks are subjective, but in terms of feel and convenience features, it’s offering almost the same, if not more than what the luxury sedans have to offer. If you want to move past the badge value, then the Toyota Camry is definitely worth considering. This is especially because it offers you more value if you plan on spending most of your time in the backseat. 

Additionally, if it's your first time spending nearly half a crore on a car, the Camry is possibly the safest choice out there with its reliability, easy maintenance and great resale value – qualities typically synonymous with a Toyota badge.