The seventh-gen Toyota Camry had a difficult time in India, primarily because it was a hybrid, and that made it super-expensive. If you are one of the loyalists, don’t worry as Toyota will bring the eighth-gen Camry in India sometime during the first half of next year. As before, it is likely to come only in the hybrid form and will, in all probability, come via the CBU (completely built unit) route. In international markets, however, it is available with petrol-only versions as well.

Unveiled in July last year, the new Toyota Camry is more of a head-turner now than ever before. Like the Lexus ES and the recently revealed Toyota Corolla sedan, the new Camry rides on Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. Thanks to that, it gets a 50mm longer wheelbase than its predecessor which transforms into a roomier cabin. That said, the seventh-gen Camry wasn’t exactly pokey inside the cabin either.

The new Camry hybrid will boast a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine, mated with an electric motor. The total system output is 211PS of power, while a continuously variable transmission handles transmission duties. That’s the same set of mechanicals which does duty in the Lexus ES300h. The lithium-ion battery pack is placed behind the rear seats, and yet the boot is quite large. Toyota claims that the new Camry hybrid can return 33.4kmpl.

In international markets, the Toyota Camry comes loaded with features. The list includes LED-powered headlamps, DRLs and taillamps, dynamic radar cruise control, 10-inch head-up display, a 7.0-inch multifunction display in the instrument cluster, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and Auto Glide Control. On the safety front, the Camry Hybrid is more than impressive with gizmos like Lane Departure Alert, Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, 10 airbags, automatic high beams and Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection. By the time it arrives in India, it will lose some of those features to keep the costs in check.

Once launched, it will directly compete with the Honda Accord Hybrid. In the same segment but without a hybrid powertrain, there’s also the Skoda Superb and the Volkswagen Passat. Since strong hybrids won’t be included in FAME II and they still attract a 43 per cent tax under GST, the new Toyota Camry hybrid is likely to nudge the Rs 40 lakh mark.

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Rachit Shad Trehan
A car nutter by heart. A hopeless engineer by education. Gunning for one goal - simplify cars.

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