Toyota Camry Hybrid more details revealed

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By Alborz Fallah | September 28th, 2009

Arguably Toyota’s soon-to-be most important car in the Australian market, the Hybrid Camry is on its way and just a few minutes ago Toyota Australia released the first picture of the car’s interior.

Although the single picture is just of the instrument panel, we can clearly see the focus and purpose of hybrid Camry is on fuel economy. The locally built Camry will be the first hybrid to be built in Australia and Toyota hopes it will become a favourite with government and private fleets as well as attracting new customers to hybrids.

09HybridCamry-05lr

Using the same technology as the Prius, the Camry is capable of running on all electric power during certain conditions. From the picture above you can see a luminous green “ready” symbol which in this instance indicates that the although the ignition has been switched on the petrol engine remains off.

So whilst the car is standing still or travelling at low speeds the electric engine can do all the work, hence using no fuel and emitting zero emissions.

Toyota says the image release of the Hybrid Camry coincides with with the start of the second and final stage of pilot production for the car.

If all goes to plan, full-scale production will begin in December this year with the first Hybrid Camrys expected in Toyota dealerships from February 2010.

Hybrid Camry will be powered by the 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine found in current Camrys with the addition of an electric motor generator which gets its power from a hybrid battery that stores electrical energy.

The Big T can already claim to sell Australia’s most fuel-efficient locally produced car with the normal Camry using 8.8 litres of unleaded to travel 100km. The Hybrid variant is expected to do at least 20 per cent better, meaning fuel economy figures of around 7 litres per 100km or better.

“It will save motorists hundreds of dollars a year in fuel – and the more you drive, the more you’ll save on fuel.” Toyota Australia’s senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said

As the car undergoes its final stages of quality and assurance testing, we’d like to know what you think of Australia’s first locally built hybrid? Will the Camry become a favourite with taxis, government and private fleets as well as everyday car buyers?

Would you buy a Hybrid Camry? Why or why not?

Shak

ALthough im openly show my hate for Whitegoods on Wheels, i have to say for the whole industry this can only be a good thing as now Holden and Ford will have to start their hybrid/EV programs very quickly. Anyway on the car wheels tested a prototype and they said the acceleration was a lot better as the hybrid motor provided instant torque on take off and then the petrol motor kicked in for the midrange.

Cameron

Does that mean fast whitegoods? Somehow I don’t think so. The idea is efficiency, not performance. I really can’t say I rate wheels, CA journos are much better.

Cameron

Still better to buy a diesel. When Diesel hybrids are in production they will make these things seem obsolete. Stands to reason with a much higher energy content per litre in diesel than petrol.

S

Diesel hybrids could potentially make sense. However, when you throw in the price premium for the Diesel engine, say $3000 over petrol and then the Hybrid drivetrain, say another 3-4k. Is anyone willing to pay that much more for maybe a saving of 1 litre per 100kms?

Cameron

Absolutely.
1. Think of the torque. You can load a diesel to the brim and not have a big penalty in efficiency. Try that in any petrol car and watch your consumption climb!
2. Those litres you save add up and are most noticeable when you only need to fill the car up half as often as a regular petrol and likely 3/4 as often as a hybrid.

Most people have never owned an efficient diesel car so just don’t appreciate the difference in real terms. My TDI consistently gets over 800ks pure city driving and over 1100kms on the freeway.

Škoda Freak

Well they got one thing right, at least it has a similar Optitron instrument display like the Aurion. The (non-hybrid) Camry’s instruments are a joke compared to the Aurion.

I’d consider one, I like the technology. I hope they do the same set-up as the Prius with the electric A/C compressor/water pump/power steering and DC/DC converter in place of an alternator. No drive belt = genius.

At least it’ll be cheaper than a Prius, even in Grande trim.
KingCobra

Diesel,will not have a long-term future. Stricter and stricter emissions regulations will kill or slowly strangle diesel engines. The only thing keeping it alive is the tax credits in Europe. Most European manufacturese see petrol hybrids as a way forward, and then full electric
Gary

For a private buyer, I guess it is down to how much the service cost is. If service is a lot more expensive than a normal camry, that means the owner needs to do huge amount of kilos to break even.

A serious question, if it works the same way as Prius, does it mean it purely relies on petrol engine on freeway/highway? If so, it is pointless for commuter do lots of kilos on freeway/highway to buy a hybrid camry.

MisterTwo

Correct Gary, these are pointless if they spend all day on the freeway. For best efficiency they need to be used in stop-start city environments with obviously some freeway thrown in. Unless you use the M1 in Melbourne then that is stop-start crawling anyway!
S

I don’t think the services will cost any more as the hybrid system does not need any servicing. Prius servicing is the same as a Corolla.

On the highway the hybrid system uses a combination of both the petrol and electric motor, so there is a benefit and this will use less fuel on the highway than a similar petrol only vehicle.

Hybrids are at their best in stop/start traffic however.

Gary

Agree with service cost, after I check some record, service cost for prius is close to corolla.

But about the way it works on freeway, I believe in previous comment in CA, users of prius had pointed out in high speed, prius relies on petrol engine so it is not really saving fuel.

Gary

Adding to above, if RRP of hybrid camry is much higher than normal camry, then it is pointless to hybrid again. Just calculate how many kilos you need to do to save a few thousands from higher purchase price.

Honestly I think the A$50k new prius is NOT green whatsoever, considering the price you pay in the first place.

figjam

The pruis for 50k is the top of the line itec with everything including sat/nav,radar cruise and self parking, the base level 1 start’s at $39,990

Škoda Freak

Gary it works on both petrol and electric on the highway. The 3rd gen Prius uses less fuel on the highway than it does around town (3.7 l/100km hwy, 3.9 l/100km city).

DipStiK

This is not true. I had a 2005 Prius. City driving was up to 2L/100km less. Comments above are correct. These cars are best at city stop start traffic.
S

DipStiK, the new Prius is better on the highway.

http://ACA Shane

Statistics indicate that approx 80% of car owners do the bulk of thier driving in suburbia and not on the open road hence a hybrid makes economic sense for the overwhelming majority of kilometers travelled by motorist each year.
Aleks

I think its simple. If this car costs 40K Plus – Then NO – it won’t sell simply because businesses can get a normal Camry for 28K and the hybrid will never make that difference up in petrol.

figjam

last sunday’s brisbane paper had the starting price for the base level car at around 33k! that will be great value if that’s right!

Anthrax

I drive a 2008 Camry auto as a work vehicle. I work in country Victoria and the majority of my driving is on country roads.

I would not buy a hybrid Camry, although I will be required to have one when my current car is replaced. I’m all for fuel efficiency (my previous Car was an 07 Jazz VTi manual – regularly got 5.7 l/100k average) but the Camry is a very boring car and with an auto it’s less efficient than a manual. It’ll be interesting to see how the hybrid goes.

Cuppla q’s for y’all:

1. If the car is all about efficiency as the above story says why is it heavy? Auto? still have the same 2.4 boat anchor engine? have a 240km/h speedo?

2. The story quotes the normal Camry achieving 8.8 l/100km. What did Toyota do to drop the official figures for the auto from 9.9l/100km to 8.8l/100km? I’d like to achieve an average of 8.8l/100km – more often than not, even with 90% country driving, I still get just on 10′s.

DipStiK

I agree Anthrax, My hired Camry V6 Auto set on Cruise control at 110km/h on a 99.5km stretch from Brookton to Karagullin here in WA where there is petrol station at both end gave me 12L there and 13L on the way back. Note this is fill to first click at start and end of 99.5km road,not using the trip computer figures.

http://Caradvice.com.au Baddass

People say that the Camry is boring: that may be so but it still looks good.
Glen

I would not buy a Camry Hybrid because they use too much fuel, cannot tow a caravan and cost too much. It is better to buy a diesel car. (Hyundai i30, Peugeot 308, VW Golf, Mazda 6)

DipStiK

On my 2005 Prius Toyota would not fit a two bar, something about overloading the regenerative braking. Is this the same for the Camry Hybrid ?

toxic_horse

I sometimes have the misfortune to have to drive a current camry for work , wow these things are so dull and mundaine i think i would have more fun driving a kia rio.

Which is funny because a few years ago i had a 1990 SV21 camry with a 5 speed, no power steer or AC / was one of the most fun cars i have ever owned. I chucked on some old school mags with some decent rubber, put in some stiff springs. Was so light and such a sweet engine. where did toyota go so wrong.

crazy_horse

I had the same car albeit with air and steer – are you on drugs?
The reason I bought it was pure practicality and reliability, not performance or looks.
Your mates must have thought you a joke modding a camry |

Alex

Camry = Dull boring lifeless – I’ll wait for the Holden Volt
SilverTX18

As for using the car as a taxi, most states in Australia have a minimum size limit on the vehicle to fit full size adults in the back seats. The Camry has been tried (being just near minimum size) and is failing. The car just isn’t big enough.

The talk of 8.8l fuel consumption for a Camry auto seems odd. I just drove from Canberra to Perth through Melbourne and Adelaide earlier this year and achieved an average for the whole trip Hwy and Cty combined of 8.6l/100km – and this was in a 2000 model Statesman V6S auto with 3 adults and the boot and one back seat filled with luggage. Maybe I was lucky.

JohnQPublic

New York City taxi drivers are notorious for the kind of abuse they put their cars through, and Americans like big cars. And the Camry Hybrid is doing VERY well as a taxi cab here in New York City, a city with reputation for big things. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3646/3511701083_8ce427e02a.jpg?v=0

It is tough enough to withstand the kind of abuse taxi drivers put it through, and obviously big enough to haul people around NYC just fine.

Which is why I’m puzzled why it is “failing” as a taxi in Australia.

Performer

Its actually not the size which the problem, its the fuel economy on LPG and the maintenance. Camrys are having a lot more things go wrong than the equivalent Falcon, we are especially finding issues with CV joints, door actuators, O2 sensors, and transmissions. Not that its the Camry’s fault – its a very tough life being a taxi, its just that its being compared to Falcons which are very reliable and durable.

wintechsw

Gee I wish the commentators about Prius taxi use would check their facts. Prius taxis are to be found all over the country, Melbourne, Brisbane etc. I am a second time Prius owner who regularly gets 4.1 litres/100km around the city for taxi-like driving. At 110km on a freeway I get 5.5 l/100km, but when I drop back to speedo 106kph(104 actual), I get 4.6 l/100km. I have a Scanguage II in the car and the LOD(engine Load factor%) figure of 79% is the magic figure for this difference in fuel consumption. The engine will turn off at highway speeds on a downhill run.
I recently sold my Prius gen II model to a taxi driver who flew down from Darwin and drove it home! The white colour saved him a $3000 respray job. I bought a new Gen II iTech.
The real drawback to increased private purchases of Prius is the exorbitant prices currently being charged by Toyota Australia for the Gen III cars. US prices are $1000 less than Gen II and the UK prices are the same. Aussie pricing for the iTech is +$8000, and we are at 80 Cents parity with the $US. Go figure.