Ten days after it revealed the first locally produced Hybrid Camry, Toyota has today detailed the intricacies of the styling and design of Australia’s first hybrid vehicle.
The new front bumper shares styling cues with the third-generation Prius for both functional and symbolic purposes.
The larger, more rectangular lower grille directs additional cooling air into the hybrid-equipped engine bay, while the radiator grille and boot-lid are finished in satin chrome to differentiate it from petrol models.
The signature blue tinted headlamps likewise identify it as a member of Toyota’s hybrid family, while the clear-cover rear combination lamps include LED lights which use less power and contribute to lower fuel use.
To accommodate for the batteries positioned above the rear axle, boot capacity has decreased from 535 litres in the standard petrol model to 389 litres, but Toyota insists it is still large enough to carry four golf bags.
Aerodynamics have improved thanks to the front’s square corners which stop turbulence around the front wheels and send a smooth air flow down the sides of the vehicle.
Covers under the engine, rear floor and fuel tank create a flat underbody which contributes to a drag coefficient six percent lower than the standard petrol model (down to 0.27), making the Hybrid Camry Australia’s most aerodynamically efficient locally manufactured car.
Toyota Style Australia (TSA) corporate manager of design, Paul Beranger, said while the car was not styled in Australia, local design information was sent to Japan over the past two and a half years to develop a car with considerable Australian input.
“In the case of our new Hybrid Camry we provided specific DNA and hybrid information along with detailed Australian design trend information.
“Toyota Australia is communicating new and advanced technology to customers without alienating them from the basic image that Camry represents. We are integrating mainstream with new technology.
“We have to ensure that our car appeals to existing owners, as well as early adopters at a realistic price,” he said.
Beranger explained extensive local research three years ago asked prospective Hybrid Camry drivers whether they wanted to be seen to be driving a hybrid car or simply as another Camry owner, and found that they wanted their own identity without standing out as a market leader.
“Therefore hybrid differentiation and identification is important to the owner as it is a strong communication image for them.
“This will change as people become familiar with Hybrid as a mainstream model.
“So the design will evolve, but right now we know this design meets Toyota’s objectives by fusing the premium image of the conventional Camry with the innovation of a hybrid vehicle.”
Beranger said Toyota’s styling emphasis in Australia was shifting towards functionality, practicality and personality, giving each car its own character while at the same time strengthening the family resemblance across the range.
He admitted one of the more difficult tasks in developing Hybrid Camry for the local market was the increased focus on road and wind noise, which becomes more obvious with the quieter hybrid drive system in action.
“The greatest challenge was to reduce road noise entering the cabin while driving, especially when the petrol engine is not being used.
“Due to the smooth, quiet EV operation, vehicle noise is more easily noticed than in conventional cars that use a petrol or diesel engine as their main drive power.
“As a result, sound insulating and absorbing materials were placed in key areas to achieve the required level of quietness for Hybrid Camry.”
Toyota is still tight-lipped over pricing of its Hybrid Camry but confirmed there will be two derivatives available when it is launched in February 2010.
And the price will be?
Can’t remember where but I saw something about it being a 3.5K-4K option for the baseline Camry. So whatever that works out to =)
Not styled in Australia, eh? How exasperating for Beranger and his boys. His sub text was, ‘we’re so…jolly cross*!’
*happy moderator
Development this and development that, this car has been on sale in the US for more than three years. All the hype is for charging a price premium on old technology (think Prius I, more than 10 years old). Good marketing, once again by Toyota.
Haha, TE Magna drag coefficient was 0.28, and that was back in 1996! Well done Toyota!
Not designed, not styled, not developed and not built first in Australia, and yet Toyota was given money (which they gladlly took) by the Australia Government to do what? Considering they were going to build it here even before the money was given…I think we know who will be having a big x-mas party.
The government basically provided the money to upgrade the Altona plant… KEEPING thousands of families with a good future by employing people. You should think before you spew, even though its online.
Thailand, USA, Japan could of easily gotten the “nod” to produce this car and risk Toyota Australia to go under and LOSE thousand more jobs… Ford, Holden etc suffered.
Getting the Hybrid built in Australia ALLOWS local jobs but also ALLOWS Toyota Australia to SELL them “cheaply” in comparison to if it was to be imported (50K if imported)
Also, Australian government have a strategy to implement hybrid/electric vehicles to masses ASAP….
Jamison, Sash is correct! the Toyota president was stunned and couldn’t hide it when he was told of the $35,000,000.00 GRANT or (corporate welfare)that Mr Rudd threw at him……..so stop spewing and YOU do your home work coz that press conference was reported on all the news channels and the fact that Toyota had already decided to build this awful thing here in OZ before the welfare payment was offered totally stunned the Japanese business man who must have thought that we are very stupid indeed here in OZ!!!!!
Don’t ever forget that our governments don’t have any money of their own they spend our moneys!!!!
Unfortunately you are trying to preach to those that have done their research… Don’t forget that the Victorian State Government gave Toyota 35mil at roughly the same time to upgrade the factory to keep it in line with Thailand so-as to not lose jobs…
The 35mil Fed was to “Develope” the Hybrid Camry in Aust. For once I am NOT having a go at Toyota on this one because if you can get away with it why not? But Fed Govco need to Kangaroo Edwarded on this one…. plus don’t forget that they have already commited to buying a minimum of 30% of production and that for all that money production will only be 10,000 cars a year.
This money was also commited prior to the green fund if you look at history. So unlike the money under consideration to Ford (reported 40+mil) which requires an investment of two dollars to get one back, the monies to Toyota were on the basis of a pure grant.
The really scary part is Toyota won’t commit to building the next model hybrid Camry here in 2-3 years time. In fact they have already suggested it will come from somewhere else in Asia.
Now at 10,000 a year, by 3 years, divided into the Govt handouts = a bluddy big subsidy per vehicle that WE the taxpayers have paid.
+++
What these other guys said!
I’m so angry that the government needed to sell my future into debt to sustain such a poor industry which isn’t viable without the taxpayer.
NO such problem if the government handouts meant I could get a heavily subsidised Hybrid Camry for myself, but no such luck. Instead it is used to prop up what would otherwise fail.
When will people wake up and realise we cannot support unviable industries?
Car manufacture ought to be done overseas. We can import them at a good price under a FTA and thus encourage other countries to buy our profitable export products. It’s a win-win. Those in the auto-manufacturing industry will find plenty of work in another industry if only the Government would support what is profitable! Instead, expect increased taxes for the next decade to pay for the frivolous spending on what has no guaranteed future!
Yes and No, we are to small to build a lot of cars without subsidy / tarrif. Realistically if Japan / China / America and Germany require Tarrifs on imported cars to protect their industry what hope has Australian industry without it?? It is the way of the world.
As to FTA’s check out Thailand and it’s treatment of imported cars with regards to FTA’s. 30+ % government imposts on vehicles imported…
Now if you could regulate that the cars from oversaes had to have 40% australian production to come in without Tarrifs, say King springs, Arrowcrest wheels, Holden / Toyota Aus / Ford Aus made engines etc, thus keeping factories and employment alive then sure I’d be all for it.
The other (often shunned but very truthful) reason for Govco paying to keep car plants open is military strategic options. As old hat as you may think it is Homeland security requires a large section of easily converted manufacuturing plants shuold the whatsit hit the fan.. plain simple truth and why so many countries pay so much to have car manufacturers.
But the Magna is a lot smaller than the Camry. I have driven both on long trips.
The AU Falcon was .29, plug its induction and it gets .27.
Dont know what the current mod gets, nor do I care.
Getting desperate to brag about this sort of B/S
Looks cool…. Lovely car, How Expensive it is ?
What does the B stand for on the gear shifter, it’s under D
Brooom, Brooom??
Perhaps “battery”
B is engine braking mode. Normally when decelerating in a hybrid, the engine is off and while the vehicle decelerates it regenerates energy back to the traction battery. In B mode, it provides engine braking but still regenerates electricity, to help decelerate going down steep declines.
So the electric motor doesnt run through the gear box???
“…..right now we know this design meets Toyota’s objectives by fusing the premium image of the conventional Camry with the innovation of a hybrid vehicle.”
Hahahahahahahahahahaaaa!
Pure marketing spin.
Premium image!
On what planet!
Camry is a budget consumable transportation device designed by accountants for accountants, and the poor people expected to drive them.
A Camry is like a TV dinner equivalent of a car.
This car will produce more greenhouse emissions from the production and by products of production of the battery tech than a 6 year old falcon will produce up till now.
(not scientific just speculation BTW)
Yeah, but they do have that really cool Hybrid Synergy Drive advert with the people working together going on.
Why oh why did they do the press release shots with a white car. Don’t they know the various gags about Toyota and white goods. Even silver would have been better.
“(not scientific just speculation BTW)” quality :)
I also have had the pleasure/experience of driving a TE Magna/97 Camry between Sydney and Newcastle and in similar time. The Camry of that age was smaller. Of course the new model will be roomier, but so was the 380!
I am not directly comparing the TE Magna with it’s design predating the newest Camry by 10 years, I am merely suggesting Toyota’s grand spruik about 0.27cd is not that grand when something very close was done 13 years ago without all the extra panelling.
Our money went on some LED lights and a different bumper and some chrome? The hybrid stuff is off the shelf. What a ripoff. Hopefully some of the money given to Toyota was donated to Peter Garret for a paper bag.
Hilarious – the Camry gets LEDs and not a single Ford or Holden has them.
LEDs….Holden Statesman and Caprice tailights and side indicators have them, Falcon G6E and FPV range has them on wing mirrors. Commodore sedan and wagon range has them in the centre high mounted stop light, HSV range has them as daytime running lamps. Commodore bull bar range has them as parker lights.
My mistake – the LWB holdens do have them.
BTW I was referring to the tail lights.
And LED Taillight are such an important inovation because..???
WOW Camry has LED taillights to save you one poofteenth of fuel (scientifically measured, yet they still struggle with getting headlights that are usable once you get outside of the streetlights… Sorry but I’d rather function over form everyday.
The other humourous part of this story is how they increased the lower opening to increase airflow over the engine, only after they decreased the airflow in the upper opening by putting the matt silver panel across it….
Again this shows that Toyota are the masters of sales spin, but still deliver the vehicle they’ll tell you “you want” not what is actually on your list.
Too many better value propositions in the market thee days to worry about any Aussie built car.
Maybe for some, but for many the best value car that will do what you need it to do is still one the aussies.
There just isn’t an imported car that will do what I want it to at anywhere near the price of a local.
I second that.
My mrs car isnt a local built one, and it wasnt price that meant it wasnt.
My car is a local, and like you said David, when an imported vehicle comes to market capable of what my aussie built vehicle is, then you may invite me to purchase out side this box.
I’d like to see you name 1 better proposition to my vehicle let alone many
How about a Hybrid Corolla! That would be much cheaper to buy and run.
It will be more expensive than locally built Camry Hybrid. All current Corollas were manufactured in Japan so the Hybrid version will also be.
No all Corollas for Australia and built in South Africa…how do i know this call a brake shop and ask for a set of brakes for the current Corolla or and two-three old one and see what you are asked and ask if the brakes are the same as the ones put on the Japan built ones (no), a real expert will tell what i have just said. It’s again just very smart marketing by toyota.
The Realist, Statesman/Caprice both have LED taillights as well as front side indicators. They have had the taillights since the previous WL upgrade.
HSV also have LED taillights and DRLs in the new E2 range.
these are going to sell like hotcakes to fleets wanting to be seen to have a green image.
Why does a fridge need batteries anyhow?
Just another boring Toymota.
exactly – at least if they wanted to make a hybrid and ensure its selling success they should give it some “style”. Style and Camry – two words that simply do not go into the same sentence.
This somehow manages to make the cardigan look slightly less sleep inducing. I still hate it, but at least we can say its AUSSIE!
again any article about a local product will stray far off topic and end up with 326 comments on pointless dribble. Then when we finally get back on track we start the personal attack until the next local article is posted.
Andrew – the TE Magna 10 years ago was a notably smaller car then the current Camry therefore displaced less air.
Definately notable, Camry is a monstrous 3.5cm wider, 4.5cm higher and 2.8cm longer.
Just imagine though, if the TE had the luxury of underguards and a bit lower suspension. I think it would still beat it!
As reported, the hybrid Camry is ‘supposedly’ the most wind co-effcent locally manufactuer car. Your critism / comparo between the TE Magna and Camry can equally be drawn against the 380, Commodore and Falcon.
I rest my case !!
Just imagine, if the Camry was a bit lower and the said dimensions smaller then the TE wouldn’t get a look in.
Any other way we should disect your comment.
Sorry Brown Dog, I didn’t mean to sound so sarcastic. But I honestly do think the TE would still punch above it’s weight if it had some of the technologies the Camry does (considering its 10 year old design is within 0.01cd)
Wow!! A new bumper AND tail lights!! Come on, LED tail lights because they save fuel? Now that’s marketing…
Did you know that they cost $35,000,000.00 a new bumper and tail light combo. And yet we let Mitsubishi go down and let Holden&Ford who started Auto Industry in Australia go by the wayside, to me looks like something out of a movie. No wait it happend in the US everyone forgot the true locals.
What true locals?? Atleast Toyota is the most important car manufacturer for australia, given it’s exports!!
perhaps by true locals he means the manufacturers who actually develop automoblies in this country rather than just run assembly plants???
Just a thought to clear up your query?????
The only real reason Toyota export so many cars and the only real reason they are manufacturing in Australia is to help the other Toyota Factories overseas; where the Cam-rion is also being built meet demand.
I wouldn’t be surprised that if/when Tarrifs are reduced to 0% or if Toyotas financial problems continue not ot mention their quality issues..Toyota are the fist to pull out of Australia – and not Ford Holden.
They could sell-off Altona and use the money [and the robots] to increase the capacity of their factorise in the USA Europe or Japan.
Remember having numerous factories building identical vehicles; operating at less than 80% capacity is one of the reasons GM ended up in trouble.
I think GM’s troubles stemmed from more than factories that weren’t operating at full capacity. Outdated product lines, quality issues, overpriced labour, etc, etc, etc.
Funny that you bring up Toyota’s ‘financial troubles’. I haven’t seen them have to be rescued by the Japanese government and bailed out of their debts. (Although I must admit I haven’t looked for it) I am also wondering what ‘quality issues’ Toyota are having at the moment. Care to explain those as well and back them up?
Toyota themselves are admitting they have developed quality issues.
And they arent immune from financial troubles either.
The most recent example is the pull out from F1.
No country was really immune from the supposed credit crunch, including the japs.
On GM’s troubles,
Ill agree that over priced labour and heavy unions was a factor, but how could product lines be at fault when the product types they were selling were the #1 selling categories????
For eg everyone is saying the US makers are stupid for making big trucks, and imply that is what lead to the trouble, but would you care to tell me what the overall top selling vehicle is, what category it sells under, and how many years it has been the US’s best seller????
Thats utter BS that old line.
My take is…..
Over priced labour (i’ll agree)
Stubborn unions
Total arrogance shown from the top heads of the place, and also to me what seemed to be an attitude of “the government will save us”
They totally refuses to change themselves thinking everything will be alright, the Govt will dip its pockets.
Now I dont mean arrogance or reluctance to change their products, but rather their busness structure and the efficiency around it.
They failed to take control of its own debts before the shyte really hit the fan
SteveH read what i said again…S-L-O-W-L-Y
I didn’t say it was the only reason GM got into trouble.. I said it was one of the reasons.
Nor did I say that the Japanese Govt had to rescue Toyota.. However; if Toyota’s losses and quality issues etc continue – they might have to.
The quality issues I refer to include the [increase in] recalls Toyota/Lexus have had for various reasons over the past decade – such as the Lexus brake pedals.. and the TRD Aurion engine mishap
Which must be hurting their bottom line as well as their reputation for quality – as evident by their decline in recent JD Powers Surveys
Wheelnut, take some of your own advice and re-read what you wrote S-L-O-W-L-Y.
By saying that Toyota has ‘financial troubles’, you are implying that they are having similar issues to Ford and GM. You could say that they have made a financial loss, but you instead tried to grandstand with your comments.
As for Lexus and Toyota’s quality issues, once again you are implying that there are major problems with their range of cars. The Lexus floor mat, not brake pedal, recall is truly one of the most trivial things I have ever heard. So the mat can slip forward, whoopee. Move it back.
And you of all people relying on a JD Power survey. Aren’t these the ones that you have wasted endless hours saying they are worthless and not at all relevant.
Andrew, GM also had lines like the Saturn which only ever made a profit in one of its 20 odd year existence. You can have the highest selling cars, but if they are not profitable, whats the point? I think we all agree that the American car companies relied heavily on the large vehicles which is why they have been caught out lately with a lot of people moving to more fuel efficient cars.
The example of the floor mat may be “trivial” but when Toyota have so much money to spend on the R&D of their cars; something like that shouldn’t really happen..
Particularly when you’re paying a premium for a [supposed] luxury car.
Lexus claim that they are in the same league as the Germans yet BMW or Merc-Benz haven’t had recalls or their floor mats have they?
Maybe not, but I know on the release of the Audi Q5 there were problems with power steering hoses, I see BMW X5′s have been recalled in the US due to faulty rear brake discs or even Mercedes recalling S Class’ because they got the front and rear passenger door locks the wrong way around.
Every manufacturer has recalls, so I think using the fact that Lexus has one for their floor mats is really grasping at straws.
Steve,
Thats the thing I still dont get.
If Ford for eg is making the wrong vehicles, then I’d love to be a fly on the wall when you walk into the board romm and tell the execs that the currently #1 selling vehicle in the US (F series) has to go.
Even you said it yourself when you commented that you can have the highest selling vehicles, but it doesnt matter unless you are making a profit.
I totally agree.
So do you think that if they aimed to have the 5th highest selling they would turn profit????
The losses comes from bad management, not actual product range.
From afar the choice of vehicles Americans drive may look silly, but remember Ford, GM and even Toyota are only providing them with what they want.
Proof of product not accounting for losses comes straight from Fords latest money report.
Ford hasnt really changed its product line in the US, Yet they are starting to show good profit, and their share prices are going up with great interest.
What did Ford change to buck the US trend???
Their business structure by way of current debts, workers entitlement, arrangement of assets etc etc.
STOP giving me this poor product choice BS.
It doesn’t matter how much Toyo-Oz export.. Because just like Ford Oz; who [in comparison] export very little – The money they make goes overseas to their parent companies
This is the car that Uncle Kev made us pay for!
Another tax payer funded waste to the biggest car maker in the world!
AUSTRALIAN GOVT SUSIDISING TOYOTA.
Insulation anyone? Perhaps a lap top?
900 dollar bonus?
Yes Sash it would be hilarious if it wasn’t true!
Thats right Thomas the country with the worlds most restrictive trade and most homogenious population has A
I hope both Holden and Ford recieve money to help get their engines more efficient. Just because this thing has the marketing hype of “Hybrid” attached to it, it gets $35 million. But when Holden debuts a first to Australia tech, or Ford treis to make its V8 more efficient they dont get much because sixes and eights are somehow not important to the government.
SteveH, I agree totally re your point about sales v profits, I just didn’t agree with the insinuation that Mitsubishi is no longer a local manufacturer because the Camry is ever so slightly more aerodynamic.
another car for those A-B commoners – good on them.