A new-generation 2018 Toyota Camry looks so attractive that it definitely turns people’s heads and draws a lot of attention. In Australia, over the past 34 years, more than 920,000 examples of Camry have been sold, but now, we will talk about the new eighth-generation vehicle which is going to be produced in Japan and imported to Australia from there.
The USA is, of course, a much bigger market than Australia and on average, there are 30,000 Camrys sold per each month. Just for the record, Australia is placed fourth when it comes to the Camry with about 2,000 examples sold a month.
General Information
The new model comes with a bolder styling, and it sits on the Toyota’s new global platform which should enhance the dynamic prowess. Inside, the new Camry is more luxurious and modern with a plethora of standard active safety features. The older versions of the Camry were fine, and they did the job, but that was exactly the problem – they didn’t cause any fuss or excitement. The new model will go against Mazda 6 and Volkswagen Passat.
Design
The new Camry is way better than its predecessor, and when you compare them side-by-side, you will notice some interesting differences. First of all, the body of the 2018 model sits lower, but we can also see longer roofline, angled rear pillars and longer wheelbase which improves the stance of a car.
Toyota offers two different themes, and the ‘sportier’ car comes with an edgier nose design and a mild body kit. Some small, but pretty details are a new font for the Camry logo and slightly changed LED headlights and taillights.
Architecture
The 2018 Toyota Camry is based on the modular TNGA architecture which also underpins models such as the Prius hatch and the C-HR crossover. The FWD configuration lowers the vehicle’s center of gravity, whereas high-tensile steel was used for the body and superior laser welding helped give the Camry 30% higher torsional rigidity. All of this positively affects noise in the cabin, vibration, and harshness, but there are also additional sound deadening materials.
Toyota will use a regular MacPherson strut setup up front, whereas a double-wishbone suspension with the brand new shocks will be utilized at the rear. The TNGA platform impresses in the C-HR, while in the Camry, it is expected significantly to improve ride and handling quality. Those sports variants of the model are slightly stiffer, but the feel over the front wheels is that we have an agiler vehicle, and the body control is moved to the higher level.
2018 Toyota Camry Specs
The base engine is the unchanged 2.5-liter petrol unit, whereas the most potent one will be a new 3.5-liter V6 that produces 222 kW and 365 Nm of torque. These powerplants are connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters for manual control.
Toyota believes that petrol-electric hybrid version of the Camry will be the top-seller and its drivetrain has been reworked, and it now pairs a 2.5-liter engine which runs both Otto and Atkinson cycle and produces 131 kW with a CVT and an electric motor good for 88 kW and 202 Nm of torque. There is a familiar nickel-metal hydride battery pack instead of the lithium-ion, plus a new Power Control Unit is installed.
Improvements in the Cabin, Features
The interior is more driver-oriented while the seats are also modified and are now more comfortable than in previous Camry models. The cabin is filled with soft-touch materials and contrasting details such as leather options, wood, metal accents and LED lighting. Wheel buttons have replaced the old Toyota cruise control stalk, but you can also find an electric parking brake which substituted a foot-operated one.
However, not everything is beautiful and shiny, as the cabin has too much cheap-grade plastic on the doors while the black trim on the instruments, even though it looks pretty, it attracts dust. Both front and rear passengers have enough space to sit comfortably and depending on trim, you will get either a 7.0-inch or 8.0-inch touchscreen, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will not be included.
Pricing of 2018 Toyota Camry
We present you the prices for the brand new 2018 Toyota Camry below:
Camry Gas
Trim Price
L $23,495
LE $24,000
SE $25,200
XLE $28,450
XSE $29,000
XLE V6 $34,400
XSE V6 $34,950
Camry Hybrid
HV LE $27,800
HV SE $29,500
HV XLE $32,250
