Car Review: 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Having grown up at a time when — and where — four-door sedans were as common in driveways as crossovers seem to be today, I admit a certain sadness to seeing their decline in numbers. The once ubiquitous mid- and full-sized family sedan may not have been sexy or fast, but they were roomy and comfortable. Over the years and in addition to their Jeep Wagoneers, my parents’ driveway made room for a Pontiac Laurentian, a Chevy Biscayne, a couple of Dodge Darts and a Dodge Diplomat.

Despite rumours floating that Ford will not sign off on the next-generation Fusion and that GM is considering axing the Chevy Malibu and/or Impala in the face of significant sales declines, not everyone is giving up on the segment — Honda has released the 10th-generation Accord for 2018 and Toyota has countered with the eighth generation of its Camry, the test subject here.

As if discussing the beleaguered family sedan isn’t gloomy enough, the new Camry being tested is the Hybrid version – an even more marginalized sub-segment, although Toyota seems to be the one manufacturer that can successfully pull off this whole fuel-efficient, driving green shtick. Last year, Toyota reported it sold more than 20,000 hybrids, led by the RAV4 Hybrid, the Prius lineup and, in third place, the Camry Hybrid.

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Here’s the thing: With all this talk about electric vehicles and autonomy — sometimes together, sometimes separately — it’s easy to forget that the marriage of a gasoline engine and electric motor to power a vehicle is a far simpler and proven technology. No, a gas/electric hybrid vehicle will not achieve zero emissions, but fuel consumption is appreciably low, the price premium isn’t excessive, there’s no range anxiety and, for the most part, you often forget there’s anything particularly different about driving one — except for a couple of instruments in the dashboard and, especially, the first 10 seconds or so when you press the start button and are greeted with an eerie silence as battery power kicks in.

Personally, I’ve always liked the Camry Hybrid, both as a family sedan and as a fuel-efficient car. Of the former, the new Camry’s styling is sportier and edgier, the brand continuing to extricate itself from the boring design funk that afflicted it for too many years. Oh, the face of the car is a little busy with a mouthful of lower grille, but the side profile and roofline are tastefully executed.

Of the latter, Toyota’s Hybrid System has been re-engineered to better work with the new 2.5-litre four-cylinder gas engine. The company says the setup offers “significantly more driving excitement than before,” which is a slight exaggeration but not completely overstated. By itself, the 2.5L four puts out 176 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. Add to that a 118-horsepower electric motor and total net system output is a robust – for a hybrid – 208 horsepower.

Considering the car weighs a fairly trim – again, for a mid-sized hybrid sedan – 1,575 kilograms, there’s good response when the gas pedal is given a nudge, especially in Sport mode. Yes, Toyota engineers have been tinkering, adding a new Sport setting to improve acceleration and feel thanks to an electric power boost from the hybrid system.

There is also a clear difference in the Camry’s get-up-and-go between the Sport, Normal and Eco drive modes. One can also execute quicker “gear shifts” of the continuously variable transmission’s simulated six-speed sequential shift transmission.

While I couldn’t match Natural Resources Canada’s fuel economy ratings of 4.9 L/100 kilometres in the city and 4.8 on the highway, I was not displeased with the mid-sized sedan’s 6.2 L/100 kilometres of real-world parsimony. At no time was I light on the throttle, treating the hybrid like any other car, whether it was going with the flow at 120 km/h on four-lane highways, or working its way through mid-town traffic. As for its regenerative braking system, the Camry Hybrid is pretty good – other than at speeds under 10 km/h, where the brakes can be a touch grabby.

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First Drive: 2018 Toyota Camry

Of note is the fact the battery pack — a lithium-ion unit in the base LE, nickel-metal hydride in the higher SE and XLE trim levels — has been moved from the trunk to beneath the rear seat for noticeably better handling, thanks to the Camry’s improved lower centre of gravity. Plus, trunk room is appreciably better at 15.1 cubic feet, versus 13.1 with the previous model.

As to why there are two different types of battery packs, the official explanation from Toyota is that the Camry LE Hybrid buyer “values higher fuel efficiency” and, by incorporating the lighter lithium-ion battery, fuel efficiency can be maximized. Meanwhile, SE and XLE hybrid buyers “appreciate added features and may not be so concerned with maximizing fuel economy,” so the Ni-MH battery best fits their needs.

Turning to the cabin, the Camry’s layout is neat and tidy, with good legroom front and back for adults. Though the LE is the base model, there is a reasonable if not overly generous amount of modern conveniences as befitting the sedan’s $31,290 sticker. Standard items include dual-zone automatic climate control with humidity sensor, heated front seats, a 4.2-inch multi-information display, keyless entry, push-button start and increased connectivity via Entune 3.0 Audio.

2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid

This last item, says Toyota, enhances the audio system with Entune App Suite Connect, delivering traffic information, weather, Slacker, Yelp, saved destinations, sports and stock market results, fuel prices and more. Unfortunately, built-in navigation doesn’t seem to be included — an oversight on any car with a $30K-plus price tag — though Toyota says Entune features a link that pairs with the navigation from one’s cellphone.

There are a few other players working the same hybrid family sedan gig as Camry and all are priced around the $30,000 mark — the aforementioned Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu, plus the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima. Honda is still selling last year’s Accord Hybrid on the company website; there’s no official word on an upcoming hybrid option based on the new model – for Canada, at least.

Having already professed a certain admiration for the car, again as a family sedan and as a fuel-efficient vehicle, all I can add is that Toyota has certainly upped its game with this one. Family four-doors might be losing out to family crossovers and gas/electric powertrains might not be the wave of the future, but the Camry Hybrid is not yet ready to fade away. Nor should it. Its compromises are few and, as a daily driver, its benefits are many.