2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid Review
Car Tested: 2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid; Road Test No. 1051; Test Location: Hyderabad
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 42,76,817/-
The Camry offers a great value in terms of performance, comfort and reliability
The Toyota Camry is a car that needs little introduction. One of the most successful sedans in the world, the flagship Toyota saloon has done rather well in the diesel-oriented Indian market as well. In fact, when the hybrid version of the Camry was launched, Toyota sold more cars than they expected and such is the demand for the efficient powerplant, that for the new Camry, Toyota has decided to go hybrid only. Of course, that is not the only talking point. The new Camry is an improvement over the older car in all respects. It’s bigger, more luxurious, better equipped, better styled, more efficient and cheaper than the outgoing car!
Motor Quest: The Toyota Camry is now in its 10th generation and Toyota has decided to go hybrid-only with this sedan. The Camry is a super popular car worldwide and is known for its reliability and no-nonsense nature.
The Camry now looks more striking, do you like the styling?
Exteriors – Stylish and sophisticated are the best words to describe the new Camry’s design. Gone are the boxy and slightly awkward looks of the older car replaced by something much more futuristic. The front of the car looks very nice with the twin-grille set-up. The top grille is minimal with a large chrome strip across it merging into a ‘V’ at the centre with the blue-tinged Toyota logo atop it. The lower grille looks busy with several lines running on it but is neatly flanked by sharp housings for the fog lamps. The tail-lights are sharp and intricate adding to the smartness of the front. There are many cuts and creases across the bonnet but none of it looks overdone.
The 2019 Camry is based on the TNGA platform, shared with the ES 300h
The 2019 Toyota Camry’s styling is flashy now and it has many bold elements
It is surprising how elegant the Camry looks despite so much on its body. Even on the side, there are many lines flowing across but it looks purposeful and not done for style’s sake. We love the design of the alloy wheels and the long, stately character of the side-profile. The rear may not be the prettiest part of the Camry but the large tail lamps look like they are brought in from Lexus. The prominent scoops on either side of the bumper and the air vent like element that extends from the taillamp to the bumper look interesting. There is that typical chrome finish with Camry inscribed on it above the registration plate. Overall, we think this design will age better than the previous one.
The dashboard is driver-friendly, ergonomics are perfect
Interiors – The first thing you notice when you enter the Camry is that the seating position is a bit low. However the cowl of the dashboard is not very high and with electric seats, it’s a breeze to get into a comfortable driving position. The interior of the Camry feels plush, well appointed and fitting to a car of this price. The dashboard has a unique Y-shaped design which looks cool. The knobs and physical buttons feel quite nice to operate and kudos to Toyota for keeping the physical buttons alive. It gets really easy to operate commands on the move. The only catch is that the quality of some plastics is not quite in the league of the Skoda Superb or the Volkswagen Passat. The cabin lacks the solidity and the heft of some German cars
While the older Camry had more buttons, this one is very modern
The cabin is well-appointed with features and has very good space too
Toyota has lavishly equipped the Camry with the latest in tech and comfort. The front seats are powered as well as ventilated and there’s a memory function for the driver’s seat. You also get power-reclining rear seats, powered sunshades with touch-sensitive controls in the rear centre armrest, 9-speaker JBL audio system, a reverse camera and a head-up display amongst others. When you slot into reverse, the rear windscreen sunshade automatically folds down so that you get a better view and then it comes back when you slot into D. This gets a bit annoying though when you’re parking in a tight space and need to do switch between D and R multiple times. The sound quality from this infotainment system is very good, the menus are also well laid out and navigation works great but my grouse is with the richness of the display because when compared to other premium cars, the display on this feels a step behind.
Both the front and rear seats score high when it comes to space and comfort
The light brown wood theme is also pleasant to your eyes and we like how there are different colours and textures on the seats. They look refreshing compared to an all-beige theme. The seats, as always are supremely comfortable. The Camry has lots of space in the front and the back and it is one of those cars you can spend hours in. The front seats offer excellent comfort and they’re designed in such a way that you don’t get tired even after really long drives. Same goes for the rear seats which offer phenomenal comfort and space is also very good. Leg room is brilliant and the best part is that the front seat can be pushed forward by the rear passenger via a couple of buttons placed on the side. The boot is also humungous, we stashed a lot of bags and it just took in everything. The Camry doesn’t disappoint when it comes to storage spaces in the cabin, with ample amount of cubbyholes and storage to keep various things.