Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry Hybrid is a hybrid version of the Camry sedan. The Toyota Camry Hybrid was introduced in May 2006 and has estimated U.S. sales of 60,000 per year, or 15 percent of total Camry sales. The Camry Hybrid was voted 2007 Car of the Year in the Family Sedan (over $30k) category by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Now in its second model year, the Camry Hybrid uses Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, the system used in the Prius hybrid. The electric motor and four-cylinder gasoline engine combine to produce 187 horsepower while yielding combined gas mileage of around 34 mpg. Like most hybrid versions of existing gas-only models, the Camry Hybrid is based on one of its predecessor's most expensive trim levels. Compared to the regular Camry's CE, LE, SE and XLE trims, the Camry Hybrid falls somewhere between the SE's and XLEs standard equipment. With the Honda Accord Hybrid discontinued, the Camry competes with hybrid versions of the Saturn Aura, Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Altima.

We did not know too much what to expect after taking the wheel of the Camry hybrid. The Prius 2 is convinced that we had half, but she got a nice commercial success in the United States. The Lexus GS450h by against, is more fun, but it does not sell, it is a failure. The hybrid version of the Camry is between the two, it sells well, but without reaching the success of the Prius. The Camry is a car that sells for much more than the Prius is the spearhead of Toyota in America.

And it alone symbolizes the success of Japanese giant in the United States, as it is for several years best selling car in this market. Americans buy about the same Camry that Europeans Peugeot 207. There is always a taxi from Nice who uses (a 2.2-liter gasoline 2000), but the Camry is no longer available for more than 5 years old on our continent. It was a surprise to discover one in Monaco during the show EVER 2007, and second surprise this year, learning that it was available.

We define clearly, the Toyota Camry Hybrid is available at the Toyota dealership Monaco, but the car has not received approval by European type. It is not possible to go buy one principality, for registering in France then. But it is possible against all those who can afford to buy an apartment in Monaco, to be able to register the beautiful hybrid ... Belle, but mostly classical. For all the Prius has an innovative style, both the Camry is the ultra all-4-door sedan. We greatly appreciated. It is said that some people are riding in Prius because it is a recognizable car, identifiable by all as a hybrid, none of this with the Camry. Even in Europe, where we do not know, nobody turns it on. Without the audacity of the Prius, neither the luxury of a Lexus, the hybrid incognito, and even more true on the inside. The dashboard of the Prius is special. Trop.

The Camry belongs to another world, that of normal cars! It is a quality or a defect in its taste, quality and clearly to us. The Prius is a hybrid car is a car that stands out from others, but we do not want hybrid cars stand out, because we want all become hybrid cars! More than the Prius, the Camry is the model of the hybrid car of tomorrow, with absolutely nothing on board that would hurt the habits of its driver. The scoreboard is normal, the same shifter, with a grid staircase.

At the wheel, the car is very soft, like a Prius, but one senses immediately that there is more power under the foot. Another significant difference, which we liked (although it should not boasting), we see the hood when traveling, it is aboard a larger vehicle. Habitability is also significantly higher. Here is a true family car, and 3 adults can take to the rear. The Camry is very close to the size of a Peugeot 607, but it seemed that the height and legroom are more generous in this car in Japan. We tried the car all the places we were in our comfortable everywhere.

With a safe comfortable and an excellent reputation for reliability, Camry has everything it takes to make a formidable bus, and perhaps this business customers that Toyota will search for Monaco. For the father, however, a segment dominated by outrageously diesel in Europe, this hybrid gasoline would probably have its say. Less elitist and more affordable than Lexus GS450h, the Camry is more habitable! The Toyota Europe strategists have calculated that the European market would not give it the success it deserves, but we have yet found much more convincing than Prius. Of course, it is larger, so use it more, but by his personality more neutral, it has attracted. Think! Even non-hybrid version, the Camry is already a very good car.

The engine has been "atkinson". He lost 11 hp in the operation (there are 147), but became more sober. He is assisted by an electric motor of 105 kW, imagine largely able to move the car alone, but it would have a battery of high capacity to enable it to do this on some distance ... As it stood, the battery may not leave a current equivalent to 40 horsepower and that is how we perceive leads to a maximum usable power of 187 hp. Note then the marketing positioning. So qu'Honda developed the hybrid version of its Accord with the idea of making its high-end, more expensive, more powerful and more efficient than any other Accord, Toyota has chosen to make her a Camry hybrid power between its 2 conventional engines.

Regarding the price against, Toyota joins Honda. The Camry hybrid will be the most expensive of all Camry, by far. This 4-cylinder Camry hybrid is over $ 2,000 more expensive than the Camry V6. Currently, comparisons are difficult because the finish and equipment are not identical. It is quite likely that Toyota had deliberately wanted to prevent it too easy comparisons. One thing for example which is specific to the Camry Hybrid is the instantaneous indicator in place of revolution (above, left of the speedometer in Miles Per Hour).

Under the hood, there is a good surprise, it is that over all these hybrid Lexus which sees nothing under the hood of the Camry, you can see the engine! Transversely mounted with the box end, which is continuously variable, it transmits its power to the front wheels, the same electric motor, according to an architecture series / parallel, again like the Prius. It should be understood, who has already drives a hybrid Toyota will not be at home at the wheel of the Camry. Because it is hyper running yet, with over 400 000 Camry are sold each year in the U.S., this hybrid does not likely generate the same enthusiasm that a Prius. There are clubs Prius in almost all countries (France, there is the Prius Touring Club), it will become difficult if it must also accept the Camry and the Corolla, which provides a hybrid version for the Year 2008.

Driving impressions
My week-long test drive of the Camry Hybrid in the Vancouver area, conducted during a typical cold, wet, overcast January week, confirmed the conclusion of CanadianDriver's Managing Editor Grant Yoxon: "The most significant factor affecting fuel consumption is weather."

In my neighbourhood, there was no snow and the temperature was 3C, but I could only manage 10.4 L/100 km in slow, city driving during the first few days. During this time period, I drove only short trips where the engine didn't have a chance to warm up. As a result, the Camry Hybrid wouldn't run on battery power alone, and the idle-stop feature didn't operate. I sat in traffic a lot of the time with the gas engine running. With the headlights on, the wipers going, the rear defroster on, the heated seats on, and the automatic climate control and air conditioning operating, power seemed to drain from the battery causing the 2.4-litre engine to do most of the work.

A few days later, the weather cleared, the temperature rose to 5C and I got out onto the freeway, and the fuel consumption dropped to 8.4 L/100 km. The next day the temperature rose to 7C, and the instant fuel economy readout showed 6.3 L/100 km. Like Yoxon, I was surprised at the difference in fuel economy readings and concluded that external factors such as outside temperature, wind, sunlight or lack of it, rain and snow, and poor road surfaces have a noticeable effect on the Hybrid powertrain's efficiency.

Interestingly, the Camry Hybrid has an Economy mode button that minimizes power robbing features like the fan speed, but it only works in 'automatic' mode. If you set the fan speed manually it will shut off the Economy mode. Curiously, the button for Economy mode is located to the left of the steering wheel where it is difficult to see and is not illuminated at night.

In terms of performance, the Camry Hybrid is quicker in a straight line than the four-cylinder Camry, going from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.6 seconds compared to the Camry LE's 9.5 seconds, according to figures published by AJAC. The slight hesitation in acceleration when starting out that I noticed in the 2007 Camry Hybrid seems to have disappeared but I could still feel the engine start up automatically at lower speeds.

Under ideal conditions, the Camry Hybrid offers better fuel consumption than the four-cylinder Camry. Official Energuide fuel consumption figures for the Camry Hybrid are 5.7 L/100 km City and 5.7 L/100 km Hwy, while the four-cylinder Camry with five-speed automatic transmission offers 9.5 L/100 km City and 6.2 L/100 km Hwy. The better-equipped Camry Hybrid does cost thousands of dollars more though - unfortunately, you can't buy a cheaper, entry-level Hybrid model.

Though heavier than a four-cylinder Camry, the Hybrid rides comfortably and handles well. It's not a sporty sedan in any way, but it does have a satisfying low-speed thrust due to the torque of the electric motor and a fully independent suspension to absorb bumps. The easy-effort electric steering makes parking easy.

Interior impressions
Like the standard mid-size Camry, the 2008 Camry Hybrid is a roomy four-door sedan with room for five adults. The major drawback of the Hybrid is its smaller trunk (10.6 cu. ft. vs 14.5 cu. ft.) which is due to the placement of the large battery pack behind the rear seat. As well, the opening from the trunk to the cabin behind the 60/40 folding rear seatbacks is very small - although you could argue that something is better than nothing.

The Hybrid's interior design is similar to the Camry LE, the only difference being an instant fuel consumption gauge where the tachometer should be, a "Ready" light to show that the car is ready to go, and a pictograph display in the speedometer showing the drive wheels, engine, and battery. As you drive, this display indicates in real time whether power is coming from the engine or battery or both, and when the

electric motor and regenerative brakes are charging the battery. This screen can also display an 'Eco-Drive' display showing recent fuel economy performance, overall average fuel consumption, cruising range, average speed, the outside temperature, and trip odometer.

The 'Smart Key' can be kept on your person while you press the Start button to start the car. The gas engine may not start right away and you can just drive away on battery power. The front seats are wide and comfortable, and both front seats have seat heaters with two temperature settings. The centre instrument panel features narrow metal buttons and a green background that's backlit at night for the radio and climate control, and separate black on white display screens which are easy to see.

Storage areas are numerous: at the bottom of the centre console is a large covered bin with a 12-volt power outlet and an auxiliary MP3 jack inside it, and another 12-volt powerpoint in an open bin behind the shift lever. Between the front seats is a large storage bin with a pull-out tray, and near the driver's door is a slide-out coin drawer. Two cupholders are located beside the shift lever and rear passengers have flexible plastic storage pockets on the back of the front seats and two cupholders in the centre armrest. Safety features include five height-adjustable head restraints, five three-point seatbelts, seven airbags: two front, two side, two curtain and one driver's kneebag. For child seats, there are two lower anchor brackets and three upper strap anchors, and rear door child safety locks.