Unlike the last gen camry, the latest is far from boring, says Anamit Sen. but is that enough to bring in the buyers?

There is a new
Toyota Camry available now. Introduced in the US at the beginning of this year, it is now being launched here. The new Camry is a second generation Camry as far as India is concerned, but in other markets the Camry has been around for a very long time, since 1983 to beprecise. At the time it was a front-wheel-drive vehicle available in both hatch and saloon form and was the replacement for Toyota's Corona.
The third generation Camry saw the car moving up the grades when in 1992, it was launched as a bigger car. That was when the Camry success story started – the car really started impressing buyers as a competitive alternative to other more established cars – it was quiet, relatively light and the engine had more power than before. The fifth generation Camry is the one Indians are familiar with as this is the version Toyota brought to India. It was roomy, quiet and the first all-new platform from Toyota in ten years. The only problem was that it still did not excite the senses as far as looks were concerned. Now the sixth generation Camry is upon us and TG had a brief taste of what the car is all about. The biggest change is in the looks. The front end has a very bold in-your-face look, thanks no doubt due to the big cheesy-smile grille. Viewed head-on, it's interesting to see the slightly flared wheel arches, a la the Mazda RX8. Though overall length is the same, the wheelbase has been increased to 2775mm.
The interiors have been done up quite tastefully and the view from the driver's seat is easy on the eyes. A multi-functional steering that allows me quick and easy control over the audio system is what dominates the view. I can also keep an eye on average speed, range, distance traveled, outside temperature andinformation on fuel averages. What catches my eye though is the Plasmacluster aircon controls in the centre of the fascia that also gives off negative ions as the ac runs, thus refreshing the driver as he or she drives along. Nice touch, that.
The drive was too short, but sweet, and a couple of things came to the fore. It's a very smooth and balanced engine that pulls cleanly from low rpm. The engine develops 164bhp of power and 224Nm of torque. Step on the accelerator and the Camry surges forward. The car also features ABS and a vehicle stability system, but neither came into play in our short drive. For that we need the car longer for a proper test.
It was also dark and gloomy while taking the pictures but thanks to the HID headlamps, one could see through the gloom. So who is going to be buying this luxo-barge? Certainly institutional buyers will be out to get the Camry on the cheap. However, the wealthy may or may not flock – after all most will be looking at this car as well as several others before deciding on which car to go in for. In terms of value, the Camry scores well but the price is a bit disappointing. Competitors are cheaper.