First launched in 1994 and 18 years later, the Toyota Camry has been well renowned for its quality, durability, reliability and quite arguably – style. And after having sold over 96,000 units within Malaysia alone, it does little to surprise when it already possesses 47% market share for its own segment since 2006.
<!--more-->The new Camry is now being locally assembled at UMW Toyota Motor’s manufacturing facility, Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB) in Shah Alam to promote and support the Malaysian government’s efforts towards localizing the Malaysian automotive industry.
In addition, according to UMW Toyota Motor, they are highly confident that they will be able to sell more than 10,000 units of the Camry alone, and it made good economic sense to have the Camry assembled here in Malaysia, seeing as they’re looking to sell about 8,500 units over the next six months till the end of the year.
Still utilising the same platform from the older Camry, the new Camry gets a new set of sheet metal all around on the exterior that helps the aerodynamic design to provide good straight-line stability as well as for a more composed ride.
The new Camry is now available in three variants with the 2.0E (RM 149,900) coming in as the entry level, followed by the 2.0G (RM157,900) and finally the range topper 2.5V (RM180,900).
The 2.0L four-potter engine will be coupled to a standard 4-speed autobox, whereas the 2.5V will come with a 6-speed sequential shift automatic transmission instead and both prove to be ultra smooth out on the Sepang International Circuit at speed.
The 2.0L (1AZ-FE) engine provides 145bhp at 6,000rpm and 190Nm of torque at 4,000rpm, which is 33bhp and 41Nm less than the range topping 2.5L (2AR-FE), which produces 178bhp at 6,000rpm and 231Nm of torque at 4,100rpm. Both engine variants with their respective gearboxes are able to put their power down consistently well throughout the rev range.
The difference between the old and new Camry doesn't just lie with its new engine, but also the way it rides and handles becoming more dynamic on the turns allowing the driver to correct understeer by simply lifting off the throttle, to which the front end will nicely tuck itself back into the corner demonstrating a nice overall balance and stability as you throw it through the corners. In addition, there’s also a little less nose-dive and roll under hard braking into tight corners in comparison to the older Camry.
Occupants in the new Camry will also be happy to note less noise and vibrations within the cabin thanks to some significantly improved noise insulation. The interior will also provide more room with a sense of space, luxury and attention to detail as well as a touch of high-tech craftsmanship. Occupants will also note the additional amount of shoulder space currently available.
There are now four colour options available, and come in the form of Attitude Black (New), White Pearl, Silver Metallic, and Medium Silver Metallic.
