Toyota gives Camry mid-life facelift

TOYOTA has unveiled a substantial mid-life update for its strong-selling Camry medium-sized sedan, with the overhaul bringing fresh exterior styling, a revised cabin layout and enhanced safety systems.

Not due to touch down in Australia until mid-2021, the MY21 Camry series has received a bolder, more aggressive-looking grille and front bumper combination while the rest of the body goes largely unchanged.

Inside, the dashboard has been reorganised in a bid to improve ergonomics and make it more aesthetically pleasing, including the addition of new a 7.0- or 9.0-inch ‘floating multimedia’ touchscreen, depending on the variant.

On the safety front, Toyota Australia would not be drawn into specifying what changes have been made to the Camry’s safety suite, telling GoAuto that information would be revealed closer to the updated model’s introduction next year.

That said, the US-spec Camry has been confirmed as the first Toyota model to be offered with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, the company’s latest and most advanced driver-assist active safety suite to date.

Compared to the existing system, the pre-collision system with pedestrian detection has been upgraded to now detect cyclists in daylight and pedestrians in “low-light conditions”.

A new feature of the pre-collision system is the ability to stabilise the driver’s emergency steering manoeuvres while avoiding a pedestrian or cyclist within their lane.

The radar cruise control system with stop-and-go function available on higher-series variants has been tweaked to allow for smoother acceleration when overtaking a slower vehicle, while lane-departure alert and lane-keep assist have been added to the suite.

Other new safety features include automatic high beam, road-sign assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

No major mechanical changes have been made to the petrol-engined variants, with the familiar 2.5-litre four-cylinder and 3.5-litre V6 carried over unchanged, as is the eight-speed automatic transmission.

While not strictly included as part of the update due next year, Toyota Australia will be making some running changes to the powertrain of the Camry hybrid as of next month, swapping out the current 245V nickel-metal hydride battery for a more efficient 259V lithium-ion unit.

Standard equipment on the American-spec cars will include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibility, Bluetooth connectivity and an optional digital instrument cluster.

According to Toyota Australia sales and marketing vice-president Sean Hanley, the facelift will deliver a stronger look and image for the Camry as it continues to step up as an Australian favourite.

“Toyota’s reputation for quality, durability and reliability has long been a hallmark of Camry, which together with its strong and efficient powertrains, advanced safety technology and, in recent years, its hybrid drivetrain, has ensured its enduring appeal for Australian customers,” he said.

Through the first six months of this year, the Camry has dominated the sub-$60,000 medium car market, occupying a massive 69 per cent of the segment with 6518 sales.

Despite its all-conquering success however, that figure is still down almost 18 per cent in comparison to the same period last year (7940 units).