By Alex Nunez on August 24, 2011 in
So, yesterday Toyota officially unveiled the 2012 Camry. Given that it's the best-selling car in America several years running, and that Toyota has moved 15 million of them worldwide since its introduction in 1983, the likelihood is you either own a Camry, have owned a Camry, or know someone who fits one of those descriptions. While the current 2011 Camry is an eminently practical car, it's a bore to look at inside and out, and it's not exactly exciting to drive. It seems Toyota grew tired of being a piñata for car reviewers to smack around in the face of more stylish and equally, if not more capable newcomers like the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima. We know this because we got to drive the new Camry at Citi Field yesterday. It's impressive.
The 2012 Camry is still pretty conservative looking (especially compared to the extroverted styling of the Hyundai Sonata, for example), but its new sheetmetal is understatedly handsome. And while the 2012 Camry's exterior dimensions are basically the same as the 2011's, incremental tweaks inside have actually increased overall interior volume by two cubic feet. It's not just roomier, either. Subtle changes like reshaping the pillars help deliver very good outward visibility, too.
And the new interior design? A leap forward over the 2011 car's drabness. In the 2012 Camry, Toyota sweats the details and turns out an environment that's both visually appealing and straightforward to use. A stitched leather-look instrument-panel upper lends a classy feel that was notably absent before. One does not need to be an astronaut to understand how to use the radio and climate controls, and the steering wheel's redundant controls are also well-placed and intuitive. I think the presentation is best with light-colored interiors, as you get a pleasant two-tone effect thanks to the darker, contrasting dashboard, but that's obviously a matter of personal taste. The comfortable seats were upholstered in attractive, high-quality fabrics in the non-leather models we sampled. All but the base-model Camry L have touchscreen radios, and Toyota's new Entune system, which integrates your mobile phone and certain apps into the touchscreen interface, is offered on the higher-spec XLE and SE trims.
In non-hybrid Camrys, the four-cylinder and V6 engines carry over from the 2011 models, each mated to a six speed automatic transmission. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder makes 168 horsepower and 170 lb.-ft. of torque as before, but it's more efficient. For 2012, the fuel economy numbers improve to 25 miles per gallon city, 35 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined versus the 2011 Camry four-cylinder's 22 city/32 hwy/26 combined. Likewise, the V6 in the 2012 Camry continues to make 268 horsepower and 248 lb.-ft. of torque, but its fuel economy numbers are also better, at 21 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined (up from 20 city/29 hwy/23 combined). The hybrid gets a new powertrain, and I'll get to that shortly.
We started and finished all the test drives on a little autocross-style setup in the Citi Field parking lot, with a blast on the Whitestone Expressway and local streets in-between. The first car I'll mention is the last one I drove: a 2012 Camry SE V6. SE is the sportiest Camry trim level, and it was decked out with a monochrome exterior theme, honeycomb grille, 18-inch wheels, leather seats, navigation, the works. Basically, a loaded model. The SE also gets a unique three-spoke steering wheel, a sport mode that allows manual shifting, and sportier suspension tuning and electric power steering programming.
The 3.5-liter V6 packs a wallop, and as a whole the Camry SE V6 is quick, fast, and unusually fun, particularly for a family car. Steering effort is easy, even with the "sport" programming, and the car handles itself well when pushed around in a manner that most Camry drivers will never attempt. The SE package is also available with the four-cylinder, however, and if you're more interested in the styling than the outright performance, it's easy to recommend that over the V6.
The four-cylinder Camry is probably the no-brainer pick for the overwhelming majority of drivers. It's powerful enough that it doesn't really feel like a four-cylinder - I've driven more sluggish-feeling V6es - and the fuel economy benefits over the V6 are difficult to argue against. I drove a Camry XLE with the four (the V6 is also available for that trim level), and it demonstrated admirable low-end punch on the local streets, good highway acceleration, and great overall comfort. That may not set self-described enthusiasts' and car-guys' hearts aflutter, but Joe and Jane Mainstream will find much to like here. My thinking was, "I wouldn't mind being stuck in traffic in this."
The reason I'm not calling the four-cylinder Camry the best of the bunch is because that distinction goes to the 2012 Camry Hybrid, which is just a fantastic car. Unlike the conventionally-powered Camrys, the hybrid has an all-new powertrain for 2012. The old 2.4-liter gas engine is out, replaced with a 2.5-liter that's an offshoot of the one I just described above. When paired with the Hybrid Synergy Drive system, the entire setup puts out a combined 200 horsepower, a 13-hp jump over the 2011 car.
That increase in power is accompanied by a noteworthy improvement in fuel efficiency. The 2012 Camry Hybrid LE delivers an estimated 43 mpg city, 39 mpg highway, and 41 mpg overall. Preliminary numbers on the better-equipped Camry Hybrid XLE are 41 city/38 hwy/40 combined. Either way, the new fuel economy figures obliterate those of the 2011 Camry Hybrid: 31 mpg city/35 mpg highway/33 mpg combined, and they move it ahead of the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid, which is the best-reviewed hybrid family sedan as of our most recent report update.
And that brings me to my next point. The Camry Hybrid is so good - the acceleration feels nearly as strong as the brawny V6, with the same quiet, user-friendly interior, overall comfort, and predictible handling - that if the fuel economy numbers hold up in real-world use when it's released in November (non-hybrid 2012 Camrys arrive in October), it could wind up not just being the best hybrid family sedan, but the best overall family sedan, period. This, to me, is the most significant takeaway from the drive event. The 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid is, by all appearances, a superstar in the making.
In terms of safety, Toyota made it clear at the event that when developing the 2012 Camry, the goal is for it to achieve a five-star New Car Assessment Protocol (NCAP) rating and IIHS Top Safety Pick status. We'll see how that plays out in due course, but the car is otherwise equipped with the expected standard safety features, including 10 airbags, electronic stability control, traction control, and ABS with brake-force distribution. A blind-spot monitoring system is also available for the first time.
Oh, and the final arrow in Toyota's quiver? The 2012 Camry will either cost the same or less than the 2011 car. V6 XLE and SE models maintain their current pricing. The rest? All cheaper than before, despite their numerous improvements, making a powerful value argument for prospective shoppers.
With the 2012 Toyota Camry, Toyota sets out to solve a problem other automakers would kill to have. As our report on family cars has indicated the last few years, reviews for the Camry have been less enthusiastic than those for its various and noteworthy competitors. Nevertheless, the Camry outsells them all. The latest version decisively addresses reviewers' past criticisms while keeping intact the underlying goodness that made the car a bestseller to begin with.
Put more simply, Toyota listened, and the 2012 Camry places its competitors on notice.