Toyota Camry is one moniker which wouldn’t be unbeknownst, to even those who share a very restricted bond with the world of automobiles. Solidifying its position by offering relentless reliability, efficiency, and performance in a spacious nutshell for decades, the car has become the default choice for executive sedan buyers in the UAE and diligently serves as a trusted companion for fleet companies.
As Toyota makes giant leaps towards achieving zero carbon emissions and Al Futtaim Motors harks to the UAE’s vision of achieving full carbon neutrality by 2050, as indited in its Net Zero 2050 strategy, the conglomerate has introduced the 2025 Toyota Camry which promises to take comfort, performance and efficiency to new horizons.
EXTERIOR
A preliminary glance at the car would suggest a completely revised façade with a hood which now droops to conceal a considerable grille area. Some Toyota purists might recognize the emulation taken from the more upscale, Crown.
The lip portion of the car remains identical to the outgoing model which means an enormous area radiating in a trapezoidal demeanour to swathe honeycomb elements on the periphery and horizontal slats as connecting rods between these. The side profile is unmistakable Camry with a stubby and high boot, but now with boomerang LED tail lamps serving as the new aesthetic flavor. The car will come standard with LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail lights.
INTERIOR
With the ninth-generation Camry, Toyota seems to have loaned meticulous attention-to-detail to the interior department. A fine variegation of materials and textures greets the occupants and lend a posh vibe. Of particular interest, might be the co-driver side AC vent compartment which seems to have received inspiration from the Lexus ES. Leather padding on the armrests and central glove box aim at masking the somewhat rudimentary plastics of the obsolete models.
The car contends well in the feature feud too with bells and whistles such as electric rear-view mirror, smart-key with push-button start/stop as standard, dual-zone automatic climate control, driving modes- Normal, Eco and Sport, full-fledged EV mode, rear AC vents, voice agent to gain control over audio volume, vehicle systems and navigation, wireless charging, Type-A & Type-C USB ports and smartphone connectivity.
To make it more tempting, a proposition than it looks, the car packs in a full suite of active safety features that entail pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection and auto-emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure assist with automatic steering correction and automatic high beams that monitor headlights of incoming vehicles and taillights of vehicles at the back to adjust the car’s headlamps accordingly.
The base grades, E and XLE feature a 7-inch instrument binnacle in place of the 12.3” digital instrument cluster, present in the top-spec GLE trim.
Opening doors to wonderful comfort, are either a standard 8-inch touchscreen multimedia display or a 12.3” unit which has been neatly integrated into the dashboard.
POWERTRAIN
The Camry comes with the choices of two powertrain options. For starters, a 2.5-litre gasoline engine that pumps out 201 hp and 240 Nm of torque is available as before. This engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
However, for those etched with creating a positive environmental impact and desiring fuel-efficiency, Toyota’s much touted fifth-gen hybrid system gets coupled with a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine to belt out a combined 227 hp and 221 Nm of torque. The numbers are harnessed via a CVT. Toyota says that this amalgamation seeks to provide satisfying acceleration and torque feel while keeping fuel consumption and emissions low.
The Camry has always been a stellar value-for-money proposition as it offered great poise between practicality, build, performance, fuel-efficiency and reliability. The new model ups the ante on all domains and this time around, also evokes a sense of plushness to complete its continuum of USPs. However, since the debut of the last-gen Camry, competition has grown too. Will this update be enough to keep the game in its favour against the opponents- Nissan Altima, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and Kia K5?
