Camry Hybrid quicker, slicker

And the next generation of Camry will be safer.  Yukihiro Okane – chief engineer for product planning on the car – say the fuel-miser version will beat the conventional Camry to the 100km/h mark by a full second.

Its CVT will also shift more smoothly than the normal automatic transmissions on its sibling, Okane says.  “With the CVT (continuously variable transmission, there is no time lag for shifts,” he says, while still admitting it’s not as fast as a six-speed.

Priced from around $33,000, the Camry Hybrid arrives early next year, carrying a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol powerplant and electric motor that develop around 140kW combined, which is 23kW (18 per cent) more than its non-hybrid sibling.  And while it’s 139kg heavier than the standard petrol car, the lighter engine in the nose and 50kg battery at the rear has resulted in a redistribution of weight that helps improve handling, Okane says.

The standard 2.4-litre four cylinder front wheel drive petrol version's weight split is 60/40, while the hybrid is closer to 55/45.  But the better handling offered by this balance has also been furthered by suspension and steering being designed for the demands of Australia, and which he’d like to see spread around the globe.

 “We tuned the suspension and steering only for the Australian market,” he says.  “Australian people are the most strict for handling … it is much more sporty. But I would like to send it to the (rest of the) world markets.”  The coming Camry Hybrid will stay at a four-star crash rating, but future cars will grab the extra star, Okane says.

“We will have five-star safety for Camry in the next generation -- worldwide” he says.  Okane also says that rather than looking to downsize conventional engines – as has been touted by other badges -- future improvements in fuel economy are best approached at this stage with a petrol-electric hybrid system."

However, Okane would not be drawn on whether the Prius plug-in hybrid launched at Tokyo motor show will be followed by a Camry version.  “The plug-in Prius is the first trial for Toyota – our first step is Prius so that is where we will try the new technology,” he says.