Toyota Camry Hybrid 2018 review: Ascent Sport

It looks…. interesting. And this might be the first time that description has ever been used as a compliment. 

You’ll remember the old Camry, I’m sure. The one that mean people said looked like something that should be sold in Harvey Norman and used to keep drinks cold? Well, this one doesn’t.

For one, the grille has been reimagined. There’s still a family resemblance, but it’s now a two-tier design that pinches in the middle before stretching out to each corner of the front-end. The headlights are thin and sharply angled, sweeping back into the bodywork, and a network of raised contours now lines the bonnet. 

Side-on, new body skirting links the simple alloy wheels, while the rear view is all fancy tail-lights, integrated boot spoiler and dual exhaust tips mounted on the lower left. It’s a genuinely nice, genuinely premium-feeling exterior treatment from Toyota.

The rear view is all fancy tail-lights, integrated boot spoiler and dual exhaust tips mounted on the lower left. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

There are more changes inside, too, where a new, swirling, modern-feeling dash houses the key screen and controls, and where the cheaper hard plastics are mostly disguised by soft-touch materials to give an impression that's approaching premium.

The Ascent Sport Hybrid is a crisp $31,990, which would also buy you an entry-level Mazda6 or a Hyundai Sonata Active.

In the Toyota, that investment earns you 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and DRLs, auto high-beam lights and keyless entry. Inside, expect cloth seats, standard navigation, dual-zone climate, a better steering wheel and gear shift than in the cheaper models, and a powered driver’s seat.

The Camry Ascent Sport comes with 7-inch alloy wheels. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

Your technology is handled by a 7.0-inch touchscreen that pairs with a six-speaker stereo. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not available, unfortunately, but you do get Bluetooth and the Toyota Link mirroring system, as well as a second, smaller screen in the driver's binnacle.

This is a new set-up for the Camry, with the engine, motor and battery combination a fresh design from Toyota. The 2.5-litre hybrid will produce 131kW at 5700rpm and 221Nm at 5200rpm (up by about 13kW/10Nm), and is paired with a CVT auto. The electric motor can add as much as 88KW, but maximum power from both the electric motor and petrol engine is never available together, and the engine's maximum output is listed at 160kW.

The 2.5-litre hybrid produces 131kW/221Nm, up by about 13kW/10Nm. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

Toyota claims an impressive 4.2L/100km on the combined cycle, with emissions pegged at 96g/km of CO2. The Camry’s 60-litre tank demands 95RON fuel.

The Hybrid Ascent Sport's safety story starts with seven airbags, a reversing camera and the usual suite of braking and traction aids. You'll also find auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning (with assist) and cruise control, but it does miss out on blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert at this trim level. 

The Camry range was awarded the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating when crash tested in 2017.