2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid launched at Rs 36.95 lakh, ex-showroom

Toyota Kirloskar Motors India has launched the all-new eighth generation Camry Hybrid in the country, at an introductory price of Rs 36.95 lakh, ex-showroom. Toyota India also took the occasion to introduce the new managing director of India operations, Masakazu Yoshimura.

The new Camry Hybrid brings with it new styling, as part of Toyota's new design language. Noticeably, the designers have been able to lower the hood and roof of the car resulting in a more lithe silhouette. From the front, the grille and sharper headlights, not to mention the lower section of the bumper with chrome slats, help widen the face of the Camry. In profile, the 18-inch alloy wheels complement the large glass area, and the roofline. Around the rear is where the new Camry Hybrid stands out with its slimmer, longer tail lights. In the move to its eighth-generation, the Camry goes to the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA-K), the flexible platform which first underpinned the new Prius. It gains exterior dimensions making it lower, longer and wider and, notably, it gets a 50mm stretch in wheelbase. With it, the batteries for the hybrid powertrain move from being mounted high in the boot, to under the floor which help the 1,665kg Camry Hybrid (kerb weight) come close to a 50:50 weight balance.

The interiors are all-new, with a focus on the driver, as seen by the central stack that's angled towards the driver's seat. An eight-inch touchscreen takes centrestage and incorporates the latest standards of connectivity, with a nine-speaker JBL hi-fi system. In terms of safety, nine airbags is standard.

The 2.5-litre petrol hybrid and six-speed automatic powertrain largely remains the same, but carries minor updates to the VVT system for a slight bump in power and rated fuel efficiency. As it stands, the Atkinson-cycle petrol and electric motor combined now outputs 218PS and 221Nm of maximum torque, while ARAI-certified efficiency is 23.2kmpl. Of this, the electric motor can contribute 202Nm of maximum torque from idle speeds and above.

The new Toyota Camry Hybrid will rival the likes of the Honda Accord Hybrid, which is priced at Rs 43.2 lakh, ex-showroom.

Also see: Toyota Camry v Skoda Superb v Volkswagen Passat Comparo Video

Also see: Toyota Camry | First Drive Video