Toyota Camry Hybrid to be launched next month

Toyota is all set to bring in its latest flagship vehicle to India at the start of 2019. The new Camry Hybrid will take the baton from the outgoing model on 18th of January, 2019. It will be among the first launch of the year and will mark the seventh generation Camry’s depart from India. The new eighth generation model will be better than the current model in almost every way and will be the most striking Camry ever in terms of looks.

Talking of which, the new Camry is built on Toyota’s New Global Architecture (GA-K) platform. The sedan will get a new front fascia which retains the typical Camry look but is a lot more stylish than before. The V-shaped nose is quite refreshing and features a slim grille with Toyota logo and a large air dam. The headlights are sleek units with all modern trickery like LED DRLs among others. The new car is longer, wider and longer than the car it replaces and will also have a longer wheelbase. However, overall weight of the car has still not gone up thanks to lightweight construction and NVH levels are better than ever too.

Talking about the interiors, Toyota has made quite an improvement in this aspect. The new Camry will have a redesigned cabin with tons of features to boot. The old dull interior design language has given way for new, updated interiors which include a 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system taking the centre place on the dashboard. sits . A new 10-inch head-up display and a new  7.0-inch multi-information display (MID) further take up the game. The car is more roomier thanks to the increase in wheelbase, though the difference is not groundbreaking. The Camry is already among the most comfortable cars of its class and we guess the new model will take up the game to the next level.

Coming to the engine, the car will only be offered with a Hybrid powertrain option in India and there are no plans to introduce the petrol petrol version of the car as of now. The engine that will power the car is a reworked 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol unit making 176 Bhp of power along with 221 Nm of torque. Compared to the current model’s power output of 158 Bhp, that is a big increase. The engine will work combined with a 118 Bhp (88kW) electric motor, thus taking the total power to 208 Bhp. The new Camry features the next generation of Toyota’s Hybrid technology, which has been dubbed as the Toyota Hybrid System II. The new system incorporates a lighter Power Control Unit and the battery pack has been relocated from the trunk to under the rear seat.

The new Camry will rival the likes of the Honda Accord and Skoda Superb as its main rival after it is launched. Both the cars are quite good and provide a tough choice among the trio. The Superb is known for its comfort and luxury, while the Accord is known to be an all rounded package. Hpw the new Camry will fare against its rivals is something that can only be known after its launch.