Toyota Camry Hybrid to get minor facelift

The new Camry was introduced in 2015, post which the car hasn’t received any update. Being the only hybrid in the market at that time, the Camry enjoyed the sole monoply, and with people getting environmentally conscious, the hybrid variant became popular. Now though, Honda has brought in the all-new Accord, in hybrid form and to make sure the Camry doesn’t loose out, Toyota will soon be updating the Camry with some additional features.

While the Camry is pretty well loaded already, it misses out on a few features the Accord has. The update should help to minimize that. The new Camry will get a 12 speaker JBL sound system, which will replace the current 10 speaker system. In addition to that, the car will finally get navigation, powered by MapMyIndia and the capability to wirelessly charge your phone. Currently, the Camry is offered with 7 airbags, the update will take that count to 9. Another safety feature that the new variant will get is the TMPS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System). The Camry still continues to be the only car in the segment to get reclinable rear seats and 3-zone climate control.

The Camry will continue to be powered by the same 2.5 liter petrol engine that produces 202 Bhp (cumilatively) and is mated to an e-CVT gearbox. While a regular version of the Camry is also available, it isn’t very popular. The price difference between the regular version and the hybrid variant is almost negligable due to the FAME rebate that the hybrid variant gets (it is a CKD product) and thus more than 80% of the sales are for the hybrid variant.

The Accord on the other hand is offered in hybrid guise only. It is powered by a  2.0 liter engine that produces 215 Bhp and 360 Nm. This is a different type of hybrid though, which maily uses the battery. Other than cruising, the Accord is powered by the battery itself. In case the charge is low, the engine powers the motor which inturn drives the car. The other vehicle in this segment is the Superb, the only one offering a diesel engine option.

The new cars have begun to reach the showrooms but there is no official statement that has been issued by Toyota regarding the changes just yet. Pricing details are hence not yet known.

Source: Team Bhp