Who says luxury and efficiency don't go hand-in-hand? Certainly not the guys at Toyota, who've just brought their latest baby, the Camry Hybrid to India

HYBRID THEORY

Who says luxury and efficiency don't go hand-in-hand? Certainly not the guys at Toyota, who've just brought their latest baby, the Camry Hybrid to India

Mention the word 'Hybrid' and the car
maker that comes to mind is none other than Toyota. The Japanese auto giant has pretty much become synonymous with hybrid electric cars thanks to the success of the Prius. But now Toyota has taken the game even further and dropped in a hybrid powertrain in the recently updated Camry. Why the Camry you ask? For starters, the new Camry comes across as a fantastic car offering loads of technology, comfort and reliability and checks most boxes for anyone thinking about a large sedan and now with a hybrid system it's just as green and efficient.
    There isn't much on the outside to set this hybrid Camry apart from its petrol powered sibling, barring the slightly redesigned chrome grille and the 10 spoke 17-inch alloy wheels. The Camry received a major design update last year and we can pretty much vouch for the fact that it is one of the most handsome sedans in its class. The main difference between the two cars, of course, lies under the hood. The 2.5-litre 2ARFXE four-cylinder petrol engine featuring variable valve timing (VVT-i) remains pretty much unchanged, but as part of the company's Hybrid Synergy drive system, it also receives a 650-volt synchronous electric motor which has 143PS of power and 270Nm of torque compared to the petrol engine's 160PS and 213Nm respectively.
    Opening the wide doors reveals the familiar cavernous insides, which not only look good but feel good as well. The dash sees a change with the inclusion of the Optitron Combimeter which gives out a lot more information than your average speedo-console. A fantastic feature that makes the Camry stand apart is that the rear seats come with power recline as well and this apart from the driver and the co-passenger seats being 8-way power adjustable. This Camry definitely knows how to pamper.
    We have already seen a couple of hybrids in India already, such as Toyota's own Prius as well as the Honda Civic Hybrid. But traditionally, these types of vehicles haven't seen too much success in our market. So what makes the Toyota Camry Hybrid so important? Well, while there might not be anything groundbreaking about this car, the reason why Indian car buyers need to sit up and take notice is that this will become the first hybrid car to be assembled in the country, showing just how seriously Toyota is considering this type of car for India. And the real beauty of this product is that it brings forth green technologies without really losing the essence of what the Camry is all about - luxury. This luxury combined with a magical blend of power and efficiency, something that our own bossman, Adil, can vouch for after his recent drive, really sets the Camry Hybrid apart. Keep watching this space for a comprehensive drive report coming up soon. S P E C IF IC ATI O N S TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID ENGINE: 2,494cc, 4-cyl, petrol
POWER: 160PS @ 5,700rpm
TORQUE: 213Nm @ 4,500rpm
TRANSMISSION: E-CVT
ELECTRIC MOTOR 650V, 105kW, 270Nm, synchronous
BATTERIES 244.8V, 6.5Ah, NiMH
HYBRID OUTPUT: 205PS
PRICE: TBA

Apart from the Hybrid exclusive Optitron Combimeter, there aren’t too many differences in the interiors of this and the petrol version. But who’s really complaining?