2019 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID ELECTRIC The Future is Here

Exterior Design and Features of the all-new Toyota Camry Hybrid Electric

This new Toyota Camry is very sleek and good looking. Starting with the smartly designed front grille to the LED headlamps, this one is a stunner. The headlamps are dusk sensing LED projector headlamps with auto leveling. Then there are LED DRLs and follow me home function. The front fog lamps too are LED.

The rear of the vehicle too is well designed with a combination lamp that comes with LED brake lights. There is also a rear fog lamp. The car is fitted with 18 inches multi spoke alloy wheels. The ORVMs or the Outside Rear View Mirrors are electrically adjusted and come with turn indicators. There are memory settings for these ORVMs which are hydrophilic in nature. Hydrophilic means having a tendency to mix with, dissolve in, or be wetted by water. This implies that when rain droplets fall on the mirrors, they do not accumulate on the glass thereby hindering the view. The car also has rain sensing wipers.

Interior Design and Features of the all-new Toyota Camry Hybrid Electric

Step inside and you are treated to class leading interiors. The upholstery is in beige leather. It’s soft too. The cabin is roomy and there are metallic accents and onyx garnish on the dashboard and gear shifter.

The car comes with tilt and slide moonroof. These are anti pinch, hence safe for those sticking their heads and hands out of the moonroof.  You have a smart entry system with start/stop button. Power windows come with jam protection. The car has an electronic parking brake. Other features include electrochromic inside rear view mirror, rear window defogger with timer and front and rear reading lamps mounted on the roofline.

Both the driver and front passenger seats come with 10-way power adjust. The driver seat gets lumbar support and memory settings. There is ample storage on the inside panel of the doors as well under the front arm rest and on the floor console area. There is memory setting for the steering wheel also. The steering wheel is power tilt and telescopic. It has audio, MID, telephone and cruise control switched mounted on them.

The infotainment system offers clear audio with 9 speakers with Clari Fi technology from JBL Audio System. Then there are the usual navigation, DVD, radio, USB, Aux in, blue tooth and car infotainment system.  It is a touch screen navigation on an 8 inches multimedia screen with intuitive pinch and zoom navigation. The driver can make use of the 10 inches Head Up Display that is in the car. Other features include cruise control and an ECO meter.

For someone buying a Camry, it can be assumed that the person will be chauffeur driven most of the time. For that, Toyota is offering a range of comfort features. The seats at the back come with power recline and there is access to the trunk from the rear. There is an easy access function on the passenger seat shoulder.

The arm rest for the rear passenger is much more than a simple arm rest.  It has touch control switches for audio, reclining the seat, rear windscreen sun shade and the AC temperature setting. Blower speed however cannot be operated from the rear. The rear door sunshades are manually operated. The rear passengers have access to two charging ports of 12 V.

Performance & Safety of the all-new Toyota Camry Hybrid Electric

This hybrid car has two engines- one that is fuel run and the other that is self-charging electric. Both work in harmony. The all-new Toyota Camry Hybrid vehicle is powered by a 2.5 litre, 4-cylinder gasoline hybrid dynamic force engine. The engine produces a peak power of around 176hp@5700rpm and a peak torque of 221Nm@3600-5200rpm. The hybrid system motor delivers a maximum output of 118.35hp and a peak torque of 204.1Nm. The engine is mated to 6- speed continuously variable transmission (CVT) sequential shift with paddle shifters.

For getting out quietly from your closed parking one can activate the EV button. The car moves on electric power, provided the lithium ion batteries are charged. In the Drive mode once can choose Eco, Normal or Sport mode. While in the eco mode and normal mode the acceleration is very controlled while in the sport mode it gets aggressive and you can also feel lot more steering feedback coming through. The option of paddle shifters allows you to choose your own aggressive style of driving.

The new Toyota Camry Hybrid Electric can run on its electric motor alone.  When the battery runs low, excess power from the engine charges it back again. Plus the action of braking recycles energy to charge the battery.

The car is a safe with an impact absorbing body, has standard  9 airbags the inbuilt safety features like Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Anti-Lock Brake System, Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assist. Then there is the rear view camera with sensors. It has e-parking brake and brake hold function. The latter makes driving in city condition much easier.

Verdict

The new Toyota Camry Hybrid Electric is a fun car to drive on smooth tarmac. It is planted to the road and is very stable with impressive NVH levels. It offers great ride quality and handling with a suspension that soaks in the bumps. All in all, this hybrid car perfectly utilises to its advantage the practical essence of a proven petrol engine and an electric motor that gets its feed from lithium ion batteries. There are loads of comfort and convenience features  in this car. It scores high on the safety features too.