By the look of it, Toyota don’t seem to be in a hurry to change their perfection and that perfection is the Camry. Due to the floods and earthquakes which rocked Japan earlier this year, Toyota were in a lesser sort of mood to actually get the Etios Liva launch and also the refreshed Corolla. However, both these cars have been launched but the Toyota Camry refresh has been pushed to 2012. Now, that’s not done. Anyways, an analysis of the sales figures of Toyota show that the Camry is the least sought after car by any one looking into the luxury segment. The Skoda Laura is the one that most of the buyers are after. We recently gleaned out a few details about the 2012 Toyota Camry which is going to come in India. The looks would reflect the current 2012 version which is on sale in US. Here are a few first impressions of this car.
The 2012 Toyota Camry in India would have looks similar to that of the present gen Corolla. Infact, it is seemingly more on the R version that Toyota have for the Corolla out there. The SE version of the Camry in US also gets the same add-ons. The projector head lamps of this car are very artistically done and the honey combe grille for which all the Toyotas are now known for are also present in this new Camry. The ORVMs miss out on the usual turn indicators on them. This however, may come down with the Indian versions. As for the wheels, US gets an options for 18 inch wheels with a twisted alloy wheel pattern. Towards the rear, the designers of this car were more on the artistic side of things and have spruced it up accordingly. Toyota haven’t still gone the twin tail pipe manner on this car yet and hence the same wouldn’t be present in the Indian version of the Camry. Sportiness is what this car oozes from every pore and while all the other cars in its category would look as if they have mellowed down a bit, the Camry on the other hand seems to be a young thing amongst the hordes of matured ones.
The interiors speak of a very nice integration of materials. All black seems to be the theme for the US model, however, for India, there may be a certain mix of beige into the scheme of things. It is said that Toyota have worked on the B, A and also door panels of the car to liberate more space inside. Like some cheaper cars, indents have been made on the front seatbacks to provide for more space to the rear seat passengers. As far as the equipment list goes, this car gets an all new dashboard design which concentrates heavily on the driver now. The top of the line Camry would come in satin upholstery. The lower variants (if at all Toyota decided to go the variant way) will have 6 speaker assembly for the music system while the top end would nearly double on the speaker count. Also the one thing common would be a LCD screen for the infotainment system which would be of 6 inches. Nevertheless, the touch screen system is said to be of a cheaper variety and hence requires more stabs. Also Toyota graphics have never being detailed enough and this 2012 Camry does seem to carry forward the same trend. As for the seating comfort, Toyota have opted for the fake leather option here. Perforations in the seat as also a small fan behind the front seats ensure that the passenger as also the driver are ensconced in supreme comfort. Heck, this would mostly be a chauffer driven car and hence the backseat comfort is also very important. The rear seats have got a new angle to them so that they act as part time lounges. The boot space hasn’t been increased but it has got more recess to make it more accommodating now.
What hasn’t changed substantially is the handling of this car. Tougher springs all around but with a certain softness dialed into them is what makes this 2012 Toyota Camry in India. Moreover, the handling of this car is said to be a bit more tighter than the outgoing model. The electronic steering wheel is also said to have got a bit more tighter in an attempt to be driver centric around the limit. Whether it manages or not to fulfill its sportiness is something which is to be seen once the car lands up on Indian soil. The ride quality at the same time is an all cosseting thing and that is the biggest USP of the Camry over its competition. Use of even more sound deadening materials around the door pads as also under the hood means that this Camry should be more of the silent thing than its predecessor.
Internationally the Camry comes with 3 engine options, however, for the Indian market, Toyota India would prefer the base 2.4 liter engine as also the top end 3.5 liter V6 one. The former powers the current version of the Camry in India while the latter would go head on with the competition’s 3.5 liter V6 offerings. No Camry diesel would be offered. As for the safety kit, this car would come loaded with them. For some starters, there would be 10 airbags on offer along with a host of other passive safety devices. The 2012 Toyota Camry price in India surprisingly would be just a few thousands more than the outgoing version while the V6 engine Camry would be priced at par with the competition’s V6 offerings. Expect this car to land on our shores sometime in early 2012.
