Toyota Camry 2.5V A/T

Sporty, Luxurious. TOYOTA CAMRY 2.5V A/T

Mid-sized sedans are big, luxurious, sometimes imposing. In the corporate setting, these cars are usually assigned to Vice Presidents or of similar rank. I recall when I was still working in the corporate world back in the 90’s, our VP for Sales purchased a Camry (XV20) right after ToyotaPH introduced it, preferring it over his company issued ride. Four generations later, the current Camry still caters to the same market, but is now a completely different animal, looking more sport than executive, but in an understated way yet retaining its refined accoutrements.

EXTERIOR

On the outside, it looks slick. It’s lines flowing from the front to the rear. From the front, you’ll notice that there’s not much of a grille to speak of, yet the air dam below looks like it could suck in subcompacts and motorcycles. The sculpted hood looks like it’s hiding something fearsome underneath. It’s handsome, and when we drove it around, it wasn’t uncommon to see top management types giving it a long look and imagining themselves in it. The DRL’s and headlights all work towards drawing your attention up and around to the sides and when you get to the rear, the lines meet at an integrated spoiler on trunk.

Take a close look at the line that separates the projector headlamp from the DRL’s, you’ll notice this recurs in and around the Camry.

INTERIOR

The engineers at Toyota thought things out well, even the inside is more sporty than executive. The dashboard and center console may look a bit busier than past Camrys , but this is definitely not your typical “vanilla” executive conveyance. Taking into consideration that the boss may want to drive the car once in a while, everything is easily where they’re supposed to be. The leather seats are firm, giving good support. Most surfaces are soft touch, with upscale brushed aluminum and some wood looking synthetic materials. As expected, there’s a massive amount of space for both front and rear passengers, even three would find the back seat spacious. The armrest folds down and doubles as your climate control panel for the rear passengers. The back seats also recline a few degrees, making them just that more comfortable on a long trip whether on the open road or in metro gridlock.

POWERPLANT

Powering the Camry is a 2.5L 16-Valve 4-cylinder DOHC, Dual VVT-I gasoline engine that puts out 184Ps at 6,000rpm with 231Nm at 4,100rpm mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This generation only has this engine option available locally, you may be inclined to miss the grunt of the V6, but rest assured that this has enough power to get you around. It has three drive modes, ECO, Normal and Sport guaranteeing you’ll have a good time ripping around on winding country roads or expressways.

RIDE

This Camry rides firmer than previous generations, making for a more direct feel on the road, cornering like a smaller car, helped out by the wide and low 235/45R’s on 18” alloy rims, but since it’s much longer than a subcompact, it still manages to iron out most of our roads many imperfections. NVH is as good as can be expected from a car in this class, road and wind noise are kept at bay and the interior is quiet even at high speeds.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The top of the line variant we drove is priced at Php2,072,000, this Camry doesn’t seem to strike me as a “ for grown ups car” as the other mid sized sedans in the market, or even previous generation Camrys. I feel like it would appeal more to someone who appreciates the space, reluctantly sits in the back on occasion, but would prefer more to be behind the wheel. NEIL PAGULAYAN

TOYOTA CAMRY 2.5V A/T AAAAB

Price PHP 2,072,000 Engine 4-Cylinder In-Line, 16 Valve, DOHC, Dual VVT-i Power 184ps @ 6,000rpm Torque 231Nm @ 4,100rpm Transmission 6-Speed Automatic Displacement 2,494cc