Hybrid Camry: form follows frugality

The covers have been officially lifted off the Hybrid Camry, Toyota's fuel-efficient family sedan that has already gone into production at the company's Altona plant, in Melbourne's west.

While the car has already been seen leaving the production line with the Prime Minister driving it, Toyota conducted a belated styling presentation yesterday to outline in full the new car's visual differentiation from the conventional Camry built on the same line. Formally introduced by Toyota Style Australia's Corporate Manager for Style and Design, Paul Beranger, the Hybrid Camry's design has been influenced by the locals working at TSA.

In essence, says Beranger, the Hybrid Camry's look is determined by the need to position the car in the market a little clear of the conventional Camry -- with a particular 'Australian' aspect to that positioning -- as well as functional engineered elements of the car that need to be accommodated by the design.

"How far we advance the design is critical [to] the positioning of Hybrid Camry in the Australian market," said Beranger. "For example, we have to ensure our car appeals to existing owners, as well as early adopters -- at a realistic price.

"While many of the models Toyota sells in Australia are available globally, they have to meet varying expectations and demands. Our new President, Akio Toyoda, has restructured our global product planning to have a greater regional focus, understanding that one design does not necessarily suit all markets.

"In some cases, there are country-by-country design changes, while in others, we take a broader view that suits a regional audience. For Hybrid Camry in Australia, it's a bit of both. We've carried over much of the localisation from the standard Camry, particularly on the interior."

The Hybrid Camry will be sold in two levels of trim, with an entry-level model expected to kick off at around the mid $30,000 mark and Toyota has hinted the flagship model should come in under $40,000.

So this won't be an inexpensive car, despite its fuel-saving cred. Toyota wants to market the car as a premium variant in the Camry range because it's costing the company to build it with the additional gadgetry in the first place, but presenting the car as an upmarket model will also bolster Toyota's 'Hybrid Synergy Drive' branding. The manufacturer is 'gambling' on buyers being tech-savvy early adopters who would find the Hybrid Camry more affordable and perhaps more socially accessible than the radical Prius.

"Extensive local research indicated that customers interested in Hybrid are certainly aware of the technology -- and are confident in communicating that technology to a broad audience..." continued Beranger.

"Therefore, hybrid differentiation and identification is important to the owner, as it is a strong communication image for them. This will change..." he observed, noting that down the track, hybrid-drive vehicles will be much more common than at present. At the moment, the fuel-saving technology is a point of difference for Toyota and the new-car buyer.

Peter Hutchinson, senior designer at TSA, took over from Beranger to explain that the petrol/electric car's look has also been influenced by aerodynamics and cooling -- as much as distinguishing the 'premium' Hybrid model from the petrol-only Camry.

"The unique styling of Toyota Hybrid Camry has been driven by the need to accommodate significant technical innovations," said Hutchinson. "At the front, Hybrid Camry incorporates an electric motor/generator, electric brakes, electric steering -- alongside the petrol engine.

"This package required the styling to accommodate these components and provide them with the additional cooling air required."

On the purely aesthetic front, Hutchinson pointed out the 'signature treatment' of blue-tinted headlights -- a feature shared with the Prius -- and the front bumper of the Camry has been reshaped with sharper corners for the Hybrid application, again drawing a parallel with the smaller Prius.

Hutchinson also explained that the Hybrid Camry features a satin-look finish for the smaller grille and rear garnish, with the angular engine-cooling duct in the airdam enlarged for better airflow. LED tail lights, which use less power than conventional tail lights, are housed behind covers exclusive to the Hybrid Camry. These features -- along with the Hybrid badge on the front quarter panels -- largely contribute to the upmarket image Toyota is cultivating for the Hybrid Camry. The vehicle on display was the high-grade model, distinguished from the lesser variant by its bootlid spoiler.

For the sake of aerodynamics, the Hybrid Camry has additional covers for engine, rear floor and fuel tank. According to Hutchinson, it reduces the drag coefficient from 0.28Cd for the conventional Camry to 0.27Cd for the Hybrid model -- the best of any Australian-produced car.

Inside, the Hybrid Camry offers 389 litres of luggage space, and the 60/40 splitfold rear seat folds down, to provide through-loading access from the boot, although the items that could be loaded from the boot through this 'ski port' would be as thin as they are long -- like skis, for example...

The instrument cluster placed before the driver features blue highlights and a 'energy-flow screen' as in the Prius, to keep the driver informed of the car's operating mode.

Toyota has said that the Hybrid Camry will be officially launched to the local press on February 8 next year.

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