New Toyota Camry gets four-cylinder power only

When the updated 2021 Toyota Camry lands soon, it’ll come with a more powerful four-cylinder engine but at the expense of a V6 option, which appears to have been axed.

Official homologation documents seen by carsales reveal a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder that will bring more power – 152kW – in non-hybrid models and combine with a new eight-speed automatic transmission (up from a six-speed unit).

This is an increase of 19kW over the current entry-level Ascent, and 17kW compared to other models in the range, and sees maximum power achieved at 6600rpm – 600rpm higher in the rev range.

Engine displacement also reduces from 2494cc to 2487cc, indicating that the four-cylinder engine will switch to an iteration of the newer ‘Dynamic Force’ four-pot offered in the US, where it produces 151kW/250Nm.

Maximum torque in the current Australian-spec engine is 231/235Nm (Ascent/other), so there will be more pulling power on tap as well as the improved fuel economy and quieter high-speed driving that should stem from the revised engine/transmission combination.

Tellingly, the petrol V6 engine is conspicuously absent from the official government documents, which indicates that the 224kW/362Nm 3.5-litre V6 has been axed.

The popular Toyota Camry Hybrid will continue, similarly downsizing to 2487cc with its petrol engine but producing the same 131kW at 5700rpm as the current model that comes equipped with a CVT automatic.

As we’ve reported, Toyota also made a running change to the hybrid version of its top-selling mid-size sedan during last year, finally switching from a nickel-metal hydride battery (245V) to lithium-ion (259V).

The 2021 Toyota Camry is expected to bring the Japanese car-maker’s latest Safety Sense 2.5+ suite, in addition to a standard safety tech that already includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.

The new safety suite comprises higher quality camera and radar systems that are said to respond better in low-light conditions, and should also detect (and prevent) more crashes by adding pre-collision support, emergency steering assist, lane change assist and other new functions.

In the US, the new Camry will also overtake slower cars more smoothly when using adaptive cruise control, thanks to what it calls Full-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC).

Inside, Toyota says it has improved the Camry’s ergonomics by redesigning the cockpit area and moving the 7.0-inch infotainment unit higher in the dash in a “floating” fashion.

Exterior-wise, the front-end design has received a mild nip-and-tuck via a “bolder, stronger-looking” grille and a bumper that gives the Camry a “more imposing road presence”, says Toyota.

Pricing, launch timing and official specs are yet to be confirmed for the 2021 Toyota Camry, but the current four trim levels are expected to carry over: base Ascent, mid-grade Ascent Sport, sporty SX and top-tier SL.

The Australian launch is expected around April.