Toyota Camry Hybrid 2010 Review

Not so much
>> Seat design could be better
>> Interior looks a bit dowdy
>> Small-car boot space in a mid-sized car

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine and Drivetrain: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
-- Political will to build eco-Camry
Toyota's Camry Hybrid first reached the American market with the current generation range in 2006. It has been a while reaching Australia for a few reasons, none of them lack of determination.

We've had eco-sensitive and business-friendly politicians (prime minister, industry minister and state premier) all pushing for the high-tech Toyota to be built at the company's Altona plant. Senior management at Toyota Australia (TMCA) and even some sympathetic management at the parent company in Japan have argued in favour of the alternative-energy model being manufactured here.

It's all well and good to have a technology leader to showcase your fuel-saving credentials (ie: Prius) but if it's perceived to be too avant-garde and not accessible for those on a budget, its ability to promote the brand and encourage people to use less fuel will be limited in scope. Enter the Camry Hybrid.

Although Toyota hasn't said so in as many words, an alternative-energy vehicle like the Camry Hybrid (or E85 Commodore, EcoBoost Falcon, etc), could spread the word faster than boutique cars with diesel engines from European manufacturers, to use one such example. Volume sales of frugal cars will make a significant impact on community-wide fuel consumption for road transport.

For Toyota, Hybrid Synergy Drive is its technological vanguard for future automotive development. In due course, this technology will lend itself to co-application with fuel cell power sources providing electrical energy for motive power and stored (battery) power.

Indeed, the company has officially declared that it intends to offer a hybrid variant in every model range by 2020. So the Camry Hybrid is a Trojan horse for this technology in Australia -- and if Mum and Dad like their Camry Hybrid, you can rest assured that the kids will seriously consider a hybrid Corolla when they get their licence.

By the way, the hybrid Corolla already exists. It's been launched in Europe as the Auris Hybrid.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

For the money, the base model comes with the following equipment as standard: 16-inch alloy wheels, reversing camera, reverse-parking guidance sensors, LED tail lights, dual-zone climate control, front fog lights, keyless entry/start, multi-function steering wheel, moquette fabric seat trim, six-disc CD audio system with USB/iPod input and Bluetooth connectivity.

To that list, the Camry Hybrid Luxury adds: Leather seat/door trim, four-way electric adjustment for front seats, electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, rain-sensing wipers and a rear spoiler.

Toyota offers both grades with additional option packs to lift the specification further. The option pack for the base model costs $3000 and comprises eight-speaker premium audio, satellite navigation and three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with integrated Bluetooth controls. At $4500, the option pack for the Camry Hybrid Luxury features the equipment already mentioned for the base model option pack, plus: an electric 'moonroof' and rear 'personal lamps'.

At $4500 more than the Camry Ateva, the base hybrid is priced to reflect the premium payable for its eco-friendly specification and additional equipment. By comparison, the Luxury grade is priced the same as the Grande. As for the walk-up between the Ateva and the base hybrid, the Luxury grade also adds the Hybrid Synergy Drive gear, plus active safety features, improved performance/lower running costs and other high-tech items, such as electric power steering and electric air conditioning.

Like the smaller car, the Camry features a dual planetary gearset to multiple the torque of the electric drive motor. The first gearset divides the petrol engine power between the generator and the differential. It's computer controlled and ensures that the petrol engine fires up to maintain battery charge or provide torque on demand for acceleration or climbing a hill.

The second gearset is a reduction gear for the electric drive motor and optimises (doubles) the torque through its reduction ratio. It also varies the torque split between the electric drive motor and the petrol engine for as little or much as necessary to drive the differential. In so doing, it operates like a conventional continuously variable transmission (CVT), but relying on the gears rather than belts and adjustable cones or pulleys.

In this Hybrid Synergy Drive system, the CVT links the electric drive motor and the petrol engine for varying degrees of torque to be transmitted to the front wheels via a conventional differential.

The petrol engine is based on the 2.4-litre DOHC 2AZ-FE engine of the conventional Camry, but runs in an Atkinson cycle -- as opposed to the Otto cycle of the conventional powerplant. As for the conventional engine, it features variable valve timing and direct ignition. In the Atkinson cycle, the expansion phase is longer than the compression phase, but otherwise the engine runs just like a conventional Otto-cycle engine. The differing phasings are achieved through altered valve timing and overlap, to provide improved fuel efficiency.

Peak power developed by the four-cylinder is 110kW at 6000rpm and peak torque of 187Nm occurs at 4400rpm. The engine can work in collaboration with one of two electric motors fitted to provide enhanced motive power. This electric motor, named MG2, develops 105kW of power and 270Nm of torque. It's the motor that runs through the 2.47:1 reduction gear in the second planetary gear set to multiply torque -- an idea already explored in the current Prius.

In addition, it's the sole form of motive power for the Camry in reverse gear. The petrol engine only operates when the car is in reverse to recharge the battery pack, it doesn't provide any motive power itself. During regenerative braking, MG2 becomes a generator, channelling energy back to the battery pack as the car slows.

MG1 is the other electric motor, which also acts as a generator, taking drive from the petrol engine to nourish the charge in the hybrid battery pack. It also doubles as the starter for the petrol engine. In addition, it controls system speed, since the dual planetary gear set is what Toyota describes as a power-split device, acting like a differential.

Do you want to know about the electrical gizmos? The Camry has heaps of them. Apart from the 244.8 Volt Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack located aft of the folding rear seat in the luggage compartment, there's: an inverter, a step-up transformer (boost converter) and a DC-DC converter (another transformer).

The inverter converts alternating current (AC) from the motor generators (both from the petrol engine and regenerative braking) to direct current (DC) for storage in the battery. It also reconverts DC from the battery back to AC for use in the electric drive motor.

The step-up transformer boosts the battery voltage from 244.8 to 650 Volts to power the electric drive motor. It also converts the 650 Volt charge recovered during power generation back to 244.8 Volts for storage in the Ni-MH battery.

Some of the hybrid's underpinnings are shared with the conventional Camry, although considerable work has been done to tailor the front MacPherson struts and the strut-type IRS for the hybrid application.

Taking advantage of the added weight of the batteries in the rear, Toyota has recalibrated the hybrid's suspension for improved cornering. Not only are the rubber bushes in the strut tops stiffer, as are the spring rates front (+ 8.5 per cent) and rear (+ 12.5 per cent), but the low-speed compression damping has been revised also, up 10 per cent all around.

Toyota has specified EPS (electric power steering) for the Camry Hybrid, since this type of system only draws power from the battery when the vehicle is cornering. Unlike conventional hydraulic steering systems, it doesn't continue drawing power when the vehicle is travelling in a straight line.

The EPS is monitored by a system named Cooperative Control Steering Assist, which will 'counter torque inputs' from the wheels if the car is braking or steering on a surface where grip varies from left to right or front to rear, as in braking with the two left wheels on the shoulder of a country road. In such a circumstance, the EPS will balance the amount of assistance according to need and thus aid the driver.

The Camry Hybrid's ventilated front disc brakes and solid rear discs are electronically controlled and form the coalface for the car's sophisticated VDIM (Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management) system. This combines ABS, Brake Assist, EBD, traction control and stability control in one, operating seamlessly, so Toyota says, in all situations.

PACKAGING

The satin-finish plastic of the Hybrid’s HVAC controls and backing in the centre fascia are not especially pleasing and the moquette seat trim, while comfortable and seemingly durable enough, was a bit old-fashioned and dull.

All credit to Toyota for the car's electric air conditioning though. Since it's not driven from an engine-driven compressor, it is more efficient than conventional climate control systems, but based on driving the car in 33-degree heat, the system works very capably and not only kept driver and co-driver cool, but actually chilled us to the bone.

In converting the Camry to a hybrid, Toyota has had to compromise the boot space also. Capable of accepting golf bags, the boot in the Camry Hybrid measures 389 litres, which is, to put it in perspective, only four litres better than the luggage capacity of Ford's Focus hatch. The Focus is a small car, whereas the Camry is a midsizer, but that's the one area in which the Toyota is slightly compromised by its conversion to hybrid operation. All the same, 389 litres remains a decent figure and allows for the car to be fitted with a full-size alloy wheel and spare.

Speaking of tyres, the Camry comes with conventional tyres (not low rolling-resistance type), as also fitted to the conventional cars in the range. This was a decision made by Toyota Australia so as not to detract from the car's fleet appeal. Tyres are thus cheaper to replace and, to our liking, provide a reasonable ride and handling compromise.

Toyota is happy to beat its own drum, telling anyone who'll listen how compact the Hybrid Synergy Drive system is, thanks to the reduction gear and the more efficient high-speed electric drive motor. Gotta say, we've looked under the bonnet of the car and there certainly is a fair amount of room under there. It doesn't look like it would be unduly hard to reach service points.

SAFETY

That's not to say that it isn't jam-packed with every active safety feature on the planet to avoid the sort of event for which ANCAP tests cars. Toyota claims a number of firsts in the area of active safety for this vehicle, among locally-built cars.

VDIM (Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management) seamlessly links the usual plethora of primary safety aids, such as anti-lock braking, electronic brakeforce distribution, Brake Assist, traction control and stability control, along with new features like electronic brake control (EBC) and Cooperative Control Steering Assist (see MECHANICAL above). According to Toyota, VDIM integrates these functions in a way the earlier safety systems don't, allowing stability and traction control systems to act independently of each other, for example.

In respect of secondary safety, the Camry Hybrid still features as standard six airbags (frontal, side-impact and curtains).

COMPETITORS
-- What are the alternatives in alternative energy?
If you've stuck with us this far, you've probably already arrived at a couple of obvious rivals to the Camry Hybrid on your own. The Toyota is really occupying a niche all to itself, in reality, but just because there's no other midsize hybrid sedan on the market doesn't mean that there aren't other cars around that could reduce running costs to a similar level.

Pretty much any diesel small car (and a number of medium models) will match the Toyota for combined-cycle fuel efficiency (although not necessarily CO2 emissions) and may even better the Camry in packaging and affordability. As an exercise in logic, consider the Ford Focus TDCi mentioned before. Front and rear-seat head- and legroom would be comparable to the Camry's and it's just four litres short of the Camry's luggage capacity.

With the Powershift Getrag twin-clutch transmission, the diesel Focus is an efficient self-shifter which actually undercuts the Camry's combined cycle fuel consumption of 6.0L/100km by 0.1 litre. Add to that, it's over $7000 cheaper than the Toyota.

As against that, the small Ford is narrower, it won't be as economical around town and it uses a fuel of a greater carbon density -- meaning more CO2 emissions for every litre burned. Lastly, the Camry boasts a formidable array of high-tech features for the extra money, whether it's the reversing camera, Bluetooth or six-disc CD audio... etc.

What else then? How about either of the locally-produced large cars (Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon) with LPG? Probably cheaper to run, but if it's a dual-fuel system, as in the case of the Holden, the Camry's bound to be better packaged. Then there's the purchase price. Both the Holden and the Ford are significantly more expensive (by full-list price standards) than even the Luxury-grade Camry Hybrid, but we'd still be interested in a cost/benefits analysis of the Camry Hybrid against the E-Gas (single-fuel) Falcon.

You may well ask, what about the diesel alternatives in the medium VFACTS segment? How about Mondeo Zetec TDCi and Mazda6, for example? The Ford comes with an automatic transmission, but it's actually more expensive than the Camry Hybrid in base trim. Another consideration too is that its combined-cycle fuel consumption is 7.3L/100km -- a long way behind the 6.0L/100km for the Toyota. Although the extra-urban figure for the Ford is a much more reasonable 5.7L/100km, its around-town (urban cycle) figure is 10.0L/100km, which means it's positively eaten alive by the Toyota in this contest.

And the Mazda? Great machine for sure, but it only comes in manual form and it is just $110 cheaper than the base Toyota. For that slight saving in purchase price, it level-pegs the Toyota in combined-cycle fuel consumption (6.0L/100km) and the best it can do around town is 7.6L/100km.

For the time being, you can buy a Hyundai Sonata diesel with a four-speed automatic for substantially less than the cost of the base Camry Hybrid ($32,490), but the combined-cycle fuel consumption for that car is 7.0L/100km. Perhaps once Hyundai introduces its 'YF' replacement -- assuming that arrives in Australia with a diesel and an automatic transmission more efficient than the current four-speeder, that might be worth comparing against the Toyota. In the meantime, probably not...

Something else you might ponder in respect of the diesel-engined cars too: They actually emit more CO2, even if they can match the petrol-consuming Toyota for fuel consumption. It's about the higher-density carbon content in distillate, versus that of petrol.

Here's a curious, out of left-field alternative; for the same money as the Camry Hybrid, you could buy the Mercedes-Benz B 180 CDI. The turbodiesel Benz's combined-cycle consumption is 6.3L/100km, so if your daily running was more open-road, less around-town, it could be viable? Reasonable kit too, for the money -- and the three-pointed star on the bonnet.

On the outward-bound journey to Merricks near the coast of Westernport Bay, the base model Camry returned a figure of 6.8L/100km. For the return journey in the Camry Hybrid Luxury, the figure was better, at 5.3L/100km -- a consequence of a gentler drive back along Beach Road through Melbourne's southern suburbs. We did overtake slower cars without being unduly precious about conserving fuel, but in the main the run back was pretty benign. Still, for a car as roomy as the Camry to use less than 7.0L/100km in any circumstance was impressive.

There's no tachometer fitted in the Camry Hybrid, so there's no telling what the engine revs are, but it sounds reasonably refined in the midrange (based on our aural ballpark estimation), when it's working. Driving through the CVT set-up in conjunction with the electric motor drive, the petrol engine never has to rev exceptionally high to provide abundant torque and the power is reasonable too.

Overtaking manoeuvres at open-road speeds are despatched swiftly and easily and the Camry actually launches reasonably well once you've overcome the fear of depressing the accelerator (that's a joke by the way).

Unlike conventional cars though, the accelerator pedal feels very doughy under foot. If you step on it, one electric motor is cranking the petrol engine, which throttles up as it's starting and the other electric motor is joining in the chorus. So the long and spongy sensation under the accelerator is more about processing time and waiting for things to happen rather than any designed-in length of travel in the accelerator pedal.

A little like the smaller and lighter Prius, as we recollect, the Camry Hybrid doesn't require much prompting to draw upon the petrol engine for added power and torque. If you try to trickle away from a standing start using electric power alone, you'll have traffic up the clacker quick smart.

Where the electric-only mode prevails is in heavy traffic, when cars might move forward two or three metres at a time, while waiting for the lights to change. It's the weight of the Camry that tends to mitigate against ultra-efficient driving. You can forget about hill starts without the petrol engine operating, for instance.

The transmission selector, in addition to moving through the standard (gated) détente for an automatic (PRND), also features a 'B' position where 'L' would be in a conventional auto box. 'B' is for 'braking' and by forcing the electric drive motor to generate more power through regenerative braking, it effectively operates in the same way that a lower ratio would in a conventional transmission -- providing 'engine braking'. It was hard to tell from our gentle drive down to Merricks on the first day, but there's reason to believe 'B' contributes nothing to fuel efficiency. It certainly does load up some weight on the front wheels for cornering, however, as we learned the following day. That's a good thing.

One of our co-drivers objected to the Camry's ride quality, but while it's not pillow-soft, it is well controlled -- and that's worth a lot, in our view. Before you write in complaining about journalists calling for back-breaking ride suitable only for gokarts, the ride in the Camry Hybrid contributes to the car's roadholding and active safety.

If, based on what you've read about the Camry Hybrid's weight distribution and the car's turn-in, you're expecting the Toyota to muster immense cornering power, let's say straight up that it doesn't compare with the Honda Accord Euro or Ford Mondeo. But it’s a significant improvement on the standard Camry and front-end grip is most impressive, even when accelerating out of a corner. Toyota deserves a slap on the back for the work done calibrating the suspension for local conditions.

While the Camry's driving position is readily adjusted for optimum comfort, there are a couple of minor gripes. The driver's seat was arguably lacking sufficient support and this writer experienced some lower-back discomfort after a stint behind the wheel.

Although the steering wheel was of sufficiently large diameter to provide an unobstructed view of the instruments, it felt unnaturally large in corners. As for the instruments themselves, they were easily legible, but the economy meter on the left side of the binnacle is, frankly, rather confusing on first impressions.

The acoustic windshield developed specifically for the Camry Hybrid seemed to pick up a lot of glare reflected off the dashboard and the handbrake, over on the passenger's side of the centre console, is something of a stretch for the driver to reach.

We remain in two minds about the Camry Hybrid. Some argue that nearly $37,000 for the base model is too much, but for a car that offers performance commensurate to (but not the same as) the Aurion's, and with equipment to match, the Camry Hybrid represents reasonable value in the market. We could see it being an affordable car for a growing family, but one on a budget.

Watch Carsales TV's Toyota Camry Hybrid video here

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