Toyota Camry Sportivo 2007 Review

Road Test

Toyota's Camry has been through myriad changes in the 25 years since it arrive as a front-wheel drive hatchback to sit alongside the then rear-drive Corona sedan.

In 1987 it became a sedan and wagon and built locally and essentially replaced the Corona. Subsequently, through the years, it got a wide body, a V6 engine, a Vienta stablemate and it steadily grew bigger until the company eventually proclaimed it a rival for the local rear-drive six-cylinder models.

But through that history, it never managed to shrug off its 'whitegoods' image. Sure, it was competent, reliable and well built, but Camry was hardly a nameplate to get the juices flowing.

In 2002, Toyota sought to rectify this with the introduction of the Sportivo and while it looked a bit meatier than the bread-and-butter fleet specials, it failed to deliver a "sporty" drive.

Part of the problem for Toyota has been that as a world car, the local arm has always been hamstrung as to how far it can go in changing the basic structure and visuals of the car. Thus early efforts seemed underdone. However, as the Australian arm has risen in stature within the global Toyota monolith, it has increasingly been given more freedom to push its products' boundaries. And so we have the latest generation Camry, perhaps the most distinctively 'Australian' model ever.

And, again, there is a Sportivo model -- only this time it at last comes close to representing its badge via its drive experience.

From the outside, the locally-designed body kit and 17-inch alloys do a good job of differentiating the Sportivo from its siblings. Without being a head turner, it does draw in interested viewers.

Its lower stance and sharper edges ensure the car at least looks the business. Indeed, as you slip into the big, bolstered but comfy and supportive driver's seat, the interest levels are maintained with various sporty cosmetic highlights -- alloy pedals, scuff plates and so on.

As the midrange model in the Camry line-up, the Sportivo runs a decent list of standard kit including climate and cruise controls, power front seats, windows and mirrors, remote locking, six-stack CD audio, six airbags and ABS. Stability control -- VSC in Toyota-speak -- is reserved for the top-spec Grande only.

There is plenty of space inside, although three adults across the rear is still a squeeze. Unlike the rest of the Camry range, the Sportivo's rear seat back is fixed thanks to extra bulkhead bracing behind the seat to improve body rigidity.

The Sportivo benefits from the new Camry's longer wheelbase and wider track. Together with a much-improved suspension, Toyota has finally delivered a car with solid handling.

The Sportivo gets firmer springs and dampers with the end result being that you can push this car reasonably hard through a corner and it remains very well controlled with a flat and stable stance. Indeed, there is plenty of grip from the 215/55 section tyres and, in stark contrast to the previous generation car, the steering offers quite a degree of feedback. It is precise enough to ensure the car follows your directional instructions with clarity.

At the same time, there is still enough compliance in the suspension to ensure a comfortable, if firm, ride. Few surfaces on our test loop were able to upset the quiet and calm ambience inside the cabin.

But the driveline let's this car down. Largely a carry-over from the previous gen, the 117kW/218Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is capable and reasonably strong off the line but when asked to work hard through hilly, twisty country roads, it feels the substantial weight (1475kg) of the new car. As a result frequent shifts of the slightly clunky five-speed manual gearbox are required and there is a need to push the engine higher into the rev band to make progress. It's here where it starts to feel and sound a little harsh.

In performance terms, it's adequate but not up to the standard set by cars like Honda's Accord Euro and Mazda6 with which the Sportivo competes.

From a visual and dynamic perspective, the Camry Sportivo does at last add some excitement to the Camry's cardigan image. Alas it still needs a better drivetrain to effectively challenge its sporty, mid-sized sedan rivals.

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