Extra equipment and fewer emissions will keep Toyota’s fleet favourite on track.

AN equipment update and engine tuning amendments that leave outputs unchanged but ensure compliance with a new emissions standard hitting Australia, where the cars are built, are the salient incoming changes for Toyota’s Aurion and fleet-favoured Camry.

Potential for price changes associating with revisions that could well be the last tweaks to the model lines ahead of next year’s plant closure are not yet known. Toyota New Zealand does plan to release its prices until July 1 as the cars do not go on sale until next month.

TNZ will continue to front with seven Camry editions but has reduced the Aurion count to two models, having kept the AT-X and Sportivo ZR6 and dropped the Sportivo SX6.

The Palmerson North distributor cites the emissions update to meet Euro 5 as being the key change for all the cars, however it also believes the addition of what it terming “more convenient technology” plus some and exterior refinements will also appeal.

The car that appears to have undergone the singlemost change is a Camry. The Atara SX picks up satellite navigation, a larger 7.0-inch touchscreen with expanded Toyota Link connectivity features, a new JBL premium sound system and digital radio. It also takes new 18-inch alloy wheels, a power rear sunshade, a rear bumper diffuser and red inserts on the lower edge of the grille. These changes have bumped up the price by around $2000 in its home market but TNZ has not indicated whether the same impact will occur here.

At the moment, it prefers to talk about the positives of the emissions update.

“Meeting the EURO5 emissions standard is a positive development for Camry allowing it to align with the needs of key business, fleet and private buyers,” said general manager of product Spencer Morris.

Other changes include introduction of a new colour, Cherry across all Camry models and the Aurion Sportivo ZR6 (seen here). Atara derivatives get front clearance sensors, while the Atara SL Hybrid gains the added benefit of a QI wireless device charger.

Atara petrol models also get paddle shifters, the reversing camera now includes guidelines and some derivatives have a full colour 4.2-inch thin film transistor multi-information display

All Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion models now come with ISOFIX fittings for the outer rear seats to improve child car seat installation.

The Aurion ZR6 features new black alloy wheels and the steering wheel and gear shift lever on the AT-X are now leather covered. The driver’s electric seat adjustment and drivers outside mirror on the ZR6 now have a memory mode.

Other changes to the Aurion include LED fog lights, LED low beam and Halogen high beam headlights with automatic levelling on the ZR6. The ZR6 also gets reverse tilt for the driver’s outside mirror. Added safety equipment on the ZR6 extends to a blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert.

The 2.5-litre petrol engined Camry has an overall fuel consumption of 7.9-litres per 100kms with emissions of 183 grams per kilometre, while the Camry Hybrid features a four cylinder 2.5-litre engine which operates in conjunction with an electric motor for a combined consumption of 5.2 litres/100 kms and 121 g/km.

The final Australian-built Camry launched mid last year and the last examples re expected to roll off the production line at Altona, near Melbourne, sometime late in 2017. Toyota has yet to specify a closure date but it is possible it might chose to wait until after Holden shuts up shop in October of next year, to earn the status (and dubious honour) of being Australia’s final car-assembler.