Toyota’s worst-selling passenger vehicle is one of the best. Why?

Price: SX $47,290, ZR $51,290.
Powertrain and economy: 2.5-litre Atkinson Cycle petrol engine mated to dual electric motors, total output 160kW, torque figures not published. Official economy 4.2-4.7 L/100km, CO2 96-107 g/km.
Vital statistics: 4905mm long, 1445mm high, 1840mm wide, 2825mm wheelbase; luggage space 524 litres.
We like: Good low-slung looks; heaps of interior room and luggage space; accomplished ride and handling; impressive fuel economy.
We don’t like: Has to run on 95 octane petrol; low stance may be an issue for those with bad backs.

IS THIS New Zealand’s most under-rated passenger vehicle?

I think it might be. That’s despite the fact that it offers almost everything expected of a good medium-sized model – plenty of interior room, excellent load space, good looks, and even the environmental benefits that come from being available exclusively with a hybrid powertrain.

But it doesn’t sell particularly well in New Zealand. That’s primarily because it has one thing going against it: it’s a sedan, swimming against an ocean current full of SUVs and utes.

The statistics prove that. Up until the end of August this year 51 percent of all new vehicle sales have been SUVs, with utes taking up another 23 percent. Meanwhile, medium-sized sedans have accounted for a mere 2 percent of total sales.

And the most popular of the medium-sized sedans is the vehicle we’re reviewing – the Toyota Camry. But that’s not saying much, because the Camry is the least popular of Toyota’s entire passenger vehicle fleet. Whereas more than 3500 RAV4 SUVs and more than 2100 Corolla cars have so far been registered this year, with Camry the total is 279.

Ironically, last month Camry was the country’s 12th most popular passenger vehicle, with 94 registrations. But even then, 79 of those sales were to rental car companies. It’ll be interesting to know how many of the remaining 15 Camry sales were to taxi operators, because they love the combination of room, cargo space and hybrid economy these Toyotas offer.

But the same can’t be said of the general motoring public, and quite frankly I can’t understand why.

A mate who always enjoys a spirited discussion on motoring matters reckons it’s because I’m old and I’ve got the numbers mixed up. The year is 2021 not 2012, he tells me. While three-box vehicles might have been popular a few years ago, it’s now the lifestyle-oriented crossovers that rule the proverbial roost.

Sports utilities certainly have plenty going for them. They offer good interior space, the compact and medium versions are easy to get in and out of, those aboard sit up higher, and they offer good visibility. It’s true that there’s a special feeling of security when aboard an SUV that can’t be matched by lower-riding sedans.

But there are downsides. The sheer bulk of SUVs can mean their fuel economy is worse than sedans or hatchbacks, their larger footprint can be a hassle in carparks, they don’t necessarily ride or handle as well, and they are more expensive to buy.

With that as background it is obvious that medium-sized sedans, such as the Camry and Mazda6, are good product well suited to their intended use. It’s just that they’re sedans, and market forces dictate that these days the motoring public wants SUVs. And I think that’s a bit sad.

Anyway, on to the Camry itself. The current generation model has recently undergone a facelift that has seen the selection reduced to just three versions – all of them hybrids. There’s no fleet-oriented conventionally-engined entry model anymore, nor is there a 3.5-litre V6 version. Instead, there are exclusively the hybrids which are offered with base GX, sporty SX and luxury ZR levels of specification.

The Toyota NZ people say this reduction in the Camry selection should be recognised as a positive move, because it represents a step forward in promoting hybrid technology as an important step towards a low-emitting light vehicle fleet. In other words, hybrids such as Camry are vital right now in reducing vehicle CO2 emissions as New Zealand heads towards full availability (and more acceptable cost) of battery electric vehicles.

Says the company’s general manager of new vehicle sales and product planning Steve Prangnell: “We’ve shifted the emphasis to hybrid models within the Camry lineup to bring the benefits of fuel-efficient motoring to more New Zealand drivers.”

Good argument, that. Camry’s petrol-electric powertrain offers a total output of 160 kilowatts of power which is sufficient for excellent performance, yet – depending on the model, and it is all to do with tyre sizes – the official published average fuel consumption is between 4.2 and 4.7 litres per 100km, and CO2 emissions are between 96 and 107 g/km.

Those figures are below those published for the RAV4 SUV, by the way. Just saying…

Mind you, during stints behind the wheels of both the SX and ZR variants I couldn’t get the average consumption below 5.7 L/100km. But, considering that this generation Camry is a big sedan with a length getting close to five metres and with huge room in the rear seats and boot, that’s still excellent consumption.

A major contributor to this low fuel consumption is Camry’s low-slung sedan design. In fact to those used to a diet of higher-riding SUVs, it comes as a bit of a shock to have to plonk yourself down into the vehicle’s seats. But once you are there things are comfortable, and it is then that you notice a major interior change as part of the facelift – the car now has a ‘floating’ touchscreen display that sits above the dash area rather than in it.

Another improvement is the availability of Apple Car Play and Android Auto across the range. In addition, the sports-oriented SX gets paddle shifters, sports front seats, chain link interior ornamentation and two rear USB charge points, while the more premium ZR has new black wood interior ornamentation, front seat heaters, and a flasher JBL audio system with three additional speakers.

The facelift has seen a few exterior changes. The SX and ZR versions I drove both have an American-looking bolder front bumper design with honeycomb grille and blue-hued Toyota logo which tells us it is a hybrid.

The SX gets 19-inch black alloy wheels with 235/40 R19 tyres, a slightly firmer-riding sports suspension, and a rear lip spoiler. Meanwhile the ZR has 18-inch alloys shod with 235/45 R18 tyres to better suit its more premium intent, and it also gets a panoramic roof with a sliding sunroof, and a shark fin antenna.

In truth there’s not a lot that’s new about the hybrid part of the facelifted Camry. Toyota has been a world leader in hybrid technology for years now, and as a result product such as this medium-large performs very well.

While in the early days hybrids such as the Prius and maybe even the first Camry could be criticised for their performance and handling, these days no such criticism can exist – this is an accomplished passenger vehicle.

In the urban environment it is happy to operate on battery power alone when it can, seamlessly asking the 2.5-litre petrol engine to contribute when required. The vehicle has an EV button that allows it to be operated solely on battery power, but this is intended only for very short durations such as quietly gliding up or down a household driveway.

In reality it is hardly worth the effort, because the hybrid system is intelligent enough to work to full efficiency all on its own. Braking and downhill coasting on a trailing throttle is sufficient to keep the car’s lithium-ion battery topped up, and all this leave the driver free to concentrate on what is most important – safely steering the sedan.

And talking about safety, the Camry carries an impressive package of safety specification in what is known as Toyota Safety Sense. Standard items include such things as pedestrian and cyclist detection, intersection turn assist, road sign assist, radar cruise control and curve speed reduction. At the SX level the Camry also gets a blind spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert, while the ZR has a panoramic view monitor.

It all adds up to a very good motoring package, whatever the specification level – and I think it is worthy of being better appreciated by the motoring public. Yes, I know sedans are so 2012 and the year is 2021, but this latest Camry does everything so very well. I’d contend it’s New Zealand’s most under-rated passenger vehicle.