Users of this 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid is quite a lot. For the Camry Hybrid is America's best-selling 9 of the last 10, but brutal competition with Ford, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen even make significant inroads with their medium entry.
Introduced in 2006 as a 2007 model, it quickly became the second best-selling hybrid in the back of the Prius.
For the first six months of this year, has slipped to eighth, with the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid major gainers.
It seems that for the coming year and beyond camry hybrid car sales will jump into this trend kini.Hal same period in 2012 Camry Hybrid is sure to double sales in the first year to about 50,000 to reclaim the sales rankings.
Introduced in 2006 as a 2007 model, it quickly became the second best-selling hybrid in the back of the Prius.
For the first six months of this year, has slipped to eighth, with the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid major gainers.
It seems that for the coming year and beyond camry hybrid car sales will jump into this trend kini.Hal same period in 2012 Camry Hybrid is sure to double sales in the first year to about 50,000 to reclaim the sales rankings.
Interior
Toyota heeded remarks about the hard, cheap looking interior plastics of
the previous Camry. The 2012 Camry’s cabin is nicely furnished and is
now on par with competitors. Soft-touch plastic on the upper dash is
given an upscale appearance with genuine cloth stitching. Soft textures
are also used on the upper door trim, door and center console armrests
as well as kneepads on either side of the console.
Exclusive interior design touches differentiate the 2012 Camry Hybrid
from other Camry models. The Hybrid’s "metallic-tech grain" trim is a
combination of a black dashboard with brushed-aluminum highlights and
light gray or ivory seat fabrics. Unique to the Hybrid is a three-gauge
instrument cluster with an analog fuel economy gauge plus, a power-flow
display graphically shows energy flow, cruising range and real-time fuel
economy.
Seating is all-day comfortable, and not just in the front row. Camry
seats are kind to the gluteal portions of the anatomy, important in a
car with a fuel range of 650-plus miles. Designers reshaped interior
components to make it more spacious, with big gains in rear seat leg and
hip room.
There’s also more trunk space. The trunk mounted battery pack was
reduced in size and the DC-to-DC converter was moved from the trunk area
to under the hood. That increased cargo room to 13.1 cubic feet, a 2.5
cubic feet gain. For long items, the right rear seatback folds forward.
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More Power And More MPG
The 2012 Camry Hybrid boasts the latest incarnation of Toyota’s Hybrid
Synergy Drive. The hybrid system again teams a four-cylinder engine, a
small high torque electric motor and nickel-metal hydride batteries.
Power continues to be directed to the front wheels through the
transaxle’s continuously variable transmission.
The first half of the Camry Hybrid drivetrain is a new Atkinson-cycle
version of the base Camry’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. (An
Atkinson-cycle engine gives up a little power output in exchange for
improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.) The engine produces 156
horsepower, nine more than the 2.4-liter in the 2011 Camry Hybrid. The
larger displacement and more efficient combustion boosts torque to 156
pound-feet, 16 more than the outgoing model.
Combined power output of the hybrid powertrain is 200 horsepower, a gain
of 13 horsepower compared to the previous version. (Toyota does not
publish a net hybrid torque figure, though it states the electric motor
alone spins out 199 pounds-feet.)
Fuel economy for the previous generation Camry Hybrid—31 mpg city/35
highway/33 combined—was first eclipsed by the Ford Fusion Hybrid and
then Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid. But the 2012 model demonstrates Toyota’s
expertise in gasoline-electric hybrid technology, delivering a 43/39 mpg
EPA fuel economy rating with a combined average of 41 mpg. That’s a
whopping 12 mpg increase in city driving and an impressive gain of 8 mpg
for combined driving cycles, numbers that elevate the Camry Hybrid to
again claim the title of most fuel-efficient midsize sedan.
So, how did the automaker produce a car with more power and more miles per gallon?
Weight is a major nemesis of fuel economy, and engineers cut around 250
pounds from the new hybrid. This includes trimming the size and weight
of the battery pack.
Aerodynamics plays an important role in fuel economy and the 2012 Camry
Hybrid achieves a notable 0.27 coefficient of drag (Cd) wind resistance.
(The Toyota Prius registers 0.25 Cd.) To reach that number, underbody
aerodynamic cladding was strategically placed and, the side-view mirrors
and taillight lenses have integrated small fins that create a buffer
around the car, helping the vehicle to slip through the air. This aero
design trick was culled from Toyota’s Formula One days.
Under the hood, the engine features a roller-rocker type valvetrain and a variable-output oil pump that help reduce internal friction, boosting economy. Another fuel-saving strategy is a water-cooled exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) system. This feature boosts fuel economy by reducing engine pumping losses. Also, accessory drive belts have been eliminated, replaced by electric driven accessories, including the air conditioning compressor, water pump and power steering pump.
Software engineers are credited for helping to increase the mpg numbers by enhancing the hybrid system’s power management; the Hybrid’s electronic sensors precisely determine what blend of gas and electric propulsion best balances power and fuel economy. And finally, Toyota says lower rolling resistance tires also help boost fuel economy.
Exterior
Like the gasoline models, the 2012 Camry Hybrid rides on an all-new
platform, though wheelbase, length, width and height are carried-over
dimensions. The result is a familiar looking vehicle, even though
designers clad the sedan in all-new sheetmetal from bumper to bumper.
Except for those who work at a Toyota dealership, most people when they
see the new car won’t say, "Wow, that’s the new Camry." And surely there
will be a host of auto critics who will berate Toyota for their
conservative redesign, pointing to the Hyundai Sonata with its swoopy
lines and sharp creases. But their livelihood isn’t dependent on Camry
sales.
Toyota says that 50 percent of new Camry buyers will be current Camry
owners. With a projected 360,000 first year sales—50,000 hybrids—the
automaker wisely won’t risk alienating that many loyal customers with
polarizing styling.
Granted, this seventh-generation Camry’s sheetmetal clothing bears more
than just a little kinship to the previous model, the styling, while not
stirring or striking, is clean, handsome and safe.
The most noteworthy change is up front where a new chrome grille sweeps
upward to a refreshed headlight design. Below, an expansive air inlet is
flanked by trapezoidal chrome fog light recesses. The design fools the
eye and gives the impression of greater width. In the rear, chrome
taillight accents were discarded and replaced by a more curved design
that wraps into the rear side panels and extends into the trunk.
There is little to distinguish the Camry Hybrid from the gasoline
models. Small hybrid badges adorn the front fenders and trunk. The front
Toyota emblem has a blue background rather than black, borrowing a
design element from the Prius.
The Competition
Comparing the Camry Hybrid with the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Hyundai
Sonata Hybrid reveals the competition between the three is fierce. The
Camry’s base price is $25,900, the Sonata stickers for $25,795 and the
Fusion is priced at $28,600. But at the pump, the Camry is the clear
winner, besting the Sonata’s city fuel economy by 8 mpg and the Fusion
by 2 mpg.
New hybrid car buyers with no attachments to a brand will have to spend
some time to determine which of the above three is right for them. For
Toyota devotees, however, it is pretty much a no brainer: The 2012 Camry
Hybrid offers plenty of power, an excellent interior, loads of
features, enough room for five adult and then there’s that fuel economy.
The 2012 Camry will most likely again be the top selling car in the U.S.
But when the numbers are tallied, don’t be surprised if the Camry
Hybrid racks up a total way beyond the 50,000 the automaker is
projecting.
Prices are Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) at time of
writing and do not include destination charges, taxes or licensing.
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