Toyota Camry

We Say: Toyota Has Redone Their Most Luxurious Sedan In A Quest To Make It Even More Luxurious. Have They Succeeded?

- Agasti Kaulgi

India is probably one of the biggest markets for chauffeur-driven cars. With affordable labour and road conditions and traffic at its worst, it seems practical to have someone drive you while you enjoy the comforts of the back seat. And that’s exactly what has driven European carmakers to get their long wheelbase models to India. But while the Europeans are busy doing that, Toyota has been quietly – without making much fuss – getting the Camry off the showroom floor, appealing to those who prefer the back seat. The numbers aren’t shattering, but it has been consistent over the years.

Globally, the Camry has been an outright success and has sold more in numbers than most other cars you can think of. Now, in 2019, it’s in its eighth generation and the engineers have rethought almost the entire car – including the drive train, platform and design. This Camry is based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) that focuses on increasing torsional rigidity and uses materials that are strong and light at the same time. The Camry, even in its previous form, was a fairly large sedan, and this time, too, it has grown to free up more space in the cabin. It is 35mm longer and 15mm wider than the car it replaces and despite the larger dimensions, the increase in weight is only nominal. The engineers at Toyota have pulled the wheels as far apart as they could to increase usable space in the cabin. To put it in numbers, the wheelbase has gone up by 50mm.