The long-awaited 2021 Toyota Camry has finally been unveiled.
This happened at the 2021 Detroit Auto Show. The new product represents the eighth generation of this model. It will go on sale this summer, although initially only on the US market. As for Russia, we should expect it only at the beginning of 2021, when Russian production of this model will be established. First of all, in appearance, the Toyota Camry began to look much younger and sportier than its predecessor, somewhat reminiscent of an office manager dressed in a suit for an official reception. The new exterior is designed to refresh the somewhat dull appearance of the current version of the model. The new Camry has an updated front end. Along the way, the car was decorated with design elements borrowed from the new Lexus, in particular large lower air intakes and new LED headlights.
At the rear of the Toyota Camry 2021, an oval-shaped block of lights is striking, as well as a miniature spoiler rising above the trunk. The side silhouette of the car also looks new, as it is now formed by smooth lines coupled with sporty, sharp contours. From the side, the silhouette of the car also resembles a Lexus sedan. New proportions and the oval shape of the side windows have affected the appearance of the Camry and now, unlike its predecessor, it is not at all boring. However, the continuity of generations has been preserved and the features of the predecessor are easily discernible.
Handling has been taken to a new level
Toyota Camry 2021 is built on the new global platform Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA). By the way, the new Toyota CH-R SUV, which recently appeared in Europe, also runs on the same cart. What does the new platform provide? An increased wheelbase, which immediately stretched by 5 cm. At the same time, the height of the car decreased by about 4 cm, and this, in turn, made it possible to lower the center of gravity and further increase the space in the cabin.
Especially a lot of it appeared in the driver, whose legs now have complete space. Another win is that the steering column has received an increased range of adjustments. From the point of view of car handling, a significant improvement lies in the fact that the driver will now sit approximately in the same place where the car’s center of gravity is located. According to the engineers, this should significantly enhance the driver's sensations.
The designers did not limit themselves to changing the platform. For better handling, the Toyota Camry 2021 was also strengthened by the body and the rear suspension was reconfigured, which is now double wishbones. All these changes taken together should have a serious impact on handling in the best possible way.
All-wheel drive features
In fact, the Japanese added an electric motor to the initially front-wheel drive chassis, which was installed on the rear axle. It comes into operation at low speeds (up to 10 km/h), making it easier to start, climb uphill or move the car away on a slippery surface.
In other driving modes, the Camry uses the resources of the main power unit - a hybrid, consisting of a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter gasoline engine and an electric “brother”, delivering a total power of 211 horsepower. The characteristics of the electric motor on the rear axle are very modest: 7.2 hp. and 55 Nm of torque, but this is enough to provide adequate traction at minimum speeds.
Placing the electrical equipment above the rear axle resulted in a reduction in luggage compartment volume by almost 10% (to 480 liters). At the same time, car designers increased the ground clearance to 155 mm. (+10 mm.) In addition, since all-wheel drive Camry will mainly be operated in conditions of relatively low air temperatures, it was decided to replace the lithium-ion energy storage device with a nickel-cadmium one. Such a battery will be placed under the rear sofa, and its capacity will be 6.5 Ah. (a 4.0 Ah battery was used on a regular front-wheel drive hybrid).
Power units and transmissions
There is no need to worry about the dynamic capabilities of the new product. Camry received three new power plants at once: a new 3.5-liter V6 with the D4S injection system and a 2.5-liter “four” from the new Dynamic Source Engine line. The only thing that is known about the recoil of the latter is that it will be higher than that of the current engine. More is known about the new V6, as it is already being installed in the new Highlander, where it develops 295 hp. Moreover, there will also be a charged TRD version, which will become an intermediate link between the NASCAR and civilian versions of the Camry. Apparently there will be more than three hundred horses there.
In all cases, the transmission will be an eight-speed automatic. There will also be a third power plant - a hybrid combination of a two-liter naturally aspirated engine and an electric motor. There is no information yet about its performance, however, it is known that this unit will be paired with a CVT and will have a sport mode with an imitation of a six-speed manual transmission. This means that, if desired, the battery charge can be used for intensive acceleration.
If the driver decides to drive in eco mode, then fuel consumption, according to the automaker's promises, will not exceed what the Prius consumes. It is also promised that the new engine mounting system will reduce the level of parasitic vibrations and noise in the cabin, which is also good news.
Stages of creating and modernizing a car
Stage 1
The first acquaintance with the Toyota Camry occurred in the Japanese car market in the early 1980s, but the car was sold under the name Toyota Vista. After a short time, it was already exported to European countries and the United States of America. This car had sedan and hatchback bodies, was equipped with a 2 liter turbodiesel, as well as 1.8 and 2 liter petrol units.
Stage 2
The next stage of development came in 1986, when factories in Australia and the United States of America produced the brand with sedan and universal bodies. The newest configuration contained engines of 1.8–2 liters, a six-cylinder V version of 2.5 liters and power from 82 to 160 horsepower.
Stage 3
The next modification of the Toyota Camry was created by Japanese car factories in the middle of 1990, had a V30 value and was intended exclusively for sales within the country.
The version intended for export had the index XV10, had the same denomination, but was larger in size, weighed heavier and had a different appearance.
In Japan itself, the brand was sold as the Toyota Specter sedan and hardtop. Buyers were offered a car in an all-wheel drive version, equipped with 4-cylinder units of 1.8, 2, 2.2, and a V-shaped engine of 2.3 liters with 6 cylinders.
The 1991 model, demonstrated in America, was produced in sedan, station wagon and coupe versions, equipped with a 2.2-liter engine with a power of 130 hp. With. The most expensive types had V6, 3 liter and 185–190 liter units. With.
Stage 4
In the next branch of modernization, Toyota Camry was divided into a model for Japan and an export version.
For sale in Japan, Camry with the value V40 began production in 1994. The car had a sedan body and retained the hybrid platform with Vista. This brand of car was equipped with a 1.8 and 2 petrol engine and a 2.2 liter turbodiesel. All-wheel drive transmission appeared with 2 and 2.2 liter engines.
Camry with the index XV20 has been presented for export since 1996, including the Russian car market, but in Japan it bore the name Daihatsu Altis and Toyota Camry Grace and did not undergo any technical changes.
Since 1991, the Toyota Camry Solara coupe and convertible have been sold to American car enthusiasts.
Stage 5
Toyota Camry, produced for 6 years, starting in 2001, had a sedan body and became popular in Russia. In our market, the car had the following engines:
- 4, power 152 hp. With. and a four-speed automatic transmission (as an option);
- V6 3.0 and 186 hp. With. (standard).
In the car markets of other countries, a model with 3.3 liters was offered. In Japan itself, the Toyota Camry all-wheel drive had a 2.4 liter engine and an automatic transmission.
Stage 6
At the beginning of 2006, a new generation of Toyota Camry models was presented, and immediately in 2007, the assembly of Camry sedans began at the domestic plant, which is located in the Leningrad region.
The version for Russia was equipped with a 2.4 liter engine. and 167 l. With. in symbiosis with a “mechanical” or “automatic” gearbox. The most expensive brand was equipped with a V-shaped six-cylinder power plant of 3.5 liters, 277 hp. With. and “automatic” in 6 steps.
In the car markets of other countries, other versions of the Camry car were offered:
- 5 l, power 181 l. With. and all-wheel drive;
- 4 l, power 188 l. With. and mechanical parts from a Prius.
A different model was delivered for sale in China and Asia under the Camry brand - a larger Aurion sedan, assembled on the previous platform.
Stage 7
The last step in modernizing the car took place in 2011, its result is an updated Toyota Camry sedan, equipped with one of three engine options (2.0, 2.5, 3.5) and a six-speed automatic transmission. Cars for our car market are assembled at the St. Petersburg plant.
Interior
The car's interior has also been updated with new design solutions. A real cockpit is organized around the driver, and there is maximum free space for the front passenger. The information screen in the instrument panel is 7 inches diagonally, the head-up display is 10 inches, and the central display is 8 inches.
The main innovation in the cabin is the new Toyota Entune 3.0 multimedia system. Toyota Camry 2021 will be the first model to receive this system. At its core, it will resemble the system of the new Lexus, that is, the driver will have navigation and a number of Toyota-approved applications at his disposal.
The main advantage of the new system is the ability to link it to a mobile phone. Thanks to this, you can use your mobile phone to start and warm up your car on a frosty morning without leaving your home. Or open the doors, check the fuel level, close all windows and doors, including the sunroof. By looking at the screen of a mobile phone, the car owner knows when to go for maintenance and whether there are any faults. There is also the possibility of finding out exactly where the car is parked, which can be useful if you are parking near a supermarket. If your child has received a license and is learning to drive your car, then parents will have the opportunity to check whether he is exceeding the speed limit set for him, as well as other information necessary for parental peace of mind.
About security systems
In the American market, the car will be equipped with ten airbags and a standard set, including ABS, ESP and other systems that have already become the standard equipment. Assistants such as active cruise control, collision and pedestrian collision avoidance functions, a head-up display on the windshield, a lane keeping system, blind spot monitoring, automatic high beams and other useful features will be available as options.
We must assume that the changes in the new Camry will appeal to potential buyers of this model. But the prices for the new Toyota Camry 2021 are unknown even for the American market, where the model will go on sale in the summer. Naturally, there is no information about Russian prices for the Japanese new product. We can only remind you that the current Camry in the simplest equipment costs 1.4 million rubles, and in the most expensive – 2.9 million rubles.
Technical characteristics of the power plant and dimensions of the Toyota Camry 2018
- Length: 4915 mm;
- Height: 1480 mm;
- Width: 1825 mm;
- Ground clearance: 160 mm;
- Wheelbase: 2795 mm;
- Engine: petrol, V6, 3.5 liters;
- Power: 295 hp
Vostok Auto
The Toyota automaker introduced the all-wheel drive Camry model in November last year, and this car appeared on the market in the spring of 2020. However, this car is not officially supplied to the Russian Federation, which has become a reason for frustration among many admirers of the Japanese brand.
It is logical to assume that the first winter for the Toyota Camry 3.5 with all-wheel drive will be a real test in real conditions, during which foreign motorists will be able to appreciate the capabilities and effectiveness of the all-wheel drive system, as well as evaluate how necessary such equipment is for a business sedan. All this will allow you to learn about the bonuses offered to motorists by the AWD Camry system.
Let us note the fact that the manufacturing company presented a video showing the dynamics of the Toyota Camry. There is no snow in the video, but there are moments where you can see how the sedan's wheels are slipping.
Testing a car on video begins with checking the performance of the all-wheel drive system when the front wheel pair slips. The car rolls off the rollers mounted under the front wheels without any problems by redirecting engine power to the rear wheels.
After this, the task assigned to the new Toyota Camry 3.5 with all-wheel drive becomes significantly more complicated. The rollers install two opposite wheels on the front and rear axles. In this case, the AWD system is tasked with distributing power not only between the axles of the vehicle, but also on the axles themselves. The video shows that the Japanese sedan copes with such a difficult test quite easily.
At the final stage of testing, the rollers are placed under three wheels of the car so that the only rear wheel remains on clean asphalt. The car was able to get out of this trap, but not without difficulty. The system was unable to immediately push the vehicle onto the asphalt.
Instead, viewers saw a real struggle between AWD and slipping, with the all-wheel drive system emerging victorious by sliding off the roller supports rather than driving over them. And this result did not satisfy all experts.
According to Toyota designers, the all-wheel drive of the new Camry is capable of redirecting up to 50 percent of the torque to the rear axle. The design itself provides for the presence of an electromagnetic clutch, which is responsible for disabling the rear wheels, ensuring extremely economical fuel consumption.
In conclusion, we note the fact that the all-wheel drive version of the Camry is almost 75 kilograms heavier than a similar front-wheel drive sedan. Deliveries of this car to Russia are not planned in the near future. In addition, the manufacturer has already announced an imminent update of the Camry model, without mentioning a modification with all-wheel drive, which gives rise to certain thoughts.
