The Toyota Camry XV70 is the main car bestseller of 2019. As usual, all the journalists talk about the model's incredible technological breakthrough, its aesthetics, quality and the like. In fact, there are a lot of questions and complaints about the new Camry that fans of the model overlook.
A bit of history
The Camry first became a household name with the advent of the Model 30. Until now, this body is the benchmark of incredible reliability, high build quality, and mature style. Now few people pay attention to it, as for 2019 "thirty" looks like a pensioner. The next generation is another matter...
Camry XV40 still does not lose its relevance, only in the secondary market. By right it is the last series, which can be described by the word "reliability". Especially relevant is the version with a 3.5 engine, as it is a combination of all the best in the car, when the dynamic characteristics are emphasized by easy rollability and stability at any speed. The next generation, frankly speaking, has failed. Here the model has evidently rolled back in all parameters, including quality of assemblage, body's firmness to corrosion, reliability of automatic transmission. Even restyling of the model under the index "55" did not help to increase sales. I should note that the popularity of Camry 55 in Ukraine has incredibly increased because they are imported from America. For the US market they make completely different cars, surpassing the European brothers in all points. "The American cars are equipped with reliable automatic transmissions, which has always been a sore point of the Camry with a powerful engine. The interior trim materials are lacking in sound, and this is only a small list.
The time has come for a completely new generation, which should cause a furore with its appearance, as the "forty" caused in its time. Let's analyze in detail.
Appearance
There is no doubt, XV 70 looks aggressive and provocative. Lines of the body have been smoothed, as the previous version was too "square". By the way, Camry also stuck to the trend in terms of design of the rear end, where the sedan looks like a liftback (for example, a competitor of Kia Stinger). The front of the body attracts attention with a huge trapezoidal grille and narrowed headlights. The sharp corners of the grille and optics make it clear that this is a business sedan with a spark, but about that later. In profile, if to close the front and back parts, it is the same "fifty", only in new plastic.
Speaking of headlights: the front lights are equipped with a lens and led strips of lights, the number of which depends on the configuration, which is already alarming.
Interior
Now the interior in the car is no longer boring, as it was betrayed by bold lines. Trunk trim is combined in two colors, framed by a chrome strip and inserts like wood. The trim materials are soft, but on the road they will all play up the ensemble with their rattling. The driver's seat is well-calculated in terms of ergonomics. The instrument panel is perfectly readable, all the necessary information is displayed in front of the driver's eyes. The thickness of the steering wheel is pleasant, but a large number of buttons on the steering wheel is troublesome, until you remember which button is which, moreover their dense arrangement to each other only increases the process of getting acquainted. The multimedia system and the climate control unit are located in the middle of the steering wheel. A large multimedia display has a touch screen, though there are a lot of buttons and "twiddles" around it, which one would not like to see in the car. The glovebox deserves separate attention. Recall the price of the car and the fact that the glovebox has no door closer, which means that its opening and closing will be accompanied by rattling of cheap plastic.
Search for "innovations" under the hood
For the ukrainian market the car is offered with a 2.0 engine for 150 "horses" and 2.5 for 180 hp, and the most beloved V6 3.5 for 249 horsepower. All the engines are from the times of the 40th model. The only difference is the updated firmware, which is directed only on decrease of toxicity of exhaust, but for the American market the 2.5 engine of completely new generation was installed. It's consolation that the V6 is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission to make up for the lack of capacity. Let's return to the appearance: the dimensions of the car are impressive, the style brightly expresses aspiration of Camry 70 to be faster than the stream, but 10 seconds up to 100 km/h puts everything in its places. It is possible to reach acceleration in 7.7 seconds only with 249-powered motor, and it is possible thanks to a modern transmission.
By the way, under-hood space is doomed to be dirty forever now. Where did it come from? Engineers have created a new front suspension, but did not foresee that through a big opening of front glasses, water and mud will flood under-hood. An experiment was made, where they held a hose with water under pressure just under the shock absorber cup, and the result of the experiment is that water gushed out from under the cup. And installation of the control unit near the left cup, and even on one flimsy bracket will lead to the fact that the passage of a large puddle will end with a trip to the tow truck, if not a fire.
Let's go for a ride
You should not expect any surprises here. Unlike the previous generations, the new model is created only for ideal autobahns. Low clearance and rigid suspension make the whole car rattle while driving on domestic roads, and to pass potholes and potholes with increased care. In the cold the knocking, coming from the front suspension, which is another "factory feature" is noticed.
Let's sum up
Frankly speaking, the new Camry has not been developed at all. There are too many flaws, which catch the eye when examining the car and its operation in detail. But people will still buy Camry 70 just because 30 and 40 series have established its name as a reliable model. It's a shame that at a considerable cost (from 33,000 ue), the car has a lot of blunders and imprints of cheapness that the American version doesn't have. Hopefully, when the new model is restyled, all the nuances will be corrected and the Toyota Camry XV 70 will be a proud continuator of the best Camry traditions.
