Buying the updated Toyota Camry 2022: a "fat" version for reasonable money

Live sales of the redesigned Toyota Camry business sedan have started in Europe. We'll tell you what to look for when choosing this car, and help you to choose a "fat" set for a reasonable price.

Toyota

The pricing and equipment packages for the redesigned Camry were revealed by Toyota's European office a month before the car went on sale. Now the business sedan has started showing up at the brand's dealerships. Now's the time to buy - there's a good chance you won't have to wait for a pre-ordered car!

What did restyling of Toyota Camry bring

Toyota Camry has long ago cemented the rank of the trendsetter in the segment of "people's" business sedans in our country. Buyers should hardly be surprised with modest changes brought in the model of the eighth generation with a restyling. The best, as they say, is an enemy of the good. Externally the updated Camry can be distinguished from the old one by slightly modified bumpers, new grille and wheel disks with new design. New colours in body paint blue and metallic red are also offered.

The facelift for our Toyota Camry was similar to the sedan variants for other markets - the US, Japan, China and Europe: the model received C-shaped inserts in the front bumper. Already in base the sedan is equipped with 17-inch wheels instead of 16-inch. In the top version the size of the wheels remains the same - 18 inches.

Modernization of the interior was as insignificant. The main innovation is the tablet-shaped screen of the multimedia system above the front panel. Support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto appeared. The central air vents have been moved down. In the basic version the infotainment system still has a 7-inch screen, the older versions get a 9-inch display instead of the previous 8-inch one.

Much more appreciable novelty became appearance of GR Sport on the domestic market, replacing the disguised S-Edition. There are no essential external differences from this modification: the version differs by a special badge, moldings, spoiler, bumper moldings with red accents, and also bodies of mirrors, discs and a black roof. There are also "transparent" taillights. The main thing the GR modification will please its owner with is a choice of driving modes (Eco, Normal and Sport).

On the updated business sedan the role of the starting engine is given to a modest 2.0-liter petrol unit M20A-FKS rated at 150 hp (206 Nm) with combined injection. It is combined with the new for our Camry Variator Direct Shift CVT. Replacement of the former atmospheric engine 6AR-FSE may be considered as justified - the torque has risen by 14 Nm, and the main thing, now even base Camry has become dynamical: acceleration from 0 to a hundred takes not 11, but 9,5 seconds. Not a cannon, but also not a failure! It is not a shame to take it!

The middle 2.5-liter gasoline engine is new on our market now too - with a combined injection. Instead of the old 2AR-FE engine with the same displacement came A25A-FKS with 200 hp and 243 Nm of torque. This engine is combined only with the 8-speed classical "automatic transmission". Changes, by the way, are significant: an increase in power - 19 hp, torque - 12 Nm, dispensing dynamics - minus 1.2 seconds (from 0 to 100 km/h for 8.7 seconds).

Both the base 2.0-litre and mid-range 2.5-litre engines have reduced fuel consumption. Now, in the combined cycle, business sedan consumes 6 and 6.8 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers, respectively, compared with 7.1 and 8.3 litres in the restyled Camry. There is still the same 3.5-liter V6 2GR-FKS rated at 249 hp (356 Nm) in tandem with 8-speed automatic. This petrol "heart" accelerates top business sedan from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.7 seconds. The claimed top speed is 220 km/h.

The former 6-speed automatic 'automatic' is no longer available to buyers of Toyota Camry. It's for the best: no one will be sad about them.

Options and prices

The updated Toyota Camry has added to its price: previously it was possible to buy a business sedan in the market for 23 000-24 000 USD, but now it costs 25 000 – 26 000 USD. Plus 53 and 94 thousand roubles in base and top versions respectively. Considering the scale of the upgrade, the rise in price is insignificant. A total of 11 sedan versions are offered to the buyers, as before - the choice is more than good!

Why did we find the price increase insignificant? Simple: the top versions of the Camry are now offered to buyers with the Connected Services telematics system, which allows controlling a number of car functions from a smartphone. Now there is a system for avoiding front collisions, a lane-keeping system, adaptive cruise control, and even road sign detection.

The most basic Camry in the Standard version (available exclusively with the base 2.0-litre engine) includes front airbags, curtain airbags and side front airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, directional stability system, anti-skid system, hill start assist, Fully LED headlights, electronic parking brake, power windows and mirrors, light sensor, button start system, heated front seats, mirrors and windshield wiper, dual-zone climate, multimedia with six speakers, support for Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto, alarm system and immobilizer. Not bad, considering the features and the relatively affordable price of 1,846,000 roubles.

Having paid 87,000 roubles more, one can get Standard Plus configuration, which, apart from the listed, will include an auto-dimming interior mirror, leather steering wheel, rain sensor, front and rear parking sensors, rear-view camera. A car with this configuration with a 2.5-liter engine costs 22 000 dollars.

The new Camry with a base power unit is priced at 24500 doolars in the Classic configuration, and 25 100 USD with an intermediate one. The version implies leather interior, cruise control, electric drive of front seats, including electric drive of driver's lumbar support. Just such complete set with the second oldest power-unit it is quite possible to name an optimum choice.

In my opinion, the 2,0-liter engine even in updated variant is not too suitable for such "barge" as Camry. As to a complete set, this model already in the base has all necessary minimum. Perhaps, it is possible to name the optimum version Classic with a 2,5-liter engine. It has "leather", electric seats and "cruise". It looks well, drives well, and a complete set cannot be called poor. It is the worthy choice!

If the listed set of equipment will not seem enough to you, you should turn your eyes to Elegance modification - from 2,257,000 roubles - with 2,5 litres engine. Here there are headlight washers, keyless access, heated rear seats and windscreen, steering wheel and washer jets.

The next version, the GR Sport, is available with both the 2.5-litre and 3.5-litre engines, priced from 2,371,000 and from 2,669,000 roubles respectively. In addition to the 18-inch 'alloys' and the design attributes already mentioned, there is an advanced JBL multimedia.

Finally, there are two more options for 2.5-liter engine called Prestige Safety (from 22 000 USD) and Suite Safety (from 23 200 doolars), which imply the presence of refined Safety Sense complex, adaptive cruise control, road sign detection system, navigation system and much more.

The richest set Executive Safety is available only with the top power unit. It even has ventilation of front seats, solar curtains of rear doors and a curtain on rear window with electric drive, electric drive of rear seats, memory of front seats' settings, a three-zoned climate and many other things. This modification really can be named a business sedan without any stretching. But is it worth the declared 24 700 USD? A big question!

What do the competitors offer?

It is hardly worth chasing after top versions in a case of a Camry. We recommend taking the above mentioned 2,5 litre Classic version with a price tag starting from 26 000 USD as a starting point.

Kia .

For 25 800 USD, it is possible to take, for example, quite good alternative in the form of recently released on the domestic market Kia K5 - in a complete set Style. For this money you get a more interesting-looking car equipped with a 2.5-liter capacity petrol engine with 194 h.p. on 8-speed automatic transmission. In driving properties "Korean" will not concede to "Japanese" in anything, and its equipment will be more interesting: here to you and 18-inch "alloy wheels", and keyless entry, rain and light sensors, electric driver's seat, navigation and BOSE audio system. Worth a closer look!

Buying the redesigned Toyota Camry: a 'fat' version for a reasonable price