Toyota Rolls Out the New Camry and Camry Hybrid
09 January 2006
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| The new Camry Hybrid |
Toyota introduced the redesigned sixth-generation 2007 Camry, including the new hybrid version, at the Detroit auto show, beginning what Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations Don Esmond called “the biggest launch we’ve had in our nearly 50 years of existence.”
In completely redesigning the Camry—the best-selling car in the US for eight of the last nine years—Toyota engineers opted for enhanced performance and style, shooting for a athletic, energetic image. Camry buyers, Toyota executives explained, felt that the car was too “ordinary.”
The new baseline engine is an enhanced version of the older 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The redesign includes optimized intake and exhaust systems, as well as reduced internal friction and enhanced engine-block/crankcase rigidity to improve fuel economy and reduce noise and vibration. Power output has very incrementally increased to 158 hp (118 kW) from 154 hp (115 kW), and torque to 218 Nm from 217 Nm, while maintaining the 24 mpg city/34 mpg highway (28 mpg combined) rating of the 2006 Camry.
For the new, high-end SE Camry, Toyota introduced a 3.5-liter, 268 hp (200 kW), 336 Nm V6, designed to deliver up to 40% better acceleration than the 2006 model year 3.3-liter V6. Dual camshafts in the 3.5-liter engine employ dual variable valve timing with intelligence (Dual VVT-i) for optimal cam timing and maximum power production at all rpm levels.
The high-end engine is coupled with an all-new six-speed automatic transmission that uses 21% fewer parts than its 5-speed predecessor.
Estimated fuel economy with the new powertrain is 22 city, 31 highway (25.3 mpg combined)—a 5% improvement over the 24 mpg combined of the 3.3-liter 2006 Camry while delivering 28% more power.
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| Under the hood of the Camry Hybrid. |
The Camry Hybrid uses a lower-power (147 hp/110 kW), lower-torque (187 Nm) 2.4-liter Atkinson-cycle engine coupled to a continuously variable transmission. The second half of this newest version of the Hybrid Synergy Drive is a 105-kw electric motor with 199 lb-ft of torque, an ultra-small inverter with a specially designed compact battery, and a transaxle. The hybrid uses a 244.8-volt NiMH battery pack.
The result is a combined 192 hp (143 kW) from the hybrid system with 275 Nm of torque, with estimated fuel economy for the hybrid of 43 mpg US city, 37 mpg US highway (40 mpg US combined).
Toyota expects to have the non-hybrid Camrys in showrooms in March, with the Camry Hybrid to follow several months later.
| 2007 Camry Hybrid vs. 2006 Prius | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Camry Hybrid | 2006 Prius | ||
| Gasoline engine | 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder | 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder | |
| Displacement | 2,352 cc | 1,497 cc | |
| Valve Train | Twin-cam, 4 valve/cyl w/ VVT-i | 4-valve/cyl w/ VVT-i | |
| Engine Power | 147 hp (110 kW) @ 4,000rpm | 76 hp (57 kW) @ 5,000 rpm | |
| Engine Torque | 187 Nm @ 4,000 rpm | 111 Nm @ 4,200 rpm | |
| Emissions | AT-PZEV | AT-PZEV | |
| Motor type | Permanent Magnet Synchronous | Permanent Magnet Synchronous | |
| Motor Output | 105 kW/4,500 rpm | 50 kW/1,200–1,540 rpm | |
| Motor Torque | 199 lb-ft @ 0–1,500 rpm | 295 lb-ft @ 0–1,200 rpm | |
| Battery type | NiMH | NiMH | |
| Nominal voltage | 244.8V (204 cells, 1.2V/cell) | 201.6V (168 cells, 1.2V/cell) | |
| Transmission | E-CVT | E-CVT | |
| Capacity | 6.5 ampere hour | 6.5 ampere hour | |
| Battery peak horsepower rating | 45 hp | 28 hp | |
| System voltage | 650 volts max | 500 volts max | |
| Combined System Net Power | 192 hp (143 kW) | 110 hp (82 kW) | |
| Coefficient of drag | 0.27 | 0.26 | |
| Curb weight | 3,367 lbs (1,527 kg) | 2,890 lbs (1,311 kg) | |
| Fuel Economy | city/highway/combined 43/37/40 |
city/highway/combined 60/51/55 | |
| Fuel consumption (combined) | 5.9 l/100km | 4.3 l/100km | |
Any insight on the price differential between the models?
Posted by: stomv | 09 January 2006 at 01:54 PM
"Pricing to be announced later." So, unfortunately, no.
Posted by: Mike | 09 January 2006 at 02:09 PM
40 mpg combined isn't bad, but I'd gladly accept lower hp/kw for more fuel efficiency. 45 mpg should have been achieved.
Posted by: cs1992 | 09 January 2006 at 03:15 PM
I too wish they'd kept the overall power the same as the 4 cylinder with better gas mileage. What they've done is impressive but wish there were more options for those of us whose main priority is gas mileage.
Posted by: t | 09 January 2006 at 03:39 PM
Looks like the press release which I quoted over a month ago was accurate in every sense... Mike GR where are you?
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/12/toyota_teaser_c.html
Posted by: Justin | 09 January 2006 at 03:47 PM
I can't believe people are still complaning about too much HP. If you want less HP, just buy a smaller car. You'll probably save some money in the process.
Posted by: Justin | 09 January 2006 at 03:48 PM
"If you want less HP, buy a smaller car"...
Unfortunately, the automakers don't seem to be providing better fuel economy with lower HP:
- the lower-powered subcompact Yaris gets slightly worse hwy fuel economy than the higher-powered Corolla
- the subcompact Chevy Aveo is shockingly thirsty for its size, and gets the same combined EPA rating as a larger Chev Cobalt sedan
- the upcoming subcompact Honda Fit gets similar mileage to the Civic compact (for this car I'm repeating what I've read elsewhere; I haven't actually seen the numbers)
The automakers have dropped the ball on efficiency with this latest wave of small cars.
Posted by: MetroMPG | 09 January 2006 at 04:19 PM
If you want better fuel economy with lower HP, no sweat: buy a Prius.
Posted by: richard schumacher | 09 January 2006 at 04:28 PM
"Unfortunately, the automakers don't seem to be providing better fuel economy with lower HP:"
Nissan Versa CVT is rated at 38mpg combined city and highway.
Posted by: Justin | 09 January 2006 at 04:42 PM
The European news show, Journal, tonight reported a stronger Daimler-Chrysler showing on rumors that they may be selling off their ailing Smart car division.
Posted by: Donal Fagan | 09 January 2006 at 05:02 PM
I really like the exterior styling of the Prius (and this new Camry) but I HATE the interior styling of the Prius. I would have though Toyota would have gone with tha V6 for the hybrid camry seeing as they already have the Prius but I'm glad they went with the four cylinder. I think they played it right with the Camry hybrid, if they lowered the hp to improve the mpg it might compete even more with the Prius. The added hp of the hybrid over the 4 cylinder (and non-funky styling) should attract new hybrid buyers...I'm thinking old people who LOVE the camry but don't want futuristic styling and a funky interior like the prius, and won't mind spending a little more coin (that they usually have) for a little more hp and a little more milage.
Posted by: Eric | 09 January 2006 at 05:07 PM
According to our green vehicle guide the combined rating for the Honda Jazz (Fit) and Civic are
Jazz GLi 5.7 l/100km (41 MPG)
Civic GLi 7.5 l/100km (31 MPG)
The Jazz is quite a bit better however we do not do the city/highway test anymore here. Australia now uses the standard combined test
Figures from http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au
BTW the Honda Jazz is a great car. I was going to buy one at one stage and they drive well and have heaps of interior room.
Posted by: Ender | 09 January 2006 at 07:42 PM
Some things that can be easily overlooked. Toyota Camry Hybrid (TCH) is not in the same performance league as Jazz or Civic. I think 192 hp Camry hybrid will perfrom like the V6 3.5l brother. Here is how I derived to that conjecture.
Hybrid Synergy Drive delivers power with almost perfectly flat torque (as seen in Prius) curve. The maximum power seems lower due to no peaks and hence no valleys. Power delivery is instant and consistant. For example, Prius is 1.5 to 2 seconds faster than 06 Civic hybrid with the same 110 hp rated peak.
110 hp Prius actually performs like a 154 hp traditional car (comparing to Toyota Allion CVT). This makes effective power peak 1.4 times lower. So, 192 hp Camry hybrid would perform like 269 hp (192x1.4) traditional car. This puts it in the V6 3.5 league. In any case, TCH should definately be faster than 06' V6 3.3 while getting 40mpg!
Posted by: usbseawolf2000 | 09 January 2006 at 10:09 PM
If a TCH is trying to out accelerate a V6 it'll get less than 35mpg, BUT...I know what you mean :P
Posted by: Eric | 09 January 2006 at 11:46 PM
I'm a little slow on this one but I bet one of the main reasons why Toyota didn't make the Camry hybrid a V6 is because they don't want it competing with it's own Lexus ES330. Sure the cars would still have their differences but surely they wouldn't want a Camry with more horsepower than their Lexus ES330, and a Camry hybrid V6 would be getting close to the ES330's price tag. Maybe Toyota is saving the V6 hybrid for the ES330? Isn't the V6 in the ES330 pretty similar to the 3.3L found in the current Highlander Hybrid? Maybe the next generation Lexus ES/RX and next generation Highlander will get this same new 3.5L V6 with available hybrid powertrain....
Posted by: Eric | 09 January 2006 at 11:54 PM
A 4-cyl Camry Hybrid meets my requirements. Buyers who want more fuel economy can go for the Prius and those who wnat more power and ... can buy the Lexus Hybrid. A very wise marketing decision from Toyota. No wonder they will be in first place before year end.
Posted by: Harvey D | 10 January 2006 at 07:11 AM
It's foolish to compare the Prius to the hybrid Camry, they aren't the same market niche. Remove that irrelivant Prius nonsense and put the stats to the Accord hybrid up there. Much more reasonable comparison as far as 2 cars people will be looking to decide from.
Next you'll be comparing a Yugo to a Viper. :P
Posted by: Ash | 10 January 2006 at 07:24 AM
You obviously didn't read the earlier posts. They're not comparing the Prius and Camry, merely explaining that Toyota designed the TCH so that it wouldn't compete with the Pruis for market share.
Posted by: Tripp Bisop | 10 January 2006 at 08:18 AM
Not so fast on the Accord vs. Camary. The Accord would be faster but the Camary has better MPG. The Accord for me is a less usable car however. Honda chose to put the batterys for the hybrid system behind the rear seat thus the seat will not fold. Toyota retained a 60/40 split folding seat. As to those asking for lower power and better MPG I say this is designed to be a family sedan that can do it all including crusing at highway speed with people and luggage, if the engine were smaller it might run into trouble on a long uphill.
Posted by: Tim Russell | 10 January 2006 at 08:28 AM
"Toyota retained a 60/40 split folding seat."
No they didn't. The Camry hybrid has a fixed rear seat and slightly less trunk space.
Posted by: Justin | 10 January 2006 at 10:55 AM
"The Accord would be faster but the Camary has better MPG."
You sure about that? If Camry hybrid performs like a 269 hp traditional car (see above explanation), it will be faster than 255 hp Accord hybrid.
Camry hybrid will also get better mpg and cleaner (AT-PZEV vs. ULEV-II) for the environment. Camry hybrid would also qualify for more tax credit.
Posted by: usbseawolf2000 | 10 January 2006 at 03:35 PM
I think the Camry hybrid is a slam dunk. Its above the Prius in size and power and has great economy FOR ITS SIZE. I was worried Toyota would go more mild on the Camry hybrid like the Accord, I am glad they went for a FULL hybrid. The electric motor is larger then the Prius and sized well for the Camry. Unless its overpriced I see this being a big hit. Far more of a hit then the Accord Hybrid. I LOVE the 600 mile range. 40 mpg combined for this size is excellent.
Posted by: hampden wireless | 10 January 2006 at 09:19 PM
My next car, when we move back to CA...
Posted by: Nick | 10 January 2006 at 10:24 PM
Justin please read below. It is Honda with the smaller trunk and no folding seat.
"In addition to its groundbreaking Hybrid Synergy Drive, Camry Hybrid comes with a long list of standard features. These include a tire-pressure monitoring system, halogen headlamps with automatic on/off, a premium JBL audio system with an auxiliary audio jack and Bluetooth® technology, cruise control, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control heating and air conditioning, an eight-way-adjustable power driver’s seat, a 60/40 split fold-down rear seat, 16-inch aluminum wheels, heated outside rear-view mirrors and much more."
Source http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/01/2007_toyota_cam_2.php
Posted by: Tim Russell | 11 January 2006 at 07:56 AM
The HAH does 0-60 in what.. 7.5 secs? 7? The TCH is expected to be under 8 secs. I think they made a good choice with a 4 cylinder HSD Camry. It's for those who want V6 power but find the 3.5 litre excessive. It also falls nicely between the 158hp 4 and 268hp V6 thus minimising the power difference. It's also priced in between too. The Car Connection said that it won't be the most expensive Camry (so I take that to be priced below an XLE V6). I tested the HAH and found no power difference between that and the EX V6.
Posted by: anon | 11 January 2006 at 12:05 PM