MOTORING REVIEW: Toyota’s Camry adds special Platinum Edition

TOYOTA reintroduced its Camry saloon car to our shores in 2019 after a fourteen year absence from 2004 when diesel was king and Camry lost out as it was only offered with a petrol powertrain. It is now available solely as a self charging hybrid which means it can drive in zero emissions mode for around 50pc of the time making it ideal for city driving - or even more depending on where and how you drive it. Camry was a stalwart on our roads for decades. A traditional type family car that will suit buyers looking for an alternative to a Crossover or a premium SUV.

The model is not a big seller here with just 179 units sold to date this year. But I bet those customers who purchased are happy and contented owners. Perhaps the mildly updated version that went on sale here earlier this year will change all that - given all it has to offer including very good build quality, a spacious and luxurious layout and lots of user-friendly technology, not to mention its very good drivability and competitive price.

This is an elegant and sleek looking motor that would look good in an executive car park beside more premium models.

The spacious and quite lovely interior includes beautiful leather seats which are also so comfortable especially for long journeys. Front ones have power adjustments including lumbar controls and can be heated and ventilated and there’s a memory function on the driver’s seat. Customers have a choice of black or beige leather upholstery. I r recommend the beige.

While there’s big legroom in the rear, very tall people seated there may feel the need for some extra headroom. Fit and finish are of a very high degree with some dark wood and lots of Piano black trim and satin chrome. The leather steering wheel is fitted with rake and reach and paddle shifts.

A 9-inch stand alone central touchscreen provides all the relevant information you require, but graphics look dated compared to most of the competition which includes the Skoda Superb. You get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The screen turns into a high definition reversing camera and you can also see a bird’s eye view of your parked car as well as the surrounding front area with the panoramic view monitor, which is a great safety feature.

Thankfully, there are traditional type controls for heating and ventilation.

Boot space is a very decent 524 litres. Cubbies include a lockable glovebox and very good door bins.

This is a refined and comfortable car to drive with very decent acceleration capable of a 0-100km/h time of 8.0 secs. The 2.5 218hp hybrid powertrain with e-CVT (2WD) automatic transmission and 221Nm torque, we already know from the RAV4 SUV. Camry is a very economical car for both short and long trips. In my case, the trip computer registered a 5.7 L/100kms return (50 mpg), close to the official combined figure of 5.5 L/100kms (51 mpg). That said, I didn’t do much town or city driving that would boost regeneration of the battery. Annual road tax is €200.

Grades are Sol and Platinum Edition. Both come extremely well specced with useful features.

Sol grade gets 17-inch alloy wheels, parking sensors, LED headlights and front fog lights, even headlamp cleaners, rear view camera, power and heated door mirrors, dual zone climate control and an EV percentage monitor and USB ports.

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Besides some features already mentioned, the Platinum Edition adds larger 18-inch alloys, smart entry, rear privacy glass, blind spot monitor, front and rear parking sensors, a 9-inch audio system, satellite navigation, dual zone climate control and wireless mobile phone charger.

Toyota are big on safety and Camry has the Toyota Safety Sense 2 which includes the Panoramic View Monitor, Forward Collision Warning, Pre-Crash Brake Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control and a rear cross traffic alert with brake assist.

Automatic high beam automatically switches between high and low beam to enable optimal night-time visibility.

Toyota offers a 3 year/100,000km warranty on mechanical components and a 5-year/100,000km warranty on hybrid components.

Prices start from €41,730 excluding delivery. My Platinum Edition is from €44,935.