Does the 2019 Toyota Camry do enough to sway UK buyers?
Historically, Toyota’s big family saloon hasn’t sold very well on UK shores. So much so that for the last 15 years Toyota hasn’t even bothered to import them into the UK at all. However, all of this is about to change with the 2019 Camry and Toyota will be hoping that it becomes a much more familiar sight on UK roads.
The company cites its design, comfort, heaving kit list and efficient hybrid propulsion system as reasons we will choose it over rivals such as the Volkswagen Passat and Skoda Superb. The question we have is whether it fulfils its promises in these areas and others besides.
As soon as you slide inside the Camry you’ll find a cabin that’s typically Toyota. So you can expect that everything in here feels really solid, substantial and that it will last the test of time. While this car can’t live with the poshness of an Audi or a BMW there’s easily enough luster on display to take the fight right to the Volkswagens and Skodas of this world. Overall the Camry feels every inch the high-quality product. Despite all of the gadgets and gizmos included in the heaving kit list there aren’t too many buttons on the dashboard so it doesn’t feel cluttered and the buttons you do find are clearly marked. When it comes to actually using all of this functionality the touchscreen does most of the heavy lifting and if we’re being honest this is a bit less successful. The slightly confusing menus and the slow dated graphics means that this isn’t the best system that you’ll ever encounter.
Importantly for a big family car, the interior space that comes with the Camry is very generous. There’s loads of space in the back for two tall adults and enough to squeeze three in at a push. The boot is a very competitive 524 litres and split-folding rear seats come as standard.
When it comes to driving the Camry on the road, well it’s pretty similar to the Lexus ES. We say this because underneath the bodywork you’ll find that both cars are very similar indeed. In all honesty this is no bad thing. For example, the steering is especially good because it’s really weighty and responsive. What’s even better in a car like this is that the ride stays nice and smooth for the majority of the time and therefore it’s a very comfortable car in most situations. Unfortunately, the Camry is not as quiet as you’d like it to be mainly because you do hear quite a bit of wind and road noise at motorway speeds. The hybrid system combines a 2.5 litre petrol engine and an electric motor to deliver 218 brake horse power (bhp) through a continuously variable automatic transmission or CVT for short. You’ll find that most of the time the performance is entirely adequate and that progress is usually pretty smooth and quiet too. Ok, like with any CVT, if you ask for too much acceleration then then engine revs shoot up towards the limiter and they stay there until you choose to back off. This results in a large strained sounding noise from the engine and ultimately you don’t go a whole lot faster. It’s not all bad and there are actually benefits to the system most notably financial ones. The Co2 emissions stand at around 100 grams per kilometre. It’s just below this figure for the entry level Design trim and just above for the Excel due to the bigger wheels. What this does is make the Camry extremely tax friendly especially if you’re a company car driver. Official fuel economy figures state 53 miles to the gallon (mpg) which isn’t bad at all.
So, there’s very little wrong with the Camry dynamically or otherwise. However, at the same time there’s very little to mark this car out against its rivals either. Yes the efficiency and financial benefits that this car brings might persuade the odd customer to take a punt on one while the car’s practicality and generous kit will also help to sweeten the deal. However, with a car that’s still something of an unknown quantity in the UK we think that it’s going to take a heck of a lot more than this to persuade the masses. If you’re keen then head to DesperateSeller.co.uk to view a wide selection of Toyota Camry cars for sale.
