Toyota Adds Some Excitement To The 2015 Camry: Comments

[William Maley]

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Toyota isn't resting on its laurels with the Camry. Even though the company redesigned the model back in 2012, new competitors are threatening the Camry's midsize sedan sales crown. So the company went back to the drawing board and came up with the 2015 Camry, shown today at the New York Auto Show.

Toyota says the 2015 model has been rebuilt from the ground-up with more than 2,000 new parts in a effort to make the new model a bit more exciting, something Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda has mandated.

The exterior has grown in length by 1.8 inches and features a 0.4 inch wider track. Up front is styling that is similar to the new Corolla with a wider and more prominent grille and wraparound headlights. In the back is a Avalon-like trunk lid and new taillights. Moving inside, Toyota has added more premium and soft-touch materials throughout the cabin. There is a redesigned center stack with the latest version of Toyota's Entune infotainment system and a new 4.2 inch color screen in the instrument cluster.

Powertrains carry over from the current model, which means a 2.5L four-cylinder engine will be the base, followed by the 3.5L V6. Hybrid models stick with 2.5L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder paired with an electric motor and CVT. What has changed is Toyota trying to up the sporty-ness with the Camry by adding more spot welds to the chassis, revised suspension, retuned electric power steering, and a new two-stage brake booster.

The Camry also gains two more trim levels for more sport. First is the XSE which adds unique 18-inch wheels, shock absorbers, firmer bushings, higher rate coil springs, and unique steering tuning. Then there is the Hybrid SE which gets its own tuning to the suspension and chassis reinforcements.

The 2015 Camry arrives at dealers this fall.

Source: Toyota

Press Release is on Page 2

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More Than Skin Deep: America's Best-Selling Car Gets Even Better With a Sweeping Redesign for 2015

Toyota Camry rebuilt from the ground up with almost 2,000 new parts

New, sporty XSE and Hybrid SE grades amp up driving dynamics

Most upscale interior in segment with soft-touch materials throughout

Produced by over 7,000 American team members

April 16, 2014

NEW YORK (April 16, 2014) - So what do you do when you have the best-selling car in the industry for 12 straight years? You find ways to make it even better. That's exactly what Toyota did with the introduction of the new 2015 Camry. After selling almost a million of the industry's benchmark sedan since the current generation launched in 2011, Toyota stripped it down to its chassis and rebuilt it from the ground up, raising the bar yet again in the ultra-competitive mid-size sedan segment.

"Customers today love the durability, quality and value that the Camry represents, but they are looking for a little more style, comfort and performance, and this 2015 Camry has all of the above," said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. "This is the new Camry, and it's coming from the new Toyota."

Toyota designers and engineers re-imagined nearly every exterior surface of the car. Only the roof remains unchanged. The new, upscale interior features premium, soft-touch materials throughout the spacious cabin. Advanced instrumentation with intuitive controls helps keep the driver's eyes safely on the road ahead.

Underneath the striking new exterior, the chassis and body structure are bolstered with additional spot welds, enhancing rigidity for better ride quality. A retuned suspension takes the Camry's handling to a whole new level of responsiveness.

Two new grades, the sporty and luxurious XSE and the eco-fun Hybrid SE, join the well-equipped entry LE and the premium XLE grade, giving customers more choice than ever before.

An Expressive and Athletic Exterior

The 2015 Camry's exterior is more expressive and athletic with prominent character lines. The new car is slightly longer (1.8 inches or 45 mm) and features a widened track (0.4 inches or 10 mm) that communicates a dynamic stance and presence.

A pronounced body line starts from the Camry's muscular front fender and spans across the doors and rear quarter panel, conveying a sense of motion. The completely revised, more aggressive front bumper cover features a wider more prominent trapezoidal grille shape, expressing a lower center of gravity.

The 2015 Camry will be available in 10 colors, including the new Celestial Silver Metallic and Ruby Flare Pearl.

New Lighting Shines with Form and Function

The new sleek headlamps complement the aggressive front fascia, while the front turn signal indicators and LED DRL's are integrated for an elegant appearance. The 2015 Camry will offer exterior lighting with available LED low and high-beams and auto static leveling. The Camry's rear tail lamps sweep into the tapered sheet metal at the rear of the car. A decorative garnish connects

the tail lamps across the trunk lid and emphasizes its new sporty stance.

A Modern, Refined Interior

The interior of the new Camry is more refined than ever with premium materials, roomier feel and improved amenities. The center stack features a high-tech, upscale look that smoothly integrates with the console.

The center console tray has been redesigned to increase capacity while offering a convenient power source in the storage box. The new enclosed bin in front of the shifter now offers 12v, USB and a segment-first, available wireless charging system for select smart phones.

The 2015 Camry's cockpit offers intuitive top-flight in-car electronics and displays that help reduce driver stress and distraction. The instrument panel features a new 4.2-inch TFT screen nestled between the three-dimensional Optitron gauges on the SE, XLE and XSE models. The screen's color animation displays a wide range of vehicle functions and coordinates with the multimedia system to display audio, navigation, warnings and communications.

Detailed stitching and trim elements finished in satin chrome convey a sophisticated appearance. Varying by model, seat cover textures range from premium cloth all of the way to genuine leather and Ultrasuede with durable, high contrast French-stitching.

The Quietest Camry Ever

Toyota engineers focused on reducing unwanted wind and road noise to offer an even quieter cabin. Window and door seals were improved to keep noise outside. The carpet features 30 percent more insulating material. Even the Camry's side mirrors were redesigned to better control air flow reducing turbulence and noise.

Dialing Up Driving Dynamics

Additional spot welds were added to the door opening flanges to increase rigidity and enable spirited handling. A combination of Macpherson struts up front, a multi-link arrangement at the rear and a stiffer body structure allows for unique suspension tuning across trim levels.

The electric power steering on all Camry models is tuned for better on-center feel, better straight line stability and more direct-feeling steering inputs. In addition to improvements in steering feel, the new Camry's hydraulic system has been revised with a two-stage brake booster to improve brake feel.

The Camry will continue to be available with 2.5-liter four-cylinder or 3.5-liter V6 gas engines paired with 6-speed automatic transmissions, or a 2.5-liter Atkinson Cycle engine with Hybrid Synergy drive matched to an E-CVT.

Making the Grade

In 2011, Toyota launched the sporty Camry SE grade, resulting in attracting buyers that were 12 years younger than the rest of the segment average. The SE model now accounts for 45 percent of the Camry sales mix, proving that drivers want sportier models.

Building on this success, the Camry XSE grade gives customers more of what they want with enthusiastic driving dynamics and luxurious amenities. The Camry SE and XSE are distinguished by a unique mesh grille and fascia treatment. The Camry XSE adds to its edgier look with model-specific 18-inch wheels, unique shock absorbers, firmer bushings, higher rate coil springs, and unique EPS tuning, making it the sportiest Camry yet.

Also for 2015, a Camry Hybrid SE has been added to the lineup with unique dynamic suspension tuning that delivers an eco-fun driving experience. Up front, a stabilizer bar, absorber valve structure, and control arm bushing components were enhanced to offer improved ride quality while sharpening steering feel. The Hybrid SE's vehicle stability control system has been retuned for smoother intervention and a more natural driving feel.

Advanced Safety Features

All Toyota vehicles come standard with the STAR Safety System. In addition, Camry will offer safety-focused driver aids including Lane Departure Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision System with Auto High Beams, and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Everybody's All-American

Every Camry sold in North America is the product of over 7,000 skilled American team members. From design and engineering in Michigan, to assembly in Kentucky, a unique American touch goes into each Camry that rolls off of the line. The new 2015 Camry will arrive in dealerships this fall.

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[§carlet §wordfish]

Still not very exciting, but it's a bit easier on the eyes.

[Drew Dowdell]

Gotta say I like the old one better, this just looks like a mishmash of Avalon and corolla styling cues on a Camry body.

[William Maley]

Gotta say I like the old one better, this just looks like a mishmash of Avalon and corolla styling cues on a Camry body.

I like the Avalon bit.. but the Corolla bit is throwing me through a loop.

[2QuickZ's]

Are they trying to put the Lexus spindle grille on the Toyotas? That is kind of what it looks like to me. Just a less obnoxious version of it.

[Drew Dowdell]

yes... which makes no sense at all.

[smk4565]

It does look more like an Avalon which might make it look more premium. But I wouldn't call it exciting, and those engines are from like 2005.

[SAmadei]

The cheap plastic on the C-pillar... nasty and unnecessary.

[bobo]

They went from clean and uncluttered to busy and cobbled together. Not an improvement.

[Intrepidation]

That C-pillar stick on is a vain attempt to change the greenhouse shape. The big blacked out front end would look better if that black piece were body color. Still it looks better than the current car, but hardly pulse raising.

[ocnblu]

I like the current one (2014) because it looks better than the immediate previous model. This new one (2015) looks sportier than the current one, even with the quasi-Lexus/Corolla schnoz. All in the family is something the Asian makers haven't done a lot of in the past, I see nothing wrong with it.

[G. David Felt]

WOW, UGLY!

So they push out the Lexus front grill toned down or what I would call the BIG MOUTH BILLY BASS front end. Does nothing for appeal at all. The interior is just as bad, a slasher job of a dash. Someone must have been on a predator and slasher film binge when they designed this car and the Lexus line. Terrible, Terrible design language.

[Cory Wolfe]

I think it's a pretty substantial improvement over the outgoing model, especially considering this is just a mid-cycle refresh. It's no longer a completely underwhelming looking car. Unfortunately, it's not all new and while they claim the interior has been upgraded, it's marginal at best. The interior is the current car's biggest Achilles heel in my opinion. The materials and build quality were absolutely horrid. From what I can see, not much has changed. Perhaps I'll be proven wrong, but...

[Drew Dowdell]

A mid-cycle refresh of a mid-cycle refresh of a cycle that started over 10 years ago. Starting to have a distinctly W-Body feel to it.

[ocnblu]

I am jazzed by the fact that this midsize car, the best selling car in the USA... still has a V6 option. I firmly believe GM and Ford followed the wrong horse when they copied... HYUNDAI, of all 2nd tier brands, and dropped their V6 option in the Fusion and Malibu.

[Drew Dowdell]

Yet most people don't buy that version and hybrid Camry sales likely exceed V6 sales, so it's clearly not a driving factor in being the #1 seller.

[ocnblu]

YET, Toyota and Honda still offer the better engine option.

[Drew Dowdell]

And it means nothing in the grand scheme of things if people don't buy it in large numbers. If someone wants a V6 at a Chevy or Ford dealer, there are Impalas and Tauruses aplenty to choose from.

[Intrepidation]

I would take this over a Malibu.

[Drew Dowdell]

So would I, but not for the option of a V6...

[ocnblu]

The V6 is a huge selling point for people like me.

[Drew Dowdell]

People who don't buy Camrys?

[ponchoman49]

If they mean more exciting because it has LED accent lights and the Carolla's front end then color me unimpressed. Still looks like a boring plain generic cookie cutter sedan.

LOL at the stupid black C-pillar!