The new 2018 Toyota Camry is now ready for the showroom floor in the US, where deliveries will start in late summer. 

There were three primary design goals when penning the all-new Camry: a distinctive, low centre of gravity that results in a firm wide stance; a practical-yet-emotionally styled cabin profile, and a sporty and upscale image both inside and out. A strong harmony between refinement and a “sensual athletic image” was what they were aiming for.


The new Camry has two “Keen Look” faces – the super wide-mouthed LE/XLE and the SE/XSE, which has a pinched mouth and “Catamaran-inspired” accents for the full alien face. One is supposed to be more luxury, the other more sporty. By the way, the designers sought to make the SE face instantly recognisable and appear different from the other models from 200 metres away.

It is in fact wider. The new midsize (in America) sedan is 4,859 mm long (+10 mm), 1,834 mm wide (+13 mm) and 1,440 mm high (-30 mm), with a wheelbase of 2,824 mm (+48 mm).


The changes inside are even bigger. Sporty is again the key word here, and the driver sits in a ‘cockpit’ with gauges angled toward his or her direction. A key visual element of the new dash is a sweeping new character line that flows down from the instrument cluster and bisects the centre console waterfall.

The new Camry features Toyota’s latest Human Machine Interface (HMI) which relays info through three interlinked displays: a 10-inch colour head-up display, a seven-inch MID within the instrument cluster and an eight-inch audio/navigation display and AC control flush in the centre console. A new nine-speaker JBL premium audio system with Sound Staging (emulates a live concert venue), Low Frequency Sounds (made possible by a 10.1-inch subwoofer) and Clari-Fi (‘uncompresses’ music to help restore a track’s dynamic range) is available.


The new Camry is built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) that also underpins the Prius. By extending the wheelbase by two inches, as well as bringing down the roof and hood height, Toyota lowered the centre of gravity and created a wider and more composed vehicle. 

Toyota says that the front occupants will experience unprecedented outward visibility, thanks to a more compact design for the instrument panel and a lowered beltline, plus repositioned A-pillars and side mirror sections.


Three new powertrains will be available. They include a 3.5 litre V6 with D-4S fuel injection, a 2.5 litre “Dynamic Force” four-cylinder with a new eight-speed automatic, and a next-generation Toyota Hybrid System (THS II). The all-new Dynamic Force Engine is set to be the most popular choice, and it puts out 206 hp at 6,600 rpm and 253 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm (176 hp/222 Nm in the Hybrid). 

Unlike chief rival Honda Accord, which is ditching its big V6 for a high-powered 2.0 turbo for the next-gen, the Camry is sticking to a big NA engine at the top. The 3.5 litre V6 is equipped with D-4S direct injection and VVT-iW variable valve timing. Output is 301 hp and 363 Nm of torque at 4,700 rpm, while fuel economy is 8% better than before.


Both petrol engines are mated to a new Direct Shift eight-speed automatic transmission. Compared to the old six-speed auto, the new gearbox’s torque converter offers a wider range of lock-up for a more direct driving feel, while contributing to improved fuel efficiency through suppressed engine revving. The 2018 Camry Hybrid uses a CVT, but it features a new Sport Mode with six virtual ratios. Sport also improves acceleration thanks to an electric power boost from the hybrid system. FC is 30% better in the Hybrid.

The latest Hybrid is equipped with a Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery pack on the LE grade and Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery pack on the SE and XLE. The battery has moved from the trunk to beneath the rear seats, a position with a lower center of gravity axis.


Toyota Safety Sense P is standard across the board and the suite bundles Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist and Automatic High Beams. Select models will also come with Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. All 2018 Camrys have 10 airbags and a reverse camera.

Priced from US$ 23,495 for a base 2.5 L to US$ 34,950 for an XSE V6, the 2018 Camry rolls out from its American manufacturing in Georgetown, Kentucky, as it has been for three decades now. It is of course the best-selling car in the US, a crown that the midsize Toyota has held for 15 consecutive years. US Camry sales have surpassed the 10 million mark since 1983.