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Daihatsu Altis)
The Toyota Camry is a large family car manufactured by Toyota in the United States (at Georgetown, Kentucky), Australia and Japan. In its biggest market, the United States, the Camry competes directly with the Honda Accord and, to a lesser extent, the Nissan Maxima and Ford Taurus. In Japan and Asia, its main rival is the Nissan Teana and the USDM Honda Accord (in markets where it is sold). Although in recent years the Camry is a big seller in US, Australia and a number of Asian markets, it didn't sell well in Europe and Japan, as its design was not suited to either of them. In more recent years, an upbranded version of the Camry, specifically the hardtop variant (called Windom) sold in Japan, has been exported as the Lexus ES 250, ES 300, and ES 330.
The Camry name was originally launched in 1980 on the Toyota Celica Camry but an independently named Toyota Camry was launched in 1982 for the 1983 model year. During the Camry's production run, it has been sold primarily as a four door sedan but has, at times, also been available as a five door hatchback, station wagon, and two door coupé. An offshoot of the Camry, the Camry Solara, has been available as a coupé and a convertible. The Camry underwent serious redesign and upgrades in model years 1987, 1992, 1997, and 2002.
Other than the original Celica Camry, the Toyota Camry has always been an FF layout vehicle, where the engine is transversely mounted to drive the front wheels. Certain models have, however, been available with all wheel drive.
The second- and third-generation Camrys were badge-engineered and sold as the Holden Apollo in Australia, alongside the Toyota equivalent. The Holden equivalents were not successful, even though they came from the same factory as the Toyotas.
Since 2000, Daihatsu has sold a Camry twin called the Altis.
Market
Toyota's marketing and sales strategy has traditionally been cautious and has generally resulted in strong sales to nonenthusiast buyers. The Camry has been a bread-and-butter vehicle aimed squarely at the center of buyer demographics. Although the Camry's sales success isn't as impressive as the world's-most-popular Toyota Corolla, it has nevertheless shown impressive sales and is consistently ranked as one of the most popular vehicles in the lucrative North American market.
In the Camry's two major markets, (Australia and North America), the Camry is sold as a sub-luxury large sedan, positioned directly below the Toyota Avalon and the Lexus ES 330. In general, the Camry cannot be optioned above the Avalon or ES 330; however, the fully equipped Corolla overlaps slightly with the base-model Camry.
The Camry is sold in more limited numbers in Europe, where the smaller Avensis (built in the United Kingdom) is more popular. The Camry is generally considered bland and undesirable there, particularly as Toyota positions it as a BMW 5-Series rival, and seen to lack cachet. The absence of a station wagon for the fifth generation in markets like New Zealand means that the Camry sedan and the Avensis estate are sold side by side, the Avensis Verso minivan having failed in that market.
After the introduction of the fourth-generation Camry, sales in Japan dipped noticeably. Prior to the fourth-generation, Toyota adapted the Camry's design specifically to suit Japanese tax laws and domestic market requirements, and hence the JDM versions of the Camry (which include the Vista as well as the Camry) are bounded by a certain set of dimensions which otherwise would not suit most export markets. For the fourth-generation Camry, Toyota decided to split the Vista from the Camry, and so created two distinct model lines instead of simple badge-engineering, though both shared a large number of components. The Vista continues to be sized according to domestic vehicle tax laws, whereas the Camry (now called Camry Gracia) will not be adapted and will be the same as those sold in foreign markets. This put the Camry at a disadvantage as its size is placed at the lower-end of a higher tax category, which included cars such as the Crown and Aristo. Both arguably aimed at the higher-end of the market than the Camry. The introduction of the A32-series Nissan Cefiro in 1994 may have prompted Toyota to change it's strategy, despite the poor sales of the Scepter, basically a RoW third-generation Camry, which was sold between 1992-1994 (only 4,885 units sold in total). The continued success of the Nissan Cefiro (and afterwards the Nissan Teana) meant that some customers are willing to pay extra taxes for a larger family car, and so this marketing strategy continued.
As of 2004, the Camry is produced at Toyota plants in Japan, Australia; and Georgetown, Kentucky, USA, with CKD assembly operations in Vietnam, Philippines; and Thailand. It is also assembled from CKD-kits at Toyota's local partners in Malaysia and Taiwan. [1]
Current competition
The Camry's perennial competitor, the Honda Accord, is often described as sportier and has traditionally been equipped with a few more performance-oriented options. North American sales figures between the Accord and the Camry are usually comparable, indicating that consumers in the Camry's target demographic are not necessarily interested in performance. In US, the most recent comparisons have placed the car against the Nissan Altima, Mitsubishi Galant, Mazda6, and Chevrolet Malibu; and, although the Camry isn't always the clear winner, it nevertheless remains a solid competitor. [2] [3]
Sales performance in Australasia and for most parts of Asia remain competitive against the Honda Accord, with the exception of China and Japan. In China, both the Nissan Teana and Honda Accord (some of Camry's main competitors) are produced locally, and hence have a price advantage against the imported Camry. In Japan, it's only competitor is the Nissan Cefiro (and afterwards, the Nissan Teana), but Nissan consistently outsold Toyota in this market segment.
Model history
There is some dispute over the generational naming of the Toyota Camry. Most sources note the first generation Camry to have been produced as a 1983 model. A fewer number of sources state the first generation to have started in 1980 as a Toyota Celica Camry. This article follows the former convention.
It should also be noted that the Japanese-language version of this article follows the convention that includes the 1980–2 model.
Toyota Celica Camry (1980–2)
Originally launched as the Toyota Celica Camry in January 1980 for the Japanese home market, this model was essentially a second-generation Toyota Carina with updated body-styling and a front-end that resembles a 1978 (first-generation) Toyota Celica XX (Known as Celica Supra in export markets).
The car used the rear wheel drive Celica platform (which was shared by both the Corona and Carina) and was powered by either a 1.6 L 12T-U engine producing JIS 88 hp (65 kW) and 128 N·m (94 ft·lbf) or a 1.8 L 13T-U engine producing JIS 94 hp (70 kW) and 147 N·m (108 ft·lbf). Towards the end of its model lifecycle, Toyota introduced a sports version of the Celica Camry equipped with the 16-valve DOHC 2.0 L engine from the Celica. This is the most sought after version of the Celica Camry in the secondhand market today.
Although it has an identical 2500 mm (98.4 in) wheelbase to the Celica, the Corona, and the Carina, it is longer than the Carina but shorter than both the Corona and Celica. During its model cycle, over 100,000 units were sold in Japan. The Celica Camry was also exported to a number of markets using the Carina's name, and it replaced the second-generation Carina in those markets.
First generation (1982–6)
In 1982, the Camry became an independent model line, and was sold as a mid-sized four door and five door sedan. There were limited exports, predominantly to right-hand-drive markets. At this point, Camry was positioned above the Carina and Corona, two other mid-sized models made by Toyota. A twin was announced at this point: the Toyota Vista.
The Camry was available only with a 92 hp (69 kW) 2.0 L inline four cylinder engine but could be purchased with either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. In contrast to the rear-wheel-drive Celica Camry, the Toyota Camry was a front-wheel-drive vehicle built on an all-new platform.
The design of the first-generation Camry fit well within the box-shaped trends of the early 1980s. Additionally, the vehicle size and available options were characteristic of Japanese-designed cars of the time; the Camry was a small, inexpensive sedan with solid but spartan construction and competed indirectly against larger American counterparts.
Second generation (1986–1991)
The second-generation model débuted in 1986, and included a station wagon but dropped the hatchback. At this point, it was still regarded as a mid-sized car. In 1988, all wheel drive (called All-Trac) and a 153 hp (114 kW) 2.5 L V6 engine were added as options for the first time. The V6 featured dual overhead camshafts, much like the upgraded 115 hp (86 kW) 4 cylinder.
In 1991, antilock brakes became optional on the V6, LE, and wagon models.
The Kentucky plant also began producing Camrys in 1988, where three trim levels of second-generation Camry were made: the unbadged base model, the DX, and the LE. The 2.5 L engine and Camry chassis was repackaged as the upscale Lexus ES 250. The ES 250 was essentially the Japanese-market Camry hardtop.
The second-generation Camry was extremely popular in the United States and it is not at all uncommon to see examples on American roads.
Third generation (1991–1996)
The third-generation Camry (first sold in 1990 in Japan; in the US as a 1992 model year car) is regarded as the first to break into the large-car market, or what Toyota billed at the time as "world-sized". This model marked the transition away from an inexpensive four door vehicle into a larger, more luxurious family sedan.
However, in Japan, the 1992 Camry was a different vehicle, which shared its doors and fenders with the exported model, but was limited to the 1700 mm (66.9 in) width required to fit into a lower tax bracket (the 'number 5' bracket). The wider export model was called the Toyota Scepter in its home market.
In the United States, automatic transmissions became the only options on all but the very base- and sport-model Camrys, whereas previously, manual transmissions were available on nearly all trim levels.
In that market, both the four- and six cylinder engines received upgrades in displacement and power: the four was upped to 2.2 L and 130 hp (97 kW), and the V6 to 3.0 L and 185 hp (137 kW). In addition to the DX (also sometimes called Deluxe) and LE trims, 1992 saw the addition of an XLE luxury trim and the SE sport trim—presumably introduced to compete with the Nissan Maxima SE.
Some other countries followed the 2.2 L and 3.0 L engine choice. Toyota in New Zealand sold these models as the 220 and V6 respectively, the smaller-engined car filling the gap of the departed Corona. The V6 was called the Vienta in Australia, where third generation models were also built.
It shared the rounded-body-panel look of many imports of similar vintage: the Toyota Corolla, Honda Accord, and Nissan Altima, to name a few. This was a departure from the second-generation models which, although they had many more rounded panels than the first-generation Camrys, were nevertheless generally slab-sided in shape. The third-generation Camrys had rounded features and a very curved silhouette.
The Vista continued in parallel, available in addition as a hardtop sedan. This is a similar car to the then new Windom, which formed the basis of the Lexus ES 300 in foreign markets, equipped with a 3.0 L V6 engine.
In 1994, Toyota released a two door version of the Camry with styling very similar to the four door version. This vehicle would be dropped for the next generation, although it would later be replaced by the Camry Solara (discussed below).
The same year, the Japanese home market saw a revised, 1700 mm wide Camry and Vista, with different sheetmetal, on the same platform. (The Japanese version of this page lists this as a 'fifth-generation' model.)
The third-generation Camry was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1992 and 1993.
Fourth generation (1996–2001)
The fourth-generation Camry was launched in Japan in December 1996. It continued as a sedan and station wagon (called the Camry Gracia in Japan), though the latter model was not sold in the United States. This generation was launched in the US for the 1998 model year. In 2000, the sedan models received a mid-model upgrade to the front and rear fascias, but remained otherwise similar to the 1999 models. The Japanese Scepter ceased to exist as the Japanese Camrys adopted the 1795 mm wide platform.
The Vista began departing from the Camry, remaining 1700 mm wide and eventually forming the basis of the growing Corolla. In addition, the Vista's sheet metal resembled a tall, formal sedan, while the Camry became sleeker. This "split" continues today.
The Lexus ES 300 was again built from the Windom, which uses the Camry chassis.
The Camry Solara was added in both coupé and convertible form in 1999. In contrast to the third-generation Camry two door, the Camry Solara was a significant styling departure from the four door.
In the United States, the old sport model (SE) was dropped and the base model renamed to CE for the 1998 model year. Both the LE and the XLE trims were carried over from the previous generation. The Solara was available in SE and SLE trim, corresponding roughly to the sedan's LE and XLE trims. The XLE was available with either the four cylinder or V6 engine, although the Solara SLE was available only with the V6.
Power was increased slightly to 133 hp (99 kW) for the 5S-FE 2.2 L inline-four and 194 hp (145 kW) for the 1MZ-FE V6. Manual transmissions were only available on the CE trim level and any Solara model.
This was the first Camry to be sold as a Daihatsu. The Daihatsu Altis was identical to the export version of the Camry.
The Camry V6 was again on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1997.
Fifth generation (2001–present)
In September 2001, the latest Toyota Camry was released as a larger sedan (taking styling cues from the successful Vitz, Corolla and Solara coupé) only, but without a station wagon for the first time. This model was launched in most export markets, including the United States, as a 2002 model year car.
The styling of the fifth-generation Camry is somewhat similar to the fourth-generation model in that both have gently curved surfaces accented by sharp creases. However, the front end of the car is relatively short, leaving a great deal of the length to the cabin, a technique adopted by compact cars. In contrast to the fairly squat fourth-generation Camry, the fifth generation is a decidedly tall vehicle. It is 2.5 in (64 mm) taller and has a 2 in (51 mm) longer wheelbase than the previous model.
In the United States for 2002, the base CE model was dropped but the SE sport model was reintroduced. Both the LE and SE models are available with a manual transmission when equipped with the four cylinder engine now up to 2.4 L and 163 hp (122 kW). Any model may be equipped with a V6 or an automatic transmission, although the manual transmission is not available on V6 models.
In Australia, the 2002 Camry is available in five different trims: the Altise, Ateva, Sportivo, Azura, and Grande. [4] The Altise, Ateva, and Sportivo are available with either the inline four cylinder or the V6, and the Azura and Grande are all fitted with V6s. Only the Altise and the Sportivo may be fitted with a manual transmission—all other models are equipped with an automatic transmission. The Australian Camry Sportivo corresponds roughly to the American Camry SE.
Minor cosmetic changes came in 2004 worldwide.
Daihatsu continued with its twin Altis model for Japan only.
For 2006, Toyota will create a Hybrid gas/electric Camry.
Crash test results
Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [5] and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) [6] publish crash information for the third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation Camry. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) scores crash ratings as one to five stars for front and side crashes. Similarly, the IIHS scores crash performance with a four-level grade (Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor) in multiple categories and overall.
Third generation
The third-generation Camry was tested only frontal (NHTSA) and frontal offset (IIHS) crashes. NHTSA gave the vehicle four stars for the driver and between three and four stars for the passenger, depending on the year. [7] The IIHS scored it acceptable overall, with three out of six categories listed as good and the other three listed as acceptable. [8] In comparison, the similar-vintage Honda Accord fared similarly (although somewhat worse) [9], the Ford Taurus did notably better [10], and the Nissan Maxima performed much worse. [11]
Fourth generation
The fourth-generation Camry was tested for frontal and side impacts (NHTSA) and frontal offset (IIHS) crashes, but scored significantly better than the third generation in all frontal tests. [12] [13] Additionally, the IIHS website lists the 1997-2001 Camry as being a BEST PICK in frontal crash tests.
The NHTSA gave the Camry four stars in side impact tests when fitted with side airbags and three stars without. [14]
Fifth generation
The fifth-generation Camry was tested for front, side, and rollover crashes (NHTSA) and rear, side (with and without side airbags), and frontal offset crashes (IIHS). The fifth-generation frontal performance was similar to that for the fourth-generation. [15] [16] It was also again listed as a BEST PICK in frontal crashes. Similarly, IIHS side impacts with airbags was rated as good overall with good in most categories. [17]
However, side crash performance without airbags was only two stars in 2002 (NHTSA) [18] and poor, the lowest score on the IIHS scale. [19] Three out of the nine categories were scored as poor, including Head protection, driver, Injury:Head/neck, and Injury:Torso, rear passenger. The IIHS website notes that although Toyota changed the design of 2004 Camrys to improve side performance, the changes would not significantly impact the crash performance of vehicles without side airbags.
NHTSA rollover performance is listed as five stars for 2001 models and four stars thereafter. IIHS rear-crash performance was rated as marginal for Camrys with cloth seats and poor for Camrys with leather seats. [20]
Theft statistics
The Camry is reportedly the most stolen car in the United States. [21] This can be partly attributed to the fact that the Camry has been the top selling car in the U.S. for several years. In 2001, for example, the second-generation Camry was the most-stolen vehicle, whereas the fourth-generation Camry was the 79th most stolen.
The Camry received an "average" theft loss index in yearly reports generated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for every year between 1992 and 2004 except 1997, when it received a "worse than average." [22] Each of these reports only covers the previous three model years (e.g., the 1992 report covers 1989-1991 Camrys).
Racing and aftermarket
Due to the Camry's size and market orientation, it is not a suitable candidate for professional motorsports activities. So far, the one and only time a Camry that has been used by a works Toyota team as a race car is during the 1990's, where Toyota South Africa commissioned a third-generation Camry, built according to FIA's Class-2 Super Touring regulations, to be raced in the South African Touring Car Championship. It only achieved moderate success as the competition comprised of other more suitable machinery, for example BMW 320i's prepared by Team Schnitzer . In spite of past failures, there nonetheless exists evidence that late-model Camrys have been raced in other minor championships. [23] The Camry's popularity and Toyota's reputation for reliability means that older-model Camrys occasionally surface in amateur motorsports. As the matter of fact, the South African Super Touring Camry is still being raced by a privateer in Australia in 2005, despite the car being more than 10 years old. Recently, Toyota is said to be preparing a version of the Camry for NASCAR's elite Busch and Nextel Cup series, with the intention of competing in the 2006 or 2007 seasons. If so, it would be the first appearance by a vehicle made by a non-USA company in NASCAR's top two series since the 1950s. (Tundra pickups currently compete in the Craftsman Truck Series.)
Toyota's in-house motor sport department, Toyota Racing Development, as well as Toyota Team Europe and TOM'S , does offer performance parts for the fourth- and fifth-generation Camry. Aftermarket performance parts for the Camry are significantly more limited than for sportier vehicles; however, even a bona-fide supercharger has been developed specifically for the Camry. [24] [25]
External links
