Test drive Toyota Camry
Is it possible to buy a full-fledged business sedan for promotional $ 18, what is it worth paying more for, and what does the initial two-liter Camry look like against the background of more powerful versions?
The set of cars prepared by the organizers of the test in Baku corresponded to the market shares quite conditionally: three Camry 2,5, two with a V6 engine and one basic two-liter. The Toyota Camry is indeed more commonly bought with a 2,5L engine, and the new generation model is unlikely to change this alignment. No more than 6% of customers pay attention to powerful modifications with a V3,5 10 engine, and only crumbs of consumer interest are paid to the two-liter version.
The common phrase "Nothing personal, just business" is the best description of the initial configurations with an attractive price tag. Most often, such cars are not given to journalists, but this time we were lucky. In the price list, the Camry 2,0 really looks like a poor cousin: only 150 hp. by 1,6 tons of mass and a modest set of three initial configurations. But - a very humane price tag "from 18 dollars", the same dimensions of a business-class sedan and exactly the same appearance with a claim, in which one can hardly identify an inexpensive modification.
The two-liter version differs from the more expensive versions in nuances like a differently painted radiator grille, halogen running lights and dimensions instead of fashionable diodes (while the headlights themselves are LED), simpler wheels and door handles without chrome. Inside, there is a slightly different finish and a media system with a 7-inch screen instead of an 8-inch one. The basic set includes front and side airbags, a stability control system, a push-button engine start, electric mirrors, a light sensor, a two-zone "climate" and even a heated windshield in the wiper area.
The basic "Standard" lacks several important things, for which it is worth paying an additional $ 1, rising to the "Standard Plus" performance. Firstly, "Standard" is the only version with a simple radio tape recorder instead of a sensor media system. Secondly, there are no parking sensors, and the steering wheel is not sheathed with leather. Finally, the "Standard Plus" also includes a rain sensor, a rear-view camera and a Bluetooth interface. If you also want leather upholstery for the seats, complete with electrically adjustable front seats, you need to focus on the $ 300 Classic version - top-of-the-line for the Camry 20.
This is about the amount at which the new Camry can be considered a full-fledged player in the large sedan market. Only the dynamic characteristics of the car remain in question, and this is exactly the moment for which we were the first to grab the simplest one available at the Camry presentation. It turned out not in vain - the base motor with a capacity of 150 hp. paired with a six-speed "automatic" pleasantly surprised by a dim, but quite reliable traction. The two-liter sedan is not extinguished either in the city or on the highway, but mountain serpentines are expected to be hard for him.
We were the first Russians to get acquainted with the older versions at the test site in Spain, but then we failed to test the two-liter car and travel on public roads. Now - it worked, and the result was not surprising. In direct comparison with the mass 2,5, the two-liter engine loses, rather, not by the seconds of acceleration to "hundreds", but by the convenience of controlling the thrust and the frequency of gear changes. While the base car begins to feverishly change gears in difficult conditions like a mountain serpentine, the 180-horsepower Camry 2,5 passes such places more confidently and, ultimately, more comfortable for riders.
This is not to say that more powerful cars look more expensive, but they are definitely better equipped. They have all-round cameras, knee airbags, larger wheels, heated steering wheel, additional trim and lighting. And also - the Toyota Safety Sense complex with a set of electronic assistants and an auto-brake function. In expensive versions, there are even electric drives for the backs of the back sofa, a separate climate control unit and a media system control panel, but the cost of such a version already exceeds 2 million rubles.
Version with a V6 3,5 engine with 249 hp. it is even better equipped and rides very thoroughbred, but this is, rather, a story about prestige and public procurement. It is clear that 2,5 will remain the most massive version, but the main discovery is that the base two-liter is quite capable of working as a full-fledged business-class sedan. Even if there is little personal left in such a car.
