Established Record, New Music

What we like:

Comfort

quiet

handling

capacity and the new drivetrain.

What we dislike:

That media interface

a heavy park brake

limited all-pastel paint options.

The new 2.0 litre VVT-iW engine has Toyota's Atkinson Cycle System to hike performance while keeping consumption down. Using Drive-S mode, it certainly seems to work. For a 1.48 tonne car, the Camry goes more than well enough to cope with the vicissitudes of Singapore traffic. Rumour says the 2.5 litre unit goes quicker (and comes with fancy white seats for not much more cash).

Even better, both 2.0 and 2.5 models come with a brand new 6-speed transmission which helps keep revs down while keeping the response decent. It's a real improvement over the previous unit. Handling isn't exactly Le Mans-style, but there is not a hint of wallowing or pitching on fast corners; Aunties will be comfy at whatever speed on whatever road. Brakes are progressive and powerful when you go for it; there is an additional Brake Assist servo which kicks in during an emergency stop.

All this makes the new Camry something of a chameleon car. It's not exactly all things to all men and women, but it comes close. In terms of value for money, the new Camry brings a new benchmark to several market segments; here's to the next 20 million.

Credits: Story and Photos by Jeremy Torr