LOS ANGELES — Toyota retools its 4-door Camry with a redesigned ’25 model that goes on sale next year with a hybrid-only propulsion system.
The Camry has been the top-selling family sedan for 22 years, and overall the fifth best-selling vehicle at 295,000 units sold (about 15% fleet) in 2022, according to company reports. That beats the Tesla Model 3 (198,000) and Honda Accord (155,000).
Who’s buying? The average Camry buyer is 52 years old, which means a balanced flow of Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and, yes, even Generation Z. Indeed, Camry chief engineer Mark Dejongh notes in an interview with WardsAuto that the good ol’ Camry is the No.1-selling model for buyers born between 1997-2012.
“They grew up with Camrys and see them as reliable and dependable for getting to A to B, and that’s what Gen Z especially wants,” says Dejongh.
The company has installed the same propulsion system — Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid powertrain — as in the ’24 Prius. But in keeping with past Camry powertrains, Toyota opts for a 2.5L 4-cyl. in the new hybrid rather than the 2.0L 4-cyl. in the Prius.
The standard powertrain produces 225 hp for the front-drive version and 232 hp on the all-wheel-drive model, 30 hp more than current Camry. Toyota is not yet releasing fuel economy numbers, but the EPA rating for the outgoing hybrid is 52 mpg (4.5 L/100 km) and any falloff would be surprising.
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Given where the industry is going with electrification, it would seem logical that Toyota might have also offered a plug-in hybrid trim, as was done with the new Prius Prime. Perhaps we can look for a PHEV in a year or two with model updates. Toyota execs are mum on that.
Gone are two internal-combustion engines previously offered in the Camry, the 203-hp 2.5L I-4, and the 301-hp 3.5L V-6.
The ninth-edition ’25 Camry rides on the company’s TNGA-K platform, which also underpins the Crown sedan and forthcoming Crown Signia, Highlander and RAV4 CUVs, and the Sienna minivan, as well as some Lexus models.
Of the four trims available, the SE and XSE trims get the sportier exterior styling and interior options: racing-inspired functioning aerodynamic air ducts, front-side canards, a rear diffuser, a rear-deck spoiler and an exposed exhaust pipe. Other unique features include: 18-in. wheels on SE trims and 19-in. wheels on the XSE trim. The XSE gets a body-colored grille and black trunk garnishing treatment.
Inside the Top-Selling Sedan
The SE and XSE grades get Softex trimmed seats while the XSE comes with a standard leather interior, which can be had with a flashy “cockpit red” option. The leather-wrapped steering wheel comes with paddle shifters.
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The LE and XLE trims, pitched as “comfort grades” by Toyota, will be the two value-priced grades, each having a more conservative presentation, minus the sporty bits in the SE and XSE. But the XSE trim does have a striking embossed quilted pattern in the suede-like Dinamica fabric on the dashboard and door-sides that comes in black or gray. It could be a bit polarizing for some, but it’s not unappealing. And for a car that sometimes draws snickers for being a boring “Mom-car,” it is downright snazzy.
The infotainment and dashboard instruments in all four trims center around the standard 8-in. (20-cm) and optional 12.3-in. (31-cm) center screen, and 7-in. (18-cm) gauge cluster (in the LE and SE trims) and the 12.3-in. gauge cluster in the XLE and XSE trims. There is also a 10-in. (25-cm) head-up display on the XLE and XSE.
All trims come standard with USB-A and USB-C ports in the front and rear. Toyota engineers say there was much debate about whether to drop USB-A ports, but in the end decided to honor the fact that not everyone has moved to USB-C connectors with smartphones.
The Toyota Audio Multimedia system offers 4G connectivity for up to five devices as well as Intelligent Assistant, which allows for voice commands to control navigation, HVAC, streaming services and more.
All Camrys comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0: pre-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection; adaptive cruise control; lane-departure warnings and steering assist; road-sign assist, which displays sign indications on the HUD; automatic high beams; Proactive Driving Assist, which uses the vehicle’s camera and radar to provide braking and/or steering to augment tasks such as maintaining safe distance between vehicles or avoiding cyclists and pedestrians. The XLE and XSE offer additional optional safety features.
To understand why Ford bailed out of the midsize sedan segment, and Chevrolet has not invested in it lately, is to appreciate how seriously Toyota has long taken the Camry and its impact on its entire lineup. When you have bulletproof, trusted, reliable and consistent stalwarts like Camry and Corolla in the middle of your lineup and showroom, it makes selling just about everything else easier.
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