Hybridization Ups Toyota Camry Sports Quotient

Toyota popularized hybrids with the launch of the Prius more than two decades ago. Since then, its hybrid propulsion systems have been installed in a plethora of nameplates and made Toyota far and away the hybrid sales leader; about one-third of its new vehicles sold annually run on gas-electric powertrains.

From our competition’s inception in 1995 through last year, Toyota’s hybrid propulsion systems earned seven Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems honors. Thanks to its fifth-generation hybrid system in the Camry, Toyota takes home an eighth trophy for hybridization.

Our judges agree that, with the pairing of smaller, lighter, but more powerful, front electric motors, and an optional rear electric motor for on-demand all-wheel drive – plus a more potent version of Toyota’s 2.5L inline 4-cyl. – the hybrid system in the car produces exciting, unexpected performance in a midsize sedan.

The propulsion system in the AWD Camry achieves 232 net horsepower. The 184-hp all-aluminum 2.5 L inline 4 sees horsepower rise by 12 hp from the same engine in the 2024 Camry Hybrid. Meanwhile, two front AC motors now make 134 hp, up from 118 hp in the 2024 model, while the rear motor chips in another 40 hp.

Engine torque is 163 lb.-ft. (221 Nm), front motors make 153 lb.-ft. (208 Nm) and the rear motor achieves 62 lb.-ft. (84 Nm).

Updates for the engine include lower-viscosity oil, a downsized electric water pump due to improved controls, and elimination of the oil level sensor by changing the low-oil detection logic. Motor updates encompass relocating the magnets and the rotor to increase reluctance torque by moderating the magnetic saturation in the motor. Toyota also reduced the height of the coil by changing from a full-pitch winding to a short-pitch winding. Both these motor updates cut electrical loss 11%, Toyota says.

The engine and three motors strongly motivate the 4-door, so much so that the fifth-gen Toyota hybrid system imparted a sporty personality to the vehicle, even when we were in Eco or Normal modes and not Sport mode.

Judge Dave Zoia praises the system’s immediately accessible torque, giving the Camry jump when passing.

With the fifth-gen hybrid system, Toyota engineers worked to increase power from the lithium-ion traction battery through the front motor/generator, to tamp down spikes in engine revs during acceleration and provide a more natural acceleration feel that is synch-ed to engine rpm increases.

The powertrain is paired with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (e-CVT) with intelligence, to select the proper ratio for the amount of throttle input, increasing the odds of optimal fuel efficiency.

The latest Toyota gas-electric pairing indeed delighted our judges with its frugality. We achieved 40 mpg (5.9 L/100 km) in our Camry test car, despite hard flogging on freeways around metro Detroit. If a buyer can live without AWD, base grade front-wheel-drive Camry Hybrids are estimated to achieve 51 mpg (4.6 L/100 km) with 225 net system horsepower, the most ever standard in a Camry.

For the 2025 model year, the Camry is available only as a hybrid. It’s a bold move that we believe will pay off. Potential buyers can rest assured the Camry Hybrid sacrifices nothing vs. a pure ICE model. On the contrary, partial electrification only adds to the vehicle’s credibility, making for a livelier driving performance.

What’s more, with full electrification adoption by consumers likely to occur more slowly than previously predicted, hybrids represent an important step toward reducing vehicle emissions and improving fuel efficiency.

Judge Bob Gritzinger sums up the Camry’s hybrid system best, noting it makes the sedan “a silent runner when you want to cruise, but packs a sporty punch when you get into the accelerator. This is the kind of hybrid that will make even the most die-hard pure-ICE drivers consider switching to a greener vehicle.”