This may excite taxi drivers and… nobody else. No, that’s a bit harsh. Especially since the brand new 2012 Toyota Camry is being aimed at a younger crowd. And, not all of these workhorses will be painted beige, so that’s good news too.
Now that Toyota has stopped teasing us and actually revealed photos of the no-nonsense saloon, what do we think? Well for starters, it looks better with a more angular front end and sharper eyes while the body looks more muscular. It looks sportier than its predecessor. From the six different trim levels available, we like the SE the most. It boasts a lower grille section housing fog lamps, along with black sport trim headlamp bezel, trunk spoiler and lowered suspension.
The interior has more room and it boasts the Entune multimedia system. This not only offers the usual connectivity bits and bobs, but it also supports mobile apps and has an advanced voice recognition system.
The ride and handling has been improved so the next time you flag down a cab, you might think it’s a Lexus. The Camry gains a revised front suspension and totally new rear suspension while the chassis has been stiffened up and it gets thicker anti roll bars too.
Toyota’s latest electric power steering joins the proceedings while you can choose between 16 to 18in alloys. When your taxi driver is driving dangerously, you’ll feel at ease knowing the new car has 10 standard airbags spread out all over the place. It also has vehicle stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes.
The 2.5-litre four-pot motor has variable valve timing and produces 178bhp, while the bigger 3.5-litre V6 makes 268bhp. Showing its green credentials, Toyota also has a 200bhp hybrid 2.5-litre with a high-torque electric motor but whether we get that here remains to be seen.
