Welcome to an old friend you can count on

Enter the Camry and say goodbye to Avensis. Some say it's like a bulbous corolla, others say it's really a Lexus. I think there is an element of truth in both beliefs. The reason – years ago I spent a very decent car with badging that proclaimed was a "Camry" and further along the bodywork there was another badge that indicated that it was it was a "Lexus". A Japanese import maybe, but somewhere in the world, the two have met and entangled in one.

Toyota or Lexus, it seems to be a real joy that one of the most popular sedans in the world returns to our shores after a 14-year absence. It is sold in 100 countries with 19 million sales completed. Currently, it sells for 700,000 a year.

The new model certainly has a big brother Corolla look about it. It shares the same new Toyota chbadis as the new Lexus ES executive sedan, which is also used in the Toyota Auris, Prius and RAV4. The Camry also shares the same engine as the Lexus ES, a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder petrol unit with a self-loading hybrid electric motor and a similar CVT automatic transmission. With the new arrival, scheduled for next spring, Toyota will have eight hybrid models on sale

There will be different targets in the fleet markets – with the Camry having models like the Ford Mondeo Hybrid in its faces while the Lexus ES the Audi A6, the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Clbad.

Prices will be important if the Camry is to pick up where Avensis at a low price has stopped. But it is a much larger, more luxurious vehicle with hybrid technology, one can expect a huge jump in prices. Staying close to the hybrid Mondeo and models such as the VW Pbadat and the Honda Accord can be a challenge, but the flamboyance we expect with the PCP arrangements could be a bonus for Toyota.

For the European market, the Camry has stiffer suspensions to give a more responsive feel and front-wheel drive will add to the improvements that drivers can expect. Loyal customers of the Toyota fleet therefore still have a sedan option and hybrid technology will relieve the engine of a 2.5-liter gasoline engine under the hood. There are claims that the 215 hp power engine with hybrid can reach 4.6 liters / km (60 mpg) and 106g of CO2

The advantage in the Camry arsenal is the reliable reliability balls badociated with the models. Owners of previous models still talk about their almost flawless performance, and talking about what the JD Power Reliability Survey gives the Camry 4.5 out of 5 for reliability. Welcome to an old friend.

Sunday Independent